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BDU Hardwood College™
Hardwood Plus: Engineered Hardwood Flooring Defined
What you will learn: what engineered hardwood flooring is; advantages of
engineered hardwood flooring; how engineered hardwood flooring is installed.
You know that you want the natural, rich feel of hardwood under your feet. But,
the space is below ground in an area where moisture levels would be unwelcoming
to solid hardwood to say the least! What then? Here’s an excellent alternative
hardwood flooring option to your rescue.
Engineered hardwood flooring stands as a more than viable alternative to solid
hardwood flooring particularly when you’re looking to install below grade (in a
basement for example), or on concrete. Engineered hardwood floors are made up
of a top layer of a real hardwood species and a core, typically consisting of
multiple plywood layers laminated together to form a durable plank, or in some
cases HDF (high density fiberboard). The stacking of the layers is designed to
counteract the natural tendency of hardwoods to expand, contract, warp, or cup
when exposed to different environmental factors. This makes engineered hardwood
flooring an excellent alternative in geographical areas that have excessive
moisture, or in building spaces otherwise unsuited for solid hardwood. Also,
many engineered floors offer a floating floor option, allowing installation on
a concrete subfloor, as long as the subfloor is clean, dry, and level.
While engineered flooring tends to be more resistant to moisture in general, it
is recommended that a vapor barrier be used between the subfloor and the
engineered hardwood flooring just as you would with laminate flooring. Further,
the option to glue-down engineered hardwood flooring directly to a concrete
subfloor is also available. With the glue-down option, the adhesive can work as
a sort of built-in vapor barrier, filling in the role otherwise played by
underlayment. Unlike solid hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood flooring also
gives you the option of installing over radiant heat sources as well, lending
additional flexibility.
Engineered hardwood flooring offers many extra advantages, including a very
important one: that of a lower price than solid hardwood. Engineered hardwood
flooring can provide all the aesthetic value of solid hardwood flooring, but at
a fraction of the price. It is often the best choice to consider for ease of
installation as well, and is a natural choice for basement installations over
concrete. With this application, you can enjoy the aesthetic qualities of solid
hardwood flooring in an area where solid hardwood flooring would be an
ill-advised option.
Engineered hardwood flooring is an extremely good idea if you want to duplicate
the look and feel of solid hardwood but are limited by environment or location
issues, or even if you are bound by budgetary constraints. Engineered hardwood
flooring stands alone as a completely different style of flooring, with unique
advantages that even solid hardwood can’t match when you are faced with certain
installation concerns.
Back to Hardwood Flooring College
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• looks like solid hardwood;
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• is made with real wood species;
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• is more resistant to moisture and humidity than solid hardwood;
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• can be glued directly to a concrete subfloor;
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• can be "floated" like a laminate floor and can be installed by a skilled
do-it-yourselfer;
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• can be installed with confidence in a below-grade installation (below ground
level);
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• can be installed over radiant heating;
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• is less costly than solid hardwood flooring.
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