You can use a wood floor cleaner, vacuum, and/or wax them with the same products you use for solid hardwood floors.ĭIYers can even refinish engineered wood floors that have a veneer layer that is thicker than 2 millimeters and without the aluminum oxide overcoat. Maintaining the best engineered wood flooring is no different than maintaining a solid hardwood floor. There are high- and low-quality options in both varieties. The installation method is less a sign of quality than it is a preference. Unlike solid hardwood, floating floors have click-in systems that hold the entire floor together. Some engineered wood floors need nailing or adhesive to stay in place, while others can float on top of an existing floor. The proper way to install engineered hardwood flooring varies based on the product. Most engineered wood flooring comes in random-length planks to give the installation a more hand-built look. Narrow engineered wood planks give a room a formal or contemporary feel, while wider planks give a room a country, a colonial, or an old-world aesthetic. There are design considerations for choosing a width as well. Most engineered hardwood floors are around 5 inches wide, a size that is less susceptible to cupping than wider boards. Dimensions and Installation OptionsĮngineered wood flooring comes in a variety of widths from traditional sizes in the 4-inch range to farmhouse-style boards that are 7 inches wide or more. The strips run perpendicular to the veneer, helping to resist cupping, shrinking, and splitting. These cores are stable, but they soak up moisture like a sponge.įinally, there are also softwood core layers, made up of strips of softwood (typically aspen). They’re often much more affordable than a plywood engineered wood floor. Some engineered wood flooring has HDF (high-density fiberboard) cores. Simply put, the thicker the flooring, the longer it will last. The more plys in an engineered wood floor, the less likely it is to cup, shrink, split, or expand. Higher-quality products typically use a plywood core, with seven to 11 layers of wood. Manufacturers make core layers from a variety of materials. The core layer is the material that the veneer sits upon. These products are more durable and harder to scratch than engineered wood without an aluminum oxide finish, but they usually cannot be refinished. Some of the best engineered wood flooring takes durability to another level with a protective finish that’s made of a naturally occurring compound called aluminum oxide. The thicker veneer products can be refinished if damaged. Some products feature thin wear layers (often less than 1 millimeter thick), while others offer 2-, 3-, 4-, or 6-millimeter veneers. There’s a great degree of variance between products when it comes to the veneer layer’s thickness. The best engineered hardwood floors come in oak, maple, mahogany, bamboo, and more. The veneer is hardwood, so you can get engineered wood flooring in the same colors and species as solid hardwood flooring. It’s the part on which you walk, play, drop stuff, and put your furniture. Unlike solid hardwood, engineered wood floors have a veneer wear layer at the top portion of the flooring. One of the most important points to understand is that engineered wood flooring consists of a hardwood veneer on top of a core layer of other woods. The following points will explain some of the most important considerations to keep in mind when shopping for this flexible flooring option. Choosing the best engineered wood flooring takes some consideration, and there’s a bit to know. When installed properly, engineered wood flooring looks just like genuine, solid hardwood. Photo: What to Consider When Choosing the Best Engineered Wood Flooring
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