Engineered Wood FloorsYou have two options available to you when it comes to laying wood flooring in your home. You can either choose to go witht he expensive solid wood variety. However, if you are on a limited budget but still want the feel of this flooring then engineered wood floors are a sensible option. Although this type of flooring is constructed in much the same way as basic plywood is. There is one major difference in that the top surface (veneer) is actually made from hardwood. However depending on who is manufacturing this type of floor will depend on whether it comes in 2 to 10 ply construction. But you will notice today that some manufacturers of engineered wood floors have increased the surface layer (veneer) of theirs. So they in fact have the lifespan of some of the conventional ¾ inch solid wood floors that you can get, but of course this type costs quite a bit less. The main reason for this type of flooring lasting so much longer than it use to is down to the fact that there is a greater amount of refinishable material on them. Today when it comes to engineered wood floors the layer of veneer above the tongue and groove of the board has been substantially increased. In most cases the layer is between 1/8 and 3/16 inch thick whereas with real wood floors it is ¼ inch above. As a result those who choose to lay an engineered wood floor have the opportunity to sand and refinish theirs should they wish 2 or 3 times. Certainly if you intend to lay a wood floor directly on to a concrete base then the engineered type would be your best option. They have more dimesional stability compared to traditional wooden floors due to the way in which they are constructed. As each ply layer in this flooring is set and glued in opposite directions to each other they are better able to expand and contract when the levels of humidity in a room are higher compared to traditional wood flooring. As for installation of engineered wood floors this is considerably easier than laying traditional ones. In most cases the gluing down or floating floor methods are used for laying such flooring. So there may not be a need to employ a professional contractor to carry out the work. If you feel able you could actually install this wonderful flooring yourself. |