“Engineered” doesn’t mean “fake.” It’s real, and it has you in mind.
Many people confuse engineered hardwood flooring with laminate “hardwood” flooring. Laminate is not made of real wood, but is designed to convey the impression of hardwood (at a fraction of the cost). Still lesser understood is the difference between solid and engineered hardwood flooring. Both are made up of real lumber, and both can be incredibly beautiful.
When you’re looking at homes, apartments, or even samples with your designer, it can be difficult to know just what you’re seeing. You can’t immediately tell the difference between solid and engineered hardwood when you walk into a space. Often, solid is simply cheaper and looks just about the same, so the average contractor might sell you on it. That contractor doesn’t mind what will happen in the years to come.
It’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Engineered hardwood is superior to solid hardwood for — at a minimum — two critical reasons.
All hardwood can fluctuate with the humidity, but solid will almost always warp over time. Because it is comprised of just one “solid” piece of wood, there is nothing keeping it secured and in place but whatever method your installer chooses. The layer of plywood required to be laid beneath solid hardwood doesn’t help matters, either.
Engineered hardwood flooring is designed to last.
With thick layers bolstering its perfectly straight shape and width — we really love the wide-plank look — there is enough support within the materials alone to stand up to time, weather, and wear. Longevity is a huge factor to consider with respect to any major home plans. Do you really want to be replacing that floor again in fifteen years? Let’s say you live in Miami, where the humidity can be extreme — why choose the “less expensive” option, when you’ll eventually have to pay out again? Unless your property is rigidly controlled for humidity at all times, engineered hardwood is the sounder choice.
Engineered hardwood flooring is stable and consistent, allowing a tighter fit and neater interior design.
Because of its layers, engineered is far less likely to expand or contract. Just as it won’t warp or move, engineered is intended to be installed and used in the same form that it was manufactured in. Interior aesthetics can be cleaner and more precise; there’s no need to leave space to stretch and contract with the seasons and air.
Such a precise design like this would have been difficult to achieve with solid hardwood.
We can also provide finished or unfinished planks, and we take all kinds of custom orders.
Once you see the difference, it’s not easy to look at flooring the same way.
