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Choosing Hardwood Floors
When it comes to choosing hardwood floors, you’ve got two main categories to consider: solid wood and engineered wood.
Engineered wood strips is less susceptible to warping than solid wood is, you can find it in planks all the way up to 300mm wide or more.
These days, most of the best hardwood floor brands sell both solid and engineered wood, so you’ve got no shortage of options. Almost all types of wood flooring come in both solid and engineered varieties— most people would have trouble telling the difference.
Each product has its pros and cons. Engineered flooring is occasionally (and mistakenly) referred to as “fake wood flooring”, but there’s nothing fake about it. Solid and engineered are just different types of wood flooring
Solid Wooden Flooring
Advantages:
- Solid wood can be refinished again and again. Because they’re made of solid wood all the way through, solid hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished over and over again. Seriously; if you take care of a solid wood floor properly, it can last a lifetime.
- Solid wood feels amazing to walk on. There isn’t anything like the real thing. And that’s super true when it comes to solid hardwood floors. While engineered wood is great, solid wood just has that feels good to walk on
- Solid wood offers a ton of customisation options. You have tons of options to choose from when you’re picking out a solid wood floor, from the species (aka the tree it comes from), to the cut pattern, even to the way it’s finished. We’ll talk about all of that further down.
Disadvantages:
- Solid wood hates water (and humidity). Solid wood can be obnoxiously temperamental. Because its grain runs throughout the width of the plank, solid wood is prone to warping and swelling—so it should never be installed anywhere it’s going to come into contact with humidity, moisture, rising damp, or extreme changes in temperature. That includes: Kitchens, Bathrooms,Basements, 3-season rooms, Above underfloor heating systems, Mudrooms, Anywhere below ground
- Some types of wood flooring cost more as solid planks. We’ll talk about pricing further down, but it’s worth noting that some wood flooring types will cost more when they’re purchased as solid planks. This is because solid planks use more “high-quality” (veneer) wood than engineered planks do. With that in mind, as anyone who’s seen what kids and/or dogs can do to hardwood floors will agree, solid wood may not the best option for super-active homes (though it heavily depends on the wood and finish). Critters can scuff, scratch, and ding the ever-loving heck out of your innocent wood floors.
- Solid wood needs a lot of care. Before you put in a solid wood floor, you need to leave the wood in its future home for at least a few days before installing it. Wood grains expand or shrink based on the room’s temperature and humidity fluctuations, so if you don’t acclimate the material beforehand, your floor may warp. And that is what we in the business call a “major bummer”. Plus, solid wood needs extra care even after it’s installed, too. It can’t see too much moisture or humidity, it needs extra cleaning, etc. All in all, it’s definitely the more temperamental option.
Engineered Wooden Flooring
Advantages:
- Engineered wood is less sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. Like we said, engineered wood is made of a rigid HDF or plywood base covered with a thin veneer of natural wood. This construction makes it less susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity than solid wood. Lots of the most durable wood flooring choices are made of engineered wood, since it doesn’t warp as easily.
- It can go where solid wood can’t. Because engineered wood is less sensitive to environmental changes, it can be installed in places where solid hardwood can’t go (a real game-changer). Want walnut floors in your kitchen? Engineered wood. Bamboo in your basement? Engineered wood. Rich mahogany in your master bath? You already know it—engineered is the way to go. Basically, anywhere you can’t put solid wood, you can probably put engineered.
- Engineered wood can be cheaper. If you want to put in exotic wood floors on a reasonable budget, engineered wood can be a great option. That’s because it uses less of the exotic hardwood species than solid wood does (just that veneer layer, remember?). So if you’ve been longing for some super-rare ebony flooring, for example, engineered is going to be the cheaper option. (Side note: ebony flooring is super difficult to get and is not the most sustainable wood flooring option out there. You’ve been warned.)
Disadvantages:
- Engineered wood isn’t waterproof. We’re going to say this again louder for the people in the back. Engineered wood flooring is not waterproof. Is it a better option than solid wood for kitchens and bathrooms? Yes. Is it a type of flooring you should put in your shower? Definitely not. If you need something that’s totally waterproof, you’d be better off with a hardwood floor alternative like vinyl plank or laminate. All the best vinyl plank flooring brands offer totally waterproof products. You can also find some totally waterproof hardwood flooring products, but they’re generally hardwood hybrids.
- It can not be refinished indefinitely. More importantly, engineered wood is just as susceptible to scratches, gouges, and dents as solid wood flooring is—after all, the top layer is solid wood. But because engineered wood only has a thin veneer layer, it can’t be sanded and refinished as many times as solid wood can (and sometimes not at all, depending on the product). Even the best-engineered wood flooring options can only be refinished a couple of times at most. If you’re looking for the best flooring for dogs, engineered wood might not be the best type of wood flooring for you (though it’s not out of the running).
- Engineered wood isn’t always the cheaper option. While it can definitely make exotic wood species more affordable, engineered wood isn’t always cheaper than solid. In fact, when it comes to domestic wood flooring types like oak, the price is generally comparable.
