Solid or Engineered: Which Hardwood Type is Right for You?

If you’re shopping for new hardwood floors and you’ve done your hardwood homework, you probably have noticed that hardwood flooring comes in two different varieties: engineered and solid. Solid hardwood is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – a solid plank of hardwood cut into specific board sizes. Engineered hardwood is flooring that is composed of 3 – 12 multiple ply layers that have been cross-layered, glued down, and pressed together. A layer of species-specific hardwood is then layered on top, giving the appearance of a solid board.

On the surface, solid and engineered hardwoods are very difficult to tell apart, but they do have their own individual advantages and disadvantages. Engineered hardwoods are much more versatile. They can be nailed or glued on top of all types of sub-floors, including concrete. Solid hardwood can only be nailed or stapled down to a wood sub-floor. (Don’t try to staple solid hardwood to a concrete sub-floor. It will only end badly.) Engineered hardwood floors are also less prone to expansion and contraction damages due to climate change.

If cost is a factor, consider engineered. Engineered hardwood flooring is typically less expensive because less of the solid tree goes into the board. It is also lighter and easier to transport, which can also cut down on costs. However, one additional cost factor involved in engineered flooring is the pad that is necessary to purchase for under the floor. Pads help to deaden the echo sound and also act as a moisture barrier, helping to reduce mold and mildew issues when installing over concrete.

 Another important factor to assess when purchasing engineered flooring is the thickness of the top ware layer. Some engineered product cannot be sanded and refinished if the ware layer is less than 2mm. If the engineered floor you are looking at is 2mm or over, than the floor can be sanded and refinished a couple of times. Technology in engineered flooring has come a long way in the past few years, and high-end engineered product typically have a ware layer of an 1/8”. This is essentially the same thickness of a solid hardwood floor has above the tongue and groove. These high end engineered products have a life span that will outlast most of us – they can be sanded and finished the same amount of times as a solid floor.

If there are no budget concerns, and you are installing above grade on a ply sub floor, solid hardwood floors might be the better option. Solid hardwood does not need a pad and you will have no issues with the echoing sound typical with engineered material. Solid floor also typically has a longer life span with sanding and refinishing compared to “standard” engineered materials. Solid flooring also adds more resale value to your home.

As you can see, engineered and solid hardwoods both have their advantages and disadvantages. Cost, ease of installation, and longevity are just a few things to consider when deciding between the two. Still unsure as to which hardwood style is right for you? Give us a call at 1-888-448-9663 today, or shoot us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can’t wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

Engineered VS. Solid Flooring: What's the Difference?

There is a lot of information online about the technical differences between engineered flooring and solid hardwood flooring. Heck, we've even got some on our own site! But unless you're a hardwood flooring manufacturer or installer, you probably don't care about cross-directional layers and dimensional stability. You care about how your new floors will look and feel, and probably how much they're going to cost.

With that in mind, we've taken the liberty to break down the engineered vs. solid flooring debate into four categories that are important to you: look, cost, longevity, and installation process. We hope this helps clear up some of the confusion surrounding this common question!

The Look
Since engineered flooring is made with a top layer of real wood there is very little difference in appearance between it and solid hardwood flooring. Both solid and engineered flooring can be purchased prefinished or unfinished, and both come in a wide variety of species. Both varieties are available as planks or strips, but only solid hardwood flooring comes in parquets.

The Cost
Engineered flooring usually costs less than solid hardwood flooring, mainly because it contains less of the actual wood than its solid counterpart. Engineered wood also weighs less than solid wood flooring, so transportation costs are. Finally, engineered wood is generally easier to install, meaning it will cost you less in installation costs.

The Longevity
There are two schools of thought on this subject. The first looks at how likely the wood is to experience buckling or warping over time. Engineered flooring is made using a cross-directional lamination process, which helps counteract the wood's natural tendency to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. From this point of view, engineered flooring is the top choice for durability.

On the other hand, because engineered flooring has only a thin layer (about 2mm to 3mm) of natural hardwood, it makes refinishing much more difficult. Solid wood, however, can be refinished many times - as much as one-third of the board in some cases. So from the point of view of repairing scratched or dented floors, solid hardwood is a better choice.

The Installation Process
Solid hardwood flooring can really only be installed one way and in one type of location: stapled (or nailed) down, and at-grade or above-grade. Engineered flooring, on the other hand, is a lot more versatile. It can be installed in almost any part of the house, including the basement and second or third floors. It doesn't need to be stapled or nailed down, either. Engineered flooring can also be glued or, in some cases, "floated" over different subfloors.

The Verdict
By now you're probably thinking, "There's no contest! Engineered flooring is clearly the best!" Well, not exactly. If you have a creative decorating mind and a fairly large budget, solid hardwood flooring should be your first choice. You can combine solid hardwood into beautiful custom floors in a way that can't be done with engineered flooring. Solid flooring tends to raise the value of your home more than engineered flooring as well, mainly because it is a more costly and more permanent addition to the house.

What are your thoughts on the topic of engineered flooring vs. solid hardwood? Leave us a comment and let us know!