Engineered vs. Solid Hardwood Flooring: Which Is Best for You?

There is little argument that hardwood flooring brings elegance, warmth, style, and personality into a home or business. But, with so many options available, how do you know which type of wood flooring is best for you? At Flooring Master, we can help in many different ways. For starters, we can help you decide which is best for your needs: Solid hardwood flooring or engineered hardwood flooring.

Solid hardwood flooring

As the name implies, the planks of solid wood flooring are, well, solid. If you buy, say, red oak, every plank will be made of only red oak. There are many more wood species available in solid wood flooring than there was a few decades ago. You can buy solid wood flooring that is either unfinished or pre-finished. The unfinished varieties will need to be finished during installation, and you can choose the type and color of the finish.

Perhaps the biggest drawback to solid wood flooring is that it cannot be installed below grade in areas such as basements, and it should not be installed in areas where moisture or high-humidity is present. Solid wood and water do not mix; problems such as warping, buckling, and cracking can occur.

Engineered hardwood flooring

With engineered wood flooring, you get systems that are constructed in layers, glued together for stability and strength, and topped with veneers (of various thicknesses) of read hardwood. The wood species you select is that actual wood species, not an image.

Engineered wood flooring is available in hundreds of wood species, and because it is not solid, it generally cost less than solid wood. Because of the way it is constructed, engineered wood flooring can be installed just about anywhere in the home or business, including below grade.

These are only a few of the facts that apply tosolid or engineered hardwood. If you would like to know more, come by and see us at Flooring Master. We have three locations to serve you: Tampa, Orlando, and Apopka, FL. When you visit with us, you can see more than 570 hardwood options for homes, and more than 160 wood flooring options for commercial use.