Engineered timber flooring is an eco-friendly and stunning option for any home. With a range of species, colors and finishes available to choose from, you are sure to find the ideal floor that reflects your personal style and taste perfectly.
Engineered timber floors boast superior stability due to their layered construction and pre-finishing process, enabling wider planks than solid hardwood and greater resistance against humidity-prone environments.
1. Stability
Engineered timber flooring consists of multiple wood layers bonded together. This construction provides greater water resistance and an economical alternative to solid hardwood floors without compromising the natural aesthetic of real timber.
Engineered timber flooring features a top layer of wood as well as an inner core made up of plywood or high-density fiberboard, which helps guarantee its stability and prevents warping, cupping or splitting.
Engineered timber flooring’s stability is ensured through its construction, which mirrors that of other popular products like furniture and appliances. For maximum stability, engineered timber floors are constructed with multiple thin layers of wood adhered together – known as a “sandwich core.”
Each ply is constructed with its grain running in different directions, creating an even pressure on the entire board and further stabilizing it.
For optimal stability, opt for a high-quality product such as 11-ply Baltic Birch plywood. This type of plywood is considered one of the most reliable on the market.
Be sure to assess both the thickness of the top layer and core. Avoid selecting low-quality engineered timber floors that are less than 4.5mm thick, as this could cause them to split or gap.
If you’re installing your engineered timber floor in a high traffic area, such as an active shopping mall, consider choosing an engineered hardwood with greater wear layer thickness. This will guarantee beautiful and long-lasting flooring without warping or gaps.
Engineered hardwood offers a vast selection of colors, sizes and finishes to choose from – making it an excellent choice for any project. However, due to production limitations this style of flooring should only be installed if the conditions are ideal.
2. Durability
Engineered timber is an ideal choice for homeowners who want to enjoy the elegance of hardwood floors without compromising durability. Its dimensionally stable construction makes it suitable for basements, half-baths, entryways, laundry rooms and more.
Engineered flooring is more sustainable than solid hardwood, as it uses less wood per plank and produces fewer sawdust and other by-products. Furthermore, engineered floors tend to last longer in humid environments due to their increased durability.
Engineered Timber flooring has a number of factors that contribute to its durability, including how well it’s constructed and installed. The number of layers in the core; thickness of top wear layer (the beauty layer that gets most use); as well as quality finish coats all play into this decision.
Generally, the harder a floor’s top layer, the greater its resilience to dents and scratches and how long it will retain its like-new look. Check the Janka Hardness rating of any product you’re considering as well as any finish coatings to make sure your flooring is protected from traffic damage or other abuse.
Another essential feature to consider when shopping for engineered flooring is the wood type used. Classic domestic species such as red oak, ash, maple, hickory and cherry make excellent choices.
Finally, engineered flooring typically comes with a warranty; however, this varies between brands. On average, warranties range between 10-30 years under normal wear conditions. Consult your floor consultant to decide which type of warranty best suits your needs and project.
3. Aesthetics
Engineered Timber Flooring offers the unique advantage of looking just like real wood flooring, with a range of species and designs to choose from. Create the ideal aesthetic in your home today by investing in this versatile flooring option!
Another advantageous quality of this type of flooring is not only cost effective, but also versatile and strong. It makes an excellent choice for any room in your home or business as it can be installed over almost any surface without needing a subfloor.
Easy to clean and maintain, engineered timber floors make for a perfect choice for those who appreciate an orderly home. Regular sweeping, vacuuming, dry mopping will guarantee your floors remain in top condition for years to come.
Engineered timber is less likely to split or gap than solid hardwood floors due to its genuine wood veneer on a core of plywood. Furthermore, engineered timber has greater moisture resistance than hardwood, making it suitable for areas that may get wet such as bathrooms and laundries. However, any water spills must be wiped up immediately in order to minimize the risk of staining or warping over time.
4. Flexibility
Engineered timber flooring is an ideal choice for those seeking beautiful, durable and easy-to-maintain flooring. Not only does it save homeowners money on renovations down the line, but it’s also perfect for those with busy lifestyles who want to avoid major overhauls in the future.
Engineered timber offers several key advantages over its non-engineered counterpart, including being highly versatile and adaptable enough for use in a variety of applications such as flooring, joinery, feature walls or countertops with stunning results.
Another advantage of engineered wood is its wide selection of designs compared to solid hardwood. This means you can create a custom look for your home without breaking the bank or compromising on style.
As previously discussed, engineered timber is made up of several layers of high-density fiberboard that are then covered with real hardwood. This construction offers the strength of a plywood core combined with the flexibility of hardwood to produce an unbeatable floor that will last for decades to come.
Engineered wood is less vulnerable to cupping and bowing than solid timber due to the direction of its grain; this gives it added stability.
For homeowners with large areas to cover or who live in damp regions, this can be a huge advantage. Moisture can cause extensive damage to solid hardwood flooring, leading to boards coming loose or the floor not standing up properly over time.
5. Sustainability
Engineered timber is an ideal option for those seeking to reduce their environmental impact. Not only do they use less wood per plank than solid timber, but they make better use of slow-growing trees as well.
Engineered timber differs from solid hardwood flooring in that it consists of a veneer of traditional wood on top of either plywood or fiberboard core. Because this veneer is cut rather than sawed, less sawdust and by-product pollutants enter the atmosphere.
Furthermore, it makes use of all parts of a tree rather than using only certain portions. This reduces waste generated during production and is an excellent way to show your support for our planet.
Sustainable wood for flooring can be found in a range of species sourced from sustainably managed forests. Popular options include pine, Douglas fir and oak.
Bamboo is another viable option, which comes from fast-growing species that can easily replenish themselves. It’s also an economical alternative to hardwood floors.
Hard maple is a strong and durable hardwood that can be used as flooring. It grows abundantly throughout US forests and can be harvested responsibly without harming the trees.
Honey mesquite wood flooring is a sustainable option that grows naturally in the southwestern US. Not only that, but this type of wood is highly durable and resistant to humidity changes due to its natural growth pattern.
When looking for sustainable flooring products, research is key. Make sure the flooring product has a sustainable certification such as FSC or PECC and also check that it’s not associated with deforestation in tropical rainforests where illegal logging destroys biodiversity.
