The most frequent question we hear: are engineered wood floors real wood? Yes! Engineered wood is all real wood; made of different species to combat the instability of solid wood flooring.

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is made of an individual piece of wood throughout. It can be used in any room that is on or above grade (not basements). Because of this, one of the many benefits of solid wood flooring being that it can be sanded and refinished many times. Solid hardwood is very sensitive to its environmental conditions: planks expand in humid climates and shrink in dry climates. Shrinking can cause visual gaps between planks in the winter. Solid flooring is prone to issues of swelling/expansion in the more humid summer months and areas with variant seasons, like the coast. In conclusion, solid wood flooring can be great but needs a lot of environmental maintenance. Something many homeowners prefer not to deal with.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood floors are made of real wood throughout (no vinyl, cork or other composites!). It is constructed of multiple layers, with the top layer made of the featured wood species. The rates of expansion and contraction are significantly less than solid wood flooring because the layers are composed of different species. Each layer expands and contracts at different rates which means less seasonal movement. No issues with gaping.

Engineered can be installed anywhere in a home. It is ideal for basements, beach houses, and areas with seasonal varying climates and humanities. We carry products with a top layer thickness from 2 mm- up to 6 mm; 6 mm can be sanded and refinished as many times as solid hardwood floors. All wear layer thicknesses can preform well, we suggest a wear layer between 3-4 mm. This will allow for 4-5 refinishes in its lifetime. In most cases, a floor is only refinished 1-2 times in its lifetime. Engineered wood floors were “engineered” to combat the issues faced with solid, without sacrificing the longevity, feel or look.