As the name suggests, solid wood flooring is made of solid wood throughout its thickness. In general, it is made of hardwood, such as oak, maple, or walnut. The primary advantage is that if sanded and refinished numerous times over its lifetime, it will continue to last.
Although engineered wood flooring appears similar on the surface, it is made from a relatively thin layer of hardwood bonded over a substrate of high-quality plywood.
Most engineered hardwoods can be sanded and refinished only once since the hardwood layer is relatively thin. The benefits of each kind of wood flooring are similar; your choice depends on your value for each type.
Engineered wood vs Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood species usually come in long planks, which are solid wood floors. During the manufacturing process, it has tongues and grooves on opposite edges, which allow them to fit together when installed. It is always nailed into the subfloor, which requires some skill. Due to its solid wood construction, this flooring can be sanded and refinished multiple times throughout its life.
Despite its similarity to solid hardwood, engineered wood flooring is constructed using a thin layer of hardwood that is bonded over a thick layer of plywood, delivering excellent stability. In addition to being less expensive and easier to install than hardwood flooring, an engineered wood floor usually lasts between 25 and 30 years.
Physical Appearance
Hardwood Flooring
Compared to engineered hardwood flooring, solid hardwood flooring boards tend to be narrow. There are a lot of color and species selections with solid hardwood flooring versus engineered hardwood flooring. Solid hardwood is available in both prefinished and unfinished forms.
Hardwood Engineered Flooring
When it comes to engineered hardwood floors, the floorboards tend to be wider. Some engineered hardwood floors come with slightly beveled edges, resulting in slight grooves in the boards, while solid hardwood floors generally have very tight seams between boards.
Hardwood flooring crafted from engineered wood is almost always prefinished, and the available species and colors are fewer than those of solid wood.
Which One Has The Best Appearance? Tie
It truly comes down to personal preference when it comes to hardwood flooring.
Maintainability And Durability
The Hardwood
Solid hardwoods are better for this application since they can be sanded down and refinished several times.
Engineered Hardwood
It is possible to refinish engineered hardwood up to two times before the surface hardwood layer is worn away.
Solid hardwood is durable and easy to maintain
It is easy to sand and refinishes solid hardwood floors several times throughout their lifespans.
Prefinished floors are the most durable because a hard finish is applied by the manufacturer. It’s a good idea to renew the surface varnish coat of wood floors once or twice a year.
Setup
The solid hardwood
Hardwood flooring is installed with tongue-and-groove, in which boards are blind-nailed to the subfloor down through the tongues at the edges of the boards.
Engineered Hardwood
In addition to the nail-down installation method used for solid hardwood, engineered wood can be installed as a ‘floating floor’ with “click-lock” edges. Engineered wood can also be glued to concrete subfloors. Installing engineered wood flooring is easier for DIYers.
Install Engineered Hardwood for best results
For DIYers, engineered hardwood that is click-locked or glued down makes it easier to work with than solid hardwood that is nailed down.
Contact Us As A Solution!
In the past, engineered wood floors were considered a cheap imitation of solid wood floors, but their quality has improved over time. Some people prefer solid hardwood flooring over engineered wood flooring because of its lower cost and ease of installation, but for others, engineered wood flooring wins out.
Lastly, engineered wood utilizes less hardwood, a feature that appeals to environmentalists.
Tycon Flooring specializes in hardwood flooring installation, and we also sell engineered wood flooring. We offer high-end products at an incredibly low price. Contact us today to learn more.
Check the Latest Blog On Vinyl Vs Laminate Flooring
