Comparing Engineered Wood Flooring with Solid Wood Flooring

Whether engineered wood flooring competes with solid hardwood flooring is an interesting question. Many people dismiss engineered wood flooring as it is not the ‘real thing’ but others say it is a better solution to hardwood flooring.

These two flooring materials look the same, and can be obtained in similar finishes, so people won’t really know the difference, unlike with laminates which don’t look like real wood. Among the finishes you can buy are natural oak flooring, such as oak parquet, oiled oak flooring, and walnut flooring. Which is better depends on what you mean by a better solution. On the one hand, solid wood flooring is just what it says it is: planks of solid wood that are laid to form a floor. The good thing is that it is very durable, and so long as you get grade A, B and C grade wood, it is of good quality. If it gets marked, it is easy to clean it up, and dents do not show much.

There is one situation where solid wood flooring may not be the best solution. This is if your house gets damp as solid hardwood flooring, which could lead to gaps between the planks, or them being pushed up a little when damp.

If you choose solid hardwood flooring which one should you choose? There is a very wide choice but the most popular woods and oak and walnut.

Engineered wood flooring is made from a layer of good quality wood, which is 6 mm thick (0.25 inches) on top of a wooden substrate of 17mm (0.67 inches) thickness. This substrate is made from chippings, chipboard, or other bits of wood bonded together. The advantage of the engineered woods is that the material is more stable, it should not have knots, and it does not swell when damp and shrink when dry, like solid wood flooring.

However, engineered wood flooring is not cheap, and costs about one-third more than solid wood, so if you are looking for a cheaper solution, it is not for you. In fact, it tends to be used where quality and stability are needed.

Why Is Solid Wood Flooring A Wiser Alternative

Wood blends elegance, toughness and functionality that no flooring option can compete with. Wood is certainly pleasant to the eyes, simple to sustain, and great for your wellbeing. Using sensible, environmentally friendly strategies by wood manufacturers as well as suppliers, the option of wood is good for the environment, too. With today’s technological advances, solid wood flooring has become available in an array of textures, proportions and also shades to match every décor style and property construction and renovation budget.

One of the prime factors why wood is an excellent flooring component is the fact that it’s a healthier choice. Common floor coverings like carpet are made from fibres that attract and harbor dust particles, motes, and also moulds. Without the right treatment and routine professional cleansing, carpet flooring is viewed by health specialists as one of the leading threats in sustaining healthy indoor air quality as it may hold countless undetectable bacteria. Wood, conversely, promotes a healthier dwelling atmosphere. Just daily sweeps of the broom as well as regular mopping can certainly eradicate dirt traced by footwear, animals and everyday actions.

Installing solid wood flooring is confirmed to be gentler on the physique, in contrast to harder surfaces like marble and also cement. Different artificial materials such as rubber or laminate might be created from hazardous substances that can be damaging to folks, especially small kids, seniors, or individuals with existing health conditions. On the flip side, you can trust wood to be a non-toxic and also less harsh building material. Parents who are baby-proofing their homes choose wood because of its non-slippery texture. In case of slips and falls, wood is normally significantly less hurtful as opposed to the majority of surfaces. The warmth and organic material of wood works with the body; it has a particular “give” making it gentler to the spine, legs and joints. Because of this quality, wood is the recommended selection for numerous customers, from children who are crawling and also learning to walk, to home bakers standing inside their kitchen all day, to ballerinas practicing. 

Truly, in case you’re constructing a home or thinking of redesigning your present home, adding wood surfaces and finishes to your entire layout will be a wise investment to aid you as well as your family’s wellness. 

Because wood takes care of you, be sure you source this material in a fashion that cares for the environment, too. Be certain that your wood supply is acquired from an ecologically handled woodland in which the number of timber harvest is substituted with more than double the new seedlings to ensure regrowth as well as a rich plantation. Get in touch with only wood flooring firms having a great record of ecological consciousness and corporate social duty so you can be sure that the lumber you put at home comes from purely sustainable and ecological practices.