Hardwood flooring is made of solid wood and is a popular flooring option. It is sometimes made from hardwood species like maple, oak, or walnut. And it has a far longer life, allowing for endless sanding and polishing.
Engineered wood flooring appears nearly identical to the hardwood on the surface, but instead of a single wood plank, it’s made from a high-quality laminate core with a thin layer of hardwood flooring on top. Although constructed wood flooring is less expensive, it cannot be refinished to extend its life. Each surface is utilized throughout the house, and they are practically comparable in terms of benefits, leaving the choice to be a very personal one.
Important distinctioins
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring, often known as “solid wood flooring,” is typically made from a hardwood species. Maple, walnut, oak, and cherry are examples of common species. The word “solid flooring” refers to a solid piece of polished wood. Hardwood flooring installation entails nailing the wood planks to the subfloor, which is a skill-intensive job. As it is made of solid wood, it will only need to be sanded and polished a few times to maintain its appearance.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood flooring looks and feels like hardwood flooring on the surface. However, its appearance is achieved purely by the use of a thin covering of hardwood and a laminate core. Engineered wood flooring installation is do-it-yourself friendly and available in glued or interlocking planks to make installation easier. Because its top layer is only a thin veneer of hardwood, it cannot be refinished as frequently as solid flooring, but it may still last up to thirty years or more with proper maintenance.
What Is the Best Flooring?
1. Appearance and opulence
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring boards range in width from eight inches to twelve inches. When installed, solid flooring has narrower gaps between planks. It is available in a broad range of colors and species in pre-finished and raw panels, allowing for a great deal of customization.
Engineered hardwood flooring
Engineered wood flooring looks almost exactly like hardwood and offers a lot of dimension and versatility. Once installed, constructed wood flooring may be mistaken for solid wood due to the veneer covering. Engineered wood flooring is constantly sold prefinished, and there are fewer color and pattern options than hardwood.
2. Maintenance and upkeep
Hardwood Flooring
Solid hardwood is quite easy to clean and preserve. Most floors require only sweeping and vacuuming, except for a swab with a professional wood cleaner to cure stains. Simply avoid using water or steam to clean wood flooring. Hardwood flooring, on the other hand, is better for semi-permanent upkeep since it can be sanded and refinished several times during its life to look almost as good as new.
Engineered hardwood flooring
Engineered wood flooring, like hardwood, requires just sweeping and vacuuming to stay clean. Swiping it with wood cleaner regularly can help stop stains and renew the top layer.
Most manufactured wood floors lack a thick enough hardwood layer to be sanded and restored over time. Most of the time, they’ll be refinished once or twice before the hardwood layer wears down and you need to fix the planks.
3. Lifespan
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring has a significantly longer lifespan than most other types of flooring. With proper upkeep and care, hardwood flooring may endure anywhere from thirty to one hundred years. This is frequently why we still find homes with hardwood flooring from the decade.
Engineered hardwood flooring
Although engineered wood flooring cannot be refinished as frequently as solid hardwood, it may still last up to thirty years or more with proper upkeep. While the entire floor cannot be sanded and polished, one advantage of constructed wood flooring planks is that they can be easily changed, particularly those installed using the click-and-lock technology.
4. Sizes
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring boards can range in length from twelve to eighty-four inches. There are several widths and thicknesses available; nevertheless, hardwood flooring plans are rarely wider than four inches.
Engineered hardwood flooring
Engineered wood flooring planks are typically thinner than hardwood flooring planks, ranging from 3/8- to 9/16-inch thick and even 10.25 inches thick. However, it’s occasionally marketed in much broader planks, reaching up to seven inches wide, and ranging in length from twelve to sixty inches.
The Verdict
According to the experts at Paradigm Surfaces, engineered wood flooring was originally seen as a pale copy of genuine hardwood, but improvements in product quality have eradicated this image. Solid hardwood may have a little draw towards status for a few people and continues to be a popular choice among experts for adding worth and toughness, but the reduced cost and ease of installation of constructed wood flooring give it the edge over others. Furthermore, engineered wood utilizes less hardwood, which is an evident truth that appeals to ecologically conscious buyers.
If you’re looking for professionals who can provide you with the simplest solutions and, more importantly, a wide range of options, we’ve got them!
