Real Wood Floors specializes in the installation of engineered hardwood floors, a type of hardwood flooring that promises longevity and durability. Compared to traditional hardwood floors, an engineered hardwood floor offers a multitude of benefits to savvy, style-conscious homeowners. These benefits include greater selection of species and widths, ease of installation, and more stability than traditional solid hardwood.
What Is Engineered Flooring?
Solid hardwood floors are composed of kiln dried lumber that is planed into flooring, plus multiple topcoat finishes for smoothness and added protection. In contrast, engineered hardwood floors are made of multiple layers and types of wood.
The top layer is pure natural wood, which can come in a variety of species, textures, and colors. The bottom layer is usually made of the same type of wood as the top layer. The middle layer contains several layers of plywood or solid wood running the opposite direction of the top layer for maximum stability and durability. As a result, the engineered hardwood floor is extremely sturdy and strong. It is therefore very capable of withstanding fluctuating moisture and temperature levels.
Engineered hardwood flooring provides multiple benefits to homeowners looking for a long-lasting, stylish flooring solution.
1. Less Expansion and Contraction
When a home is heated, becomes too cold, or traps a lot of moisture, floorboards can expand and contract. Due to engineered hardwood’s unique construction, it doesn’t expand and contract as much as solid hardwood does. The criss-cross pattern of its middle core and the protective bottom and top layers prevent this phenomenon from occurring. As a result, engineered hardwood is less sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, and moisture within a home. An engineered hardwood floor can be installed in spaces where traditional, solid hardwood would fail, such as basements.
2. Installation in Unexpected Spaces
Because it doesn’t expand and contract as much as solid hardwood does, engineered hardwood can be installed in cold, moist, or overheated spaces without concerns over flooring durability. Engineered hardwood can be installed in basements, bathrooms, kitchens, and even over a concrete surface. Temperature changes and moisture in these areas has little affect on the floor.
3. Durability and Stability
Because of its unique construction and durable plywood core, engineered hardwood is extremely strong and sturdy. Engineered floorboards can withstand heavy pressure, constant movement, and pounding footfall throughout a home. This extends the life of the engineered hardwood floor, keeping a home’s floors stylish for decades after installation.
If the engineered hardwood starts to fade over time, gets stained, or loses its sleek quality, it can be refinished multiple times over the course of its lifetime. Even if engineered hardwood starts to fade, it can be restored back to its original quality.
4. Ease of Installation
Unlike solid hardwood floors, engineered hardwood floors can be installed over many types of flooring surfaces. A plywood subfloor or underlying material is not usually necessary during this installation. Engineered hardwood floors can be placed over other types of wood, concrete, and even heating systems installed in the floor. Got a geothermal radiant floor? Installing engineered flooring over it can be the perfect solution!
5. Custom Flooring Any Width, Thickness, Length, Finish, or Species!
Stylish homeowners can have control over every aspect of their home design with engineered hardwood – imagine rich mahogany floors covering an otherwise austere basement, or hand-sawn black walnut adding a natural element to the master bathroom. Whatever you can dream, with engineered flooring, it’s possible! Real Wood Floors has access to most species of wood in varying widths, thickness and lengths and can customize color and finish! Go ahead and dream it, the team can make that dream your real wood floor!
Interested in installing engineered hardwood flooring in your southwest Michigan home or business? Contact the flooring specialists at Real Wood Floors today!