What is Engineered Hardwood Floors?

Engineered hardwood flooring is composed of hardwood veneer that is surrounded by a hardwood or high density fiberboard core. Engineered hardwood flooring is made from real wood and consists of various thin sheets that are adhered together into three to ten layers. The bottom layers are made our of plywood, more environmentally sustainable than the hardwood and the top layer of the floor is made out of the species of your choice . This new method is fairly new to industry. Yet it is set apart from traditional hardwood floors because it offers the same benefits as classic solid hardwood floors but it less susceptible to moisture.

Advantages to Engineered Hardwood Floors

Engineered Hardwood floors are constructed with the layered sheets in opposing directions in each plank. This technique becomes extremely valuable when your hardwood floor is exposed to your environment. As you know, wood can naturally expand or contract due to humidity fluctuations in the environment. With Engineered Hardwood floors, when one sheet expands or contracts in the plank, its neighboring planks in opposing directions will naturally counteract the reaction. Therefore Engineered hardwood flooring is less likely to shrink or expand. This avoids cracking, warping, gaping, and cupping that normally occurs with traditional hardwood floors.

Installation is also more flexible than traditional hardwood flooring. This type of flooring can withstand high levels if moisture like basements. They can be installed using nails, glues or floating techniques unlike just fastening it down.

Using engineered wood flooring helps conserve wood resources, as it requires considerably less hardwood. All but the top layers of an engineered wood floor is made of either softwood or plywood, which are more environmentally sustainable than hardwood. Softwoods grow much faster than hardwoods and plywood can be made from scrap wood that might otherwise go to waste.