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Why Wear Layer Thickness Matters

Does wear layer thickness matter in engineered hardwood flooring? In short, yes! But we’ll explain why this is an important part of choosing your hardwood flooring.

What different wear layer thickness means

Wear layer in engineered hardwood flooring refers to the top layer of wood that can be sanded down and refinished. This is the layer of wood that you see when you look at the flooring and is what exists above the tongue and groove that holds the flooring in place. A thicker wear layer can be refinished multiple times, while a thin wear layer may only be able to be refinished once or twice.

Why this is important

People often think that because solid hardwood flooring doesn’t have a plywood core, it has a thicker wear layer and can therefore be refinished more often. However, this is very untrue. Engineered hardwood flooring’s wear layer can be sanded and refinished as many times–or more–as solid hardwood flooring’s. Both flooring types have a wear layer that connects to the tongue and groove. Often, solid hardwood flooring has a wear layer thinner than 6mm, which means it actually can be refinished fewer times than premium engineered hardwood.

A 6mm wear layer for your engineered hardwood flooring means you’ll be able to refinish the floors up to 7 times. This both prevents you from having to replace your floors if you want to refresh your home’s look and adds resale value to your home.

How to choose

When thinking about your engineered hardwood flooring’s wear layer, consider how many times you might want to refinish it. If you’re looking to refinish your floors, you’ll want a thicker wear layer. Also take into consideration if you’d like to sell your home in the future. 20 or so years down the line, the new owners might want to refinish the flooring. A thicker wear layer allows for more refinishes.

Get custom flooring

PurezaWood allows you to choose the wear layer for your flooring. You can choose from 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, or 6mm. As always, custom hardwood flooring is a key way to make sure you get everything you need for your floors. This way, you can choose your wear layer, width, finish, and more. You can design the flooring to meet your exact desires and specifications. You can learn more about why you want custom flooring here. And you can learn more about why PurezaWood is the best option here.

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