Engineered Hardwood Flooring: Why It’s Best to Install Them

Hardwood floors are the perfect addition to any home or office for their timeless appeal and elegance. While all hardwood options provide homeowners with different designs and unique features, not all solid wood choices are budget-friendly. With more people installing wooden flooring for its style and added property value, alternative options are increasing. Engineered hardwood flooring is one of them. But what makes them different, and why are remodelers finding them better?

A More Cost-Friendly Option

While hardwood floors are sturdier and more durable than most flooring options, they’re also expensive. Wood species, cuts, and quality affect the price of your hardwood flooring besides the installation costs when hiring professional installers. Despite its numerous benefits, not many households can afford them with the rising inflation of materials across the country.

Engineered hardwood floors are the best option for remodelers on a tight budget because they’re not full strips of wood. Instead of pure lumber, these floorings are thin layers of veneer on top of a plywood. They cost less than solid hardwood planks while offering a similar, fool-proof look and grain.

They Don’t Expand or Contract to Extreme Extents

The biggest weakness of hardwood floorings is dirt and water. Overexposure to water and moisture can cause solid hardwood planks to expand, cup, and break. These reasons often limit the areas where people can install wooden floorings in their homes. In cases where remodelers want hardwood flooring throughout the house, choosing wood species with higher moisture and water resistance is critical. Doing this can also cost you lots of money.

Engineered hardwood floor structure prevents it from expanding or contracting the same way as solid wood. Although it can suffer from damage to moisture and water exposure, it takes more time than natural and laminated hardwood floors. Because of that, homeowners can install them in areas with fluctuating temperatures and humidity.

More Durable and Stable

Hardwood veneer and layers of plywood make up engineered hardwood floorings. Due to its construction, they can withstand heavy foot traffic in both residential and commercial areas. Its durability is higher than many soft hardwood planks available on the market. Moreover, its design also helps in making them more stable upon installation.

Unlike solid hardwood, engineered wood flooring is easier to work with and install. DIY remodelers don’t need to prep their underlay as tight as solid hardwood planks need. Other engineered hardwood options have a clicking system, making the installation easier and simpler for novice remodelers. In addition, they’re also more compatible with underfloor heating.

Sanding and refinishing your engineered hardwood floors are also possible. Although there’s a limit to how much they can sand and refinish the planks, homeowners can still bring their floors back into peak condition after they turn dull.

It Offers More Variety

Engineered hardwood floorings can offer buyers a wide range of options from their species, and grades, to cuts. As their top layers are thin versions of solid hardwood, people can avail of their chosen wood specie and achieve the design they want without breaking the bank. You can also pick the strips by grade and pattern to fit your desired aesthetic.

Wider boards and planks add more character and appeal to your floors than the average-sized ones. The solid wood options are more expensive as they need larger lumbers, but installing a wide hardwood plank won’t be as costly when using engineered hardwood. The engineered core boards are more adaptable to length and width changes to suit the buyers’ tastes. In addition, installing them requires a shorter time than wide, solid hardwood floors.

Flooring patterns like chevron and parquet are also possible with engineered wood. Many prefinished engineered hardwood floors come in parquet and chevron styles. But there are unfinished options for homeowners who prefer a more detailed floor pattern. While installing solid parquet floors is tedious, remodelers can find the process more convenient with engineered wood. 

Easy to Clean

One of the most notable features of any hardwood flooring is its upkeep. Unlike other flooring options, they need little to no maintenance while lasting for more than three decades, on average. Routine cleaning and using proper equipment and materials are essential to prevent dirt and grime buildup.

Engineered hardwood floorings are easier to clean and maintain than solid wood as it’s more unwelcoming to dust and dirt.  People with active or busy lifestyles can benefit from installing engineered wood because its upkeep needs a small cleaning schedule every day. Coats and finishes also retain their shine for several years. 

The Advantages of Installing Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Increasing property value and keeping up with the current trends are reasons for the increasing number of hardwood flooring installations and refinishes. While solid hardwood floors are the go-to option for wooden flooring, many cost-friendly alternatives are becoming more popular in the US. Engineered hardwood floors provide the same advantages to your homes but are more durable, stable, and resistant to dirt and water. Although many choose engineered wood, understanding why they suit your homes better than solid wood is essential. That way, you can decide if sticking to solid is better than its new alternative.

Get a consultation for your hardwood floorings in Texas with Kelly Hardwood Floors today!