The classic beauty of wooden floor allures home-owners and commercial space designers to opt for wood flooring even with the availability of a lot other flooring options. Wooden flooring is elegant and brings a certain ambience, which only wood floors can exude.
However, with natural resources like wood diminishing, the industry has sought out more environment friendly options, which led to the development of engineered wood. Before you decide to install an engineered wood floor, it would be good to consider the below key factors.
Engineered Wood Flooring Vs Solid Wood Flooring
Solid wood flooring is made of hardwood species. Popular species include maple, walnut, oak and cherry. Solid wood flooring comes is directly sourced from nature, without much processing at the mills. However, for Hardwood flooring installation wood planks would need to be nailed to the subfloor and requires specific skills to do so. Hardwood can be easily sanded and refinished several times over its lifespan to maintain its appearance.
Engineered wood has the look and feel of hardwood flooring, but its composition has only a thin layer of hardwood to achieve its appearance and a plywood core. Engineered flooring installation is highly easy and is available in glued or interlocking planks for DIY projects. As its top layer is just a thin layer of hardwood, it can’t be refinished as often as solid flooring, however engineered floors can still last up to 30 years and more with adequate maintenance.
Which flooring is the Best?
Both Engineered wood flooring and Solid wood flooring has its pros and cons. Solid wood flooring costs more, while engineered wood flooring is more cost-effective. Hardwood flooring can last 30- 100 years, engineered wood flooring can last 30+ years, depending on the maintenance. Solid wood flooring is Water-resistant, but not waterproof while engineered wood flooring is more water- resistant than hardwood, but not waterproof. Both requires maintenance and a well installed engineered wood flooring can look quite identical to solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring is easier to install. After weighing the pros and cons, depending on your home or commercial space requirement, you can choose a wood flooring option that suits your requirement.
Appearance and Comfort
Solid wood Flooring
Solid wood flooring planks may differ in width, ranging from 8 inches to 12 inches wide. After installation, solid flooring tends to have tighter seams between boards. Wide range of options are available for personalization.
Engineered Wood Flooring
The veneer layer gives engineered wood flooring a highly identical look to that of hard wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring is mostly sold prefinished and colour and size options are lesser.
Maintenance and Care
Solid wood Flooring
Most solid wood floors need sweeping and vacuuming, with the occasional spot cleaning depending on the stain. Generally, it is not advisable to clean with water or steam. Hardwood flooring is long-term option as it can be sanded down and refinished several times over its lifespan to look as good as new. It can last up to a century.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood flooring too just needs sweeping and vacuuming to stay clean. Mopping with a wood cleaner, once in a while can help remove stains and revitalize the top layer of the floor. Most of the engineered wood floors, too thick top hardwood layer, hence sanding and refinishing might not be an option for long term maintenance. However, it can be refinished once or twice before the hardwood planks require repair work.
Suitable Environment
Solid wood Flooring
Hardwood is not generally recommended for installations where humidity or moisture can go through because it causes swelling and warping.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood flooring has better performance in humid locations compared to hardwood. This flooring is less prone to warping and swelling as well. Some engineered wood flooring can have an additional layer over the hardwood veneer which protects against water spills and water damage.Both hardwood and engineered wood flooring are equally resistant to heat and both are not a great choice for wet locations such as bathrooms and basements.
Lifespan
Solid wood flooring can last up to 100 years and Engineered wood flooring lasts for over 30 years up to 50, depending on the maintenance.
Resale Value
From a real estate perspective, hard wood flooring would definitely give you an upper hand as it would add premium value to the property. However, as engineered wood flooring looks a lot identical to solid hardwood, this too is a lucrative option in real estate, although not as much as hardwood flooring.
Conclusion
Both Solid wood flooring and Engineered flooring exude beauty, elegance, and a classy ambiance. They are highly similar in many aspects. Based on your requirements and priorities, you can decide what ultimately would help you make your home interiors more beautiful and special. Hope the factors mentioned in this blog, will help you choose the best option for you. For professional advice and wooden flooring solutions, do reach out to us at Trade Flooring UK