ENGINEERED HARDWOOD FLOORING: THE ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS

Imagery by Mark Dellas

Thinner (low quality) and thicker (high quality) engineered wood flooring

Engineered wood flooring is a type of floor that is made much like plywood. It consists of two or more bonded layers of wood or fiber board finished on top with a veneer that is the actual wood we see and walk on. These types of floors offer more dimensional stability and resistance to extreme moisture levels than solid wood flooring. This adds to their appeal for use here in our region which typically experiences longer heating seasons that produce lower than normal relative humidity levels. Wider plank floors made of solid wood will shrink up slightly when these conditions occur, causing separation gaps between the planks, while engineered wide shrink less when exposed to the same conditions during the winter months.
   

Engineered floors are available in a wide variety of domestic and exotic hardwood species. Many popular wide hand scraped and distressed floors produced today are engineered to take advantage of the minimal expansion and contraction characteristics that these floors offer.
   

The range of thickness of engineered floors varies from 3/8 inch to 3/4 inch with widths ranging from two inches  up to ten inches. The thickness usually indicates the quality and price level. The top layer of the flooring is called the wear layer. Thinner wear layers are usually found on thinner, cheaper floors and cannot be sanded and refinished. Many retailers either do not know this or often do not fully explain this to the consumer, which can create problems down the road. As a result, when a floor with a thinner wear layer wears down, the homeowner will have no option but to tear out and replace the entire floor.  The lifespan of the thinner engineered floor is usually 15 to 20 years depending on traffic. The thicker versions cost more but can be sanded and refinished several times because they have a thicker wear layer. The lifespan of a thicker engineered floor will approach 100 years or more depending on traffic and the wear layer thickness.
   

Cheaper engineered wood floors, that cannot be sanded, are usually 3/8 inch  thick and can be found at carpet centers, liquidators and big box home improvement stores. The cost is usually very low – as low as $1.99 per square foot and these floors often come from parts of the world with few regulations on how they are made. High quality engineered hardwood flooring, that can be refinished, will range in price starting at $5.00 per square foot depending on species, finish, and texture.
   

As they say, “you get what you pay for,” and I say “buyer beware.”  Keep in mind that just because something is labeled a hardwood floor, it can mean many different things.
   

My goal for writing this article is to help consumers understand the differences between low quality and high quality engineered hardwood flooring. I hope that when a new hardwood floor is purchased and installed, it is a sound, environmentally friendly choice that can be renewed for generations with sanding and refinishing.