Why Engineered Wood Flooring? Here are a Few Reasons
Contrary to what some may believe, engineered hardwood flooring was invented in Europe all the way back in 1941. Why was it invented? In a word, stability. Engineered flooring provides superior dimensional stability throughout the yearly weather cycles when compared to 3/4” solid hardwood flooring and that’s not opinion, it’s science.
Engineered for Performance
The multi-layer construction of an engineered wood floor, whether as it appears below or with a plywood substrate, is what ensures more stability than a solid wood floor throughout varying temperatures and humidity. Since wood is found in nature and hygroscopic material, it is constantly changing based on whatever climate conditions it is exposed to. Wood floors move throughout the four seasons, i.e., it swells in high humidity and shrinks in low humidity. An engineered wood floor minimizes this movement so well that it will move 7-10 times less in the same conditions than a 3/4” solid wood floor. By varying the direction of the layers, the flooring is less affected by changes in humidity in an indoor space.
Multi-Layer Engineered Wood Flooring Construction Method invented in 1941
Environmentally Friendly
Another significant benefit is an engineered wood floor’s eco-friendly approach vs. solid wood flooring. Typical construction includes quartersawn solid wood “fingers” or “blocks” in fast growing species such as Spruce or Pine most commonly. This means less precious hardwood is being used. Wear layer thicknesses can vary quite a bit, but generally an engineered floor can produce over 3 times the square footage as a traditional solid hardwood floor.
Can be Sanded Like a Solid Wood Floor
Wear layer thickness is often misunderstood while it is a top priority for most people. A 3mm or 4mm wear layer floor is a lifetime floor in nearly all cases. With a skilled and trained flooring professional, these floors can be sanded 3-4 times. You only need to sand a floor to bare wood if you are changing the color overall. If you were to damage a couple of planks, don’t sweat it, you can replace several planks with leftover flooring material and no one will ever know.