What Is Engineered Wood? The Perfect Hardwood Compromise

The type of flooring you choose matters. If merely to the person living in the dwelling house that is to have a new floor installed. So try not to rush things when picking a new floor out. Instead, take your time and make certain you know what you want.

Engineered wood has its pros and cons, it as well tin be compared to both hardwood and laminate, then that's what we're going to do. Here's everything you need to know well-nigh engineered wood flooring.

What Is Engineered Wood?

You may take heard the term engineered forest a lot, but do you really know what it means? Engineered forest is unlike than hardwood or laminate. Engineered wood is actually layers of wood in multiple types.

Potent Base

It all starts with a strong forest base. The base may be thin but it will exist strong, probably with ninety-degree grain crossing. This means that the forest won't fleck or crack as easily as it has grains running vertical and horizontal.

Plywood Core

In that location will be a cadre of plywood due to the toll and force. This core will be made up of a few layers. The more expensive the flooring, the more layers of plywood it has. This is the cadre and majority of the plank.

Superlative Veneer

The top veneer is what you'll see. It is hardwood on almost occasions simply information technology is very thin. Dissimilar solid forest, this wood can't be used alone and needs the base of operations and plywood layers to go on it strong. The hardwood veneer is for looks only.

Polyurethane Coating

Just like hardwood, a polyurethane coating is added to the planks. In this case, information technology is used to protect the acme veneer. Multiple layers are usually added for ultimate protection. It's important the veneer is protected as you don't want to scratch information technology.

What Is Engineered Hardwood?

To be honest, engineered hardwood isn't a term you'd meet in the construction or flooring business. This is because "hardwood" is often a term used to let you know that it is solid woods rather than engineered woods.

Nevertheless, as stated previously, engineered wood usually contains a top veneer made of hardwood. Simply if you starting time using terms like hardwood, then you'll get overcharged, then use "engineered woods" when shopping.

Engineered Wood Vs. Solid Wood

And then, now that you know that engineered wood and solid woods are different, permit'southward take a closer expect at those differences and the pros and cons of each. Since we already know more than nigh engineered wood, allow's compare information technology to solid wood.

Pros Of Solid Wood

Lasts Longer – engineered forest rarely lasts longer than fifty years, whereas hardwood can concluding 100. This is the biggest pro for solid woods vs. engineered wood. Both will practise well, but solid forest will do amend.
Can Handle Scratches – solid wood tin can handle a lot more than than engineered wood. If you scratch it, you lot tin can sand and refinish information technology. Merely engineered woods tin can't exist scratched and sanded or it will lead you to the plywood layers.
Thicker – solid wood is usually a lot thicker than engineered woods. In virtually cases, it's twice equally thick. Though y'all tin become thicker engineered woods, yous'll take to pay for it. Hardwood isn't even sold in thinner lots.
Better Resale Value – of course, hardwood and engineered wood might not look dissimilar on the surface, but people care. If yous say you accept hardwood floors, your firm will automatically be worth more.

Cons Of Solid Wood

Higher Cost Tag – although there are some engineered woods flooring that is the aforementioned price as some hardwood, in full general, hardwood is more expensive. You can get engineered wood for $3 an sqft.
Hard To Install – solid forest is harder to install than engineered forest. Engineered forest comes in a lot of different types with dissimilar installation processes. Only hardwood is virtually always difficult.
Needs Maintenance – solid wood needs a lot more maintenance. This may be because you can't sand engineered wood freely similar you can solid wood. But it's however a fact that hardwood will have time to maintain.
Warps When Moist – engineered woods is less susceptible to warping and swelling. Hardwood will warp if it gets wet or if information technology'southward too humid. This can actually touch your hardwood over time and even arrive slick.

Engineered Forest Vs. Laminate Flooring

Engineered Wood Vs. Laminate Flooring — Prototype from Highland Homes, Inc.

At present yous know the differences between engineered wood and solid woods. Simply what about the difference betwixt engineered wood and laminate. Subsequently all, installation is similar and some people can't tell the difference by looking.

Pros Of Laminate Flooring

Versatile Summit Layer – considering laminate has a versatile tiptop layer, you tin can actually have anything printed onto information technology that you want. You can probably find what you take in heed online, just you may also be able to do custom laminate.
Durable – despite its "cheapness," laminate is one of the almost durable floorings yous can get. That'south why it's great for pets and kids. Dropping something on information technology won't paring it, dissimilar forest floors.
Stain-resistant – another reason laminate is good for pets and kids is considering it is stain-resistant. You lot can use a little floor cleaner to make clean upwards fifty-fifty the well-nigh stubborn stains. Information technology really is a breeze.
Easiest To Install – laminate is one of the easiest floors to install. Even easier than carpeting. All you lot have to practise is lock the planks together. If you have a straight wall to start with, you won't have any problems at all.
Cheap – laminate is actually affordable. You lot can get information technology on sale for less than a dollar. Or become something really dainty for $iii or $4. This is where engineered wood flooring starts its pricing, and then this is a huge plus.

Cons Of Laminate Flooring

Photographic Layer – permit's face it. Even though this makes it more customizable, no i wants a photographic layer every bit opposed to a wood veneer. It'due south simply not as high-end, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth it.
Not Existent Forest – over again existent wood is always more preferable every bit far every bit looks go. Forest is overnice and laminate rarely is called prissy. However, you can fool people with the correct laminate flooring and make them call back it'southward real.
Not Much Protection – as far equally protecting subfloors and offering soundproofing, laminate is practically not-real. Information technology has a lot of other benefits, just soundproofing a room is non one of those benefits.
Low Resale Value – everyone wants woods floors. That's why people choose to put hardwood in when flipping houses. Laminate may be cheap but just like laminate countertops, they bring the value of your firm down.

Price Of Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood is in the heart price range when it comes to flooring options. Laminate is cheap and vinyl is even cheaper. But hardwood is one of the near expensive options, with engineered wood correct backside it.

Yous'll find that when you kickoff shopping for different engineered woods flooring that it is sold both in boxes and per sq ft. Fifty-fifty if they are in boxes though, there is a toll per sqft or at least how much sq ft the box will embrace.

Whether or not you lot are planning on hiring a professional matters. If you do, you can add together about 25% to fifty% to your total cost. You will also demand to add together almost 10% for mistakes. Now, let's put that all together.

Doing The Math

The range for engineered wood flooring is $3 to $15. The boilerplate toll is probably about $8. Then you take that and times it by your square footage. For example, if you have a 500sqft room. Start with $4000.

Then, y'all have about 30% of that for labor and add $1200. Then, yous add room for mistakes, which would be 10% of the original cost. That adds $400. So the total cost would be about $5600. And so budget that in.

Information technology's all-time to find out what the price of the engineered wood yous choose is before doing the math. If you get it for $4 per foursquare pes then your total price will be cut in half. So try to observe a good auction if you can.

FAQs

Hither are the about oftentimes asked questions virtually engineered woods flooring.

Can I Install Engineered Wood Over Radiant Floor Heating?

Yes. In fact, engineered wood is better than hardwood for radiant floor heating for two reasons. For one, it's easier to take upwardly when you need to do maintenance and it's more porous and so you will go more than heat.

What Do I Put Under Engineered Wood?

Y'all volition need an underlayment, which you can buy from whatsoever hardware store or wherever you buy the engineered wood. Any type of wood flooring needs this, even laminate which isn't real wood. And so don't forget.

Does Engineered Wood Await Real?

Yes. Most people can't tell the difference at all after it is laid. Even after decades, you probably won't exist able to tell the difference between engineered wood and hardwood floor because of the peak veneer hardwood.

Tin can Any Wood Be Used For A Top Veneer?

Pretty much. Hardwoods are amend options in full general, but any wood tin can be a superlative veneer that is used for solid wood flooring. Though soft forest won't terminal as long, with enough protective layering, they will exercise alright.

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Source: https://www.homedit.com/what-is-engineered-wood/