What is Engineered Hardwood Flooring?
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Time to read 2 min
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Time to read 2 min
Engineered hardwood flooring is made by gluing a real hardwood veneer to a core board made of either plywood or high-density fiberboard. Because of this construction method, engineered hardwood is more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood . In other words it will not contract or expand as much due to changes in humidity or temperature.
Engineered hardwood has several advantages over solid hardwood:
The number of plies used to create the plywood core may vary anywhere from 2 to 10, and while a 3 ply board is not going to be as stable as say a 5 ply board would be, this is not enough to be a deciding factor unless this flooring is going to used over a radiant floor heating system. Generally speaking, the more plies in the plywood, the higher the price. A high density fiberboard core is more dimensionally stable than a plywood core.
There are three different ways of cutting the veneer for the engineered flooring that, along with thickness, has an impact on price. The three methods of cutting the veneer include:
The thickness of the veneer ranges from 0.6 mm to 6 mm. The thicker the veneer, the more expensive the flooring is. For people who are planning to refinish the flooring at some point, it is important to consider the thickness because unlike a solid hardwood floor, the engineered type can only be sanded and refinished so many times. The thicker the veneer, the more times it can be sanded and refinished, however, it is still limited. Once installed, removing a vent to inspect the flooring from the side can provide an idea of the remaining thickness on the veneer.
Cannot be sanded & refinished:
Can be sanded & refinished:
Note: Sanding and refinishing an engineered wood floor with a veneer thickness of 2mm to 2.5mm is best left to a professional.
Engineered floor planks are made with either a traditional tongue and groove edge locking method or with a glueless click-lock edge method that requires no glue and allows the pieces to snap together to create a snug fit. This is the easiest do it yourself installation method.