By now, you’ve done your research and concluded that engineered flooring is a better choice than solid hardwood floor. But what if your hardwood installer tries to tell you differently? Why do installers try to push solid hardwood instead of engineered hardwood flooring?
Why would a Hardwood Installer promote solid instead of engineered flooring?
There are three main reasons why this could happen:
- The “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” mentality. Some of these installers have been installing solid hardwood flooring for 50 years. So when something new comes along–like engineered flooring–they resist it instead of adapting. Even when the engineered hardwood flooring is an improvement on the solid hardwood they’re used to.
- They’re not familiar with it. Many of these installers have been working with solid hardwood flooring for so long, so they haven’t branched out and learned about installing engineered hardwood. And since they don’t know how to install engineered floors, they’ll try to convince you to use solid hardwood instead.
- Poorly made engineered flooring. We’ve encountered a lot of hardwood installers who say engineered hardwood flooring isn’t as good quality as solid hardwood. Well, quite frankly, that’s a myth. Sure, the low quality engineered floors aren’t durable, but neither is low quality solid hardwood. The truth is: high quality engineered hardwood flooring is actually more durable than comparable solid hardwood flooring. Engineered hardwood floors are designed to combat all the issues solid hardwood floors have.
What should you do if this happens to you?
If you’re ever in a situation where your hardwood installer tries to convince you to use a flooring you don’t think is best, have your installer contact us or have us contact them. We’re happy to reach out to the installer and explain why engineered hardwood flooring is in fact more reliable than solid hardwood flooring. We’ve heard enough stories about homeowners being persuaded to use solid hardwood flooring and regretting it only a few short years later.
Learn from others’ experiences
One homeowner was building his custom home in 2018. He dreamed of having 7.5” wide plank flooring, and through his research found PurezaWood. Immediately, he fell in love with one of our finishes for the beautiful and elegant French White Oak. And after doing research on our engineered flooring, he knew that engineered would be better for his home than solid hardwood.
However, his builder/contractor convinced him to use 3” solid hardwood flooring instead. And now, after just two winters in Chicago, the homeowner regrets using solid instead of engineered hardwood. Because the solid hardwood flooring isn’t as stable as engineered, it moved during the winters and created gaps and buckles. On top of that, the finish on the flooring already is wearing out and his floors look 10 years old, not 2.
The moral of the story?
Many builders, general contractors, and hardwood installers in Chicagoland (including this homeowner’s builder) are still stuck in their old ways. Because they’re used to installing solid hardwood flooring, they don’t want to learn about installing engineered floors. It’s intimidating to many installers since they see it as new. But installers are beginning to learn that engineered hardwood flooring is not only reliable, but many times a more desirable option than solid hardwood flooring. In this case, the builder steered his client in the wrong direction with both the type of flooring to use and its specs.
We always recommend using wide plank flooring that’s 5” or wider for modern builds. Anything less than that is what’s commonly used for builds in the 1900s and will make your home look older than it is. Wide plank hardwood flooring is key to a modern style home, and actually opens up your home to look larger and cleaner, as you can see in the pictures below. Another important reason to use wide plank flooring is that it actually increases the value of your home.
The finish on the homeowner’s flooring was also a mistake. Oil based finishes lose their shine easily and become dull. We use UV lacquer finish (even though we could use UV oil finish if a customer requests it) because we know that it is better for your flooring, and therefore, your home. This is how we know →
At the end of the day…
You’re building your dream home. You’ll spend countless years here, making countless memories. This is where you live, and the flooring you use should make you happy every time you lay eyes on it. If you want to use engineered hardwood floors, you should.
This is why we are willing to speak with our customers’ installers or builders and educate them on why engineered flooring is the right choice for your home. We know it’s important to love your flooring and we’ll discuss this with your hardwood installer. Simply give us their information or give them ours and we’ll explain why installing the floor you’ve chosen is so important.
Check out our Instagram to see some of our past projects and contact us if you have any questions.
