Engineered Hardwood Flooring - Many Advantages Over Solid Wood Floors

Solid hardwood floors are exceptionally beautiful but come at a premium price. With engineered hardwood floors, you not only save a great deal of money, you get many additional advantages. For starters, engineered wood flooring is generally stronger than regular solid wood flooring. And it can be installed over just about any subfloor - concrete, existing wood floors, ceramic tiles, etc. This certainly makes it appealing to a homeowner looking to put in a wood floor with as little trouble as possible.

Engineered hardwood flooring is manufactured with a core of hardwood, plywood or HDF (high density fiberboard) and a top layer of hardwood veneer. The veneer is available in most all of the hardwoods making engineered hardwood flooring almost indistinguishable from traditional solid wood floors. This also means less of the expensive wood is required for each plank. And even better, the finishes applied at the factory are generally more durable than a finish you could apply yourself if you were installing solid plank floors.

Because the finishes are applied at the factory, this means you can avoid all the mess, vapors and effort associated with applying your own finish. You also don't need to worry about sanding or taping up plastic sheets all over your home. With engineered hardwood flooring, you can walk on it and enjoy it as soon as it is installed. No waiting period, just instant gratification.

The factory also puts multiple coats of the finish on each wood board which dries to a much harder protective layer than a finish you could do yourself. This added protection means less maintenance and more enjoyment for you over the years. It also means engineered floors are more scratch resistant than solid hardwood flooring. If you have kids or pets, this is very important and makes engineered hardwood flooring a great investment. It saves you time up front and over the life of your floor.

Solid hardwood floors can warp or split when subjected to moisture or temperature variations. Engineered hardwood flooring with its multiple layers is much more stable and resistant to these problems making them a viable choice for humid and rainy areas of the country and installation over concrete or radiant heat sources.

Engineered hardwood flooring installation can be simpler with several options. Solid wood flooring requires nailing to a wood subfloor, but these floor boards also be glued or 'floated". If your existing floor is stable, level and clean you can install a floating floor with interlocking planks. If you are relatively handy with a basic knowledge of tools this can be a great do-it-yourself project

Engineered wood floors offers strength, stability, ease of use, and beauty that rivals solid wood flooring with an affordable price.