The appeal of wood flooring is at an all-time high. Many homeowners prefer wood to every other flooring material for one simple reason – it’s beautiful. It can make almost any home look priceless, inviting, and elegant. However, the problem is that there are so many different types of wood that it can get a bit confusing to select the right type of wood flooring to meet your needs. Not only do you have different types of wood – oak, maple, and cherry – but you also have wood floor varieties like traditional hardwood and engineered hardwood. What’s the difference between these two key types, and which is right for your Florida home? This quick guide can break it down for you.
Hardwood vs. Engineered Hardwood: A Definition
If you’re looking for the simplest possible difference between the two, it’s this – traditional hardwood consists of one solid piece of wood; it has no layers, is fairly thick, and is installed as planks. Though, engineered hardwood flooring is made of many thin layers of traditional hardwood, followed by a veneer of plywood. The top surface on engineered wood is relatively thin, but the entire unit is thick and compact. Just by looking, it is impossible to tell if the flooring has hardwood or engineered wood. Both have the same characteristics, elegance, and design.
How Do They Both Hold Up?
Both hardwood and engineered are durable and can withstand heavy foot traffic. However, engineered wood can last more than 5 decades if well maintained. Traditional hardwood can last at least that long, but regular maintenance is required to make that happen. Over time both engineered wood and traditional wood may develop scuffs and scratch marks. To restore the aesthetics, the wood has to be sanded and refinished. Because hardwood is a solid plank, it can be sanded and refinished many times. On the other hand, engineered wood only has a very thin surface of the plywood and can only be sanded and refinished 1-2 times at maximum. Hence, you have to put in extra effort to make sure that your engineered wood does not develop scuffs and scratches.
They’re both fairly easy to clean and maintain, too. Dust can be swept or even vacuumed up quickly.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
There are a few drawbacks to both flooring choices. In general, traditional hardwood has one Achilles heel- it does not tolerate moisture well. You may also have to deal with expansion and contraction should you choose traditional hardwood floors. It’s made of a single large plank, and when the temperatures fluctuate, this can cause bowing, buckling, or even cracking.
Engineered wood won’t warp because of the manufacturing process. Instead, it’s incredibly moisture resistant and will not warp or bow when exposed to humidity. This reason alone makes engineered wood the flooring material of choice in humid climates. Moreover, engineered wood is made of layers of wood positioned in different directions; hence it is less susceptible to changes in temperature. That’s not to say that engineered wood is entirely moisture-proof or even that it won’t respond to changes in temperature. It’s just less risky. If you spill water, you still have to wipe it up as quickly as possible, so you don’t damage the surface.
Cost and Availability
In general, the cost of engineered wood is relatively less compared to hardwood, but this also depends on the type and quality of the engineered wood. There are inexpensive choices out there in both categories to meet your needs. Engineered wood is also simpler to install, which may save you some money. The wood is simply glued to the underlying surface.
Availability for your color and style may also be a concern as you compare both types. Hardwood is available in oak, hickory, maple, mahogany, pine, cedar, and many more species of wood. On the other hand, engineered wood is available with only a few select species of wood like oak, hickory, and maple. Both hardwood and engineered wood are available in several finishes, including matte, semi-gloss, and high-gloss. In addition, you can have a variety of surface effects etched out as rustic, modern, nouveau, or wire-brushed.
Which is the Green Choice?
Overall, engineered wood is more environmentally friendly as a flooring material. For every square foot of solid wood, you can easily manufacture 3-4 square feet of engineered wood. This means free trees need to be cut down to make the flooring material.
Hardwood v. Engineered Hardwood – Which Will Go In Your Home?
Overall, in almost every area of importance like durability, cost, installation, and maintenance, engineered wood flooring has a slight advantage over solid hardwood. However, the one area where engineered wood stands at the top is in its ability to withstand moisture; hence if you reside in Florida where the climate is humid, without doubt, engineered wood should be the choice for your flooring.
Contact the experts at East Coast Flooring to help you with all your flooring needs!