If you are in the process of choosing flooring for your home, then you are probably well aware of the fact that you have many options to pick from. Making that decision can be difficult, especially when you consider all of the factors involved, like price, style, durability, etc. One type of flooring that many homeowners are opting for these days is engineered hardwood flooring. If you haven’t looked into engineered hardwood flooring, then you should at least consider all the facts about this common choice.
What is engineered hardwood flooring made of? Many people hear the word “engineered” and imagine planks of wood being artificially formed in some factory or laboratory. That really isn’t far from the truth. Engineered hardwood is actually several layers of plywood, joined together with glue and put under pressure until it is one, extremely hard piece. The inner core might be made of soft wood or plywood, while the superficial surface (the part you see) is generally made of a thick piece of wood veneer.
What does engineered hardwood flooring look like? Engineered hardwood flooring is made to look as close to real wood as possible. Many manufacturers are successful at accomplishing that real-wood look (as well as a wood texture). You can get engineered hardwood flooring in a practically limitless array of widths, colors, wood grains, and styles.
How is engineered hardwood flooring installed? This type of flooring is relatively easy to install. It typically comes in boards with a tongue on one side and a groove on the other. To connect the boards, you simple snap the tongue of one board into the groove of the board it lines up against. Keep going from there until you’ve installed the entire floor.
What are the advantages of engineered hardwood flooring? As previously mentioned, engineered hardwood is extremely hard. That makes it especially durable, and resistant to scrapes and dings. It is also extremely resistant to moisture, making it suitable even for damp areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. Because it is so durable and closely mimics real wood, engineered hardwood flooring maintains its value and actually has a comparable resale value to real plank wood flooring. You can expect your engineered hardwood flooring to last a good 20 to 30 years, so you won’t have to replace it any time soon; there are even brands that have a top coating that can be sanded down and refinished to extend the lifetime of the product even further. This makes engineered hardwood flooring economical, as well as practical.
There you have the rundown on engineered hardwood flooring. Now that you know what it is, you might want to seriously consider it for your next flooring project.