Engineered wood flooring has been one of the great innovations in flooring to hit the market. Engineered hardwood is not made from solid wood. It consists of several layers and only the top layer is the actual hardwood that you always dreamed of having for the floors of your home. The layers underneath are specifically designed to give you maximum wear and tear and they give you practical flooring for just about every room of the house. Engineered wood flooring has advantages over solid hardwood that make it very attractive.
For one thing, engineered wood flooring is not as costly as solid hardwood flooring. The other layers of the engineered hardwood flooring are plywood or high density fibreboard. They are molded together under high pressure in a factory setting. Engineered hardwood floors will not expand and contract as solid hardwood does with changes in humidity and temperature. You can install it over just about any type of existing floor and by following special instructions you can install an engineered floor over radiant heat sources.
Engineered wood flooring in one of the most versatile choices that you can make when it comes to flooring in your home. It has many practical applications. You can install it over an existing concrete floor or one made with inferior grade wood. You can glue or nail it down and there are also forms of engineered hardwood floors that are glueless, forming a floating floor. It is an excellent choice in areas where there are drastic changes in temperature and humidity. However, engineered wood does not perform well in rooms of the home where there is an excess of humidity and moisture, such as in bathrooms or mudrooms.
One of the major reasons that many homeowners choose engineered wood flooring is its fantastic price. You have the same look and texture of hardwood, but it seems as if you are getting the hardwood at a wholesale price. Engineered hardwood floors are easy to install and the instructions are clearly printed inside each carton of flooring. You do have to make sure that the subfloor is clean of dust and dirt before you start so that any small pieces of rock won’t work their way up through the flooring.
In the line of engineered wood flooring, you can get various types of wood, stains and finishes. You can also choose prefinished and unfinished hardwood, but if you are looking for an easy project, then it is best to go with prefinished. This way when you have the engineered hardwood flooring installed, you don’t have to bother applying any stain or finish. You can just sit back and enjoy your engineered wood flooring.