Everything You Need To Know About Engineered Hardwood

If you’ve been dreaming of installing hardwood flooring, but circumstances stand in the way— expense, pets, kids—you can have it all by opting for engineered floors. Engineered hardwood flooring installation provides you with the timeless look of hardwood for less. What’s more, engineered hardwood is durable, making it the perfect solution for families.

How Engineered Hardwood Is Made

Engineered hardwood is a fusion between a hardwood veneer (the top layer is natural wood) with an engineered composite base for supreme durability, moisture and temperature resistance, making it ideal for Canadian climates.

The composite core comprises cross-sections glued into layers, which gives engineered hardwood floors their durability. These are the standard composite cores used to provide engineered flooring it’s durability and water resistance:

• HDF: High-density fiberboard or “hardboard” is hard (Janka rating of around 1700) and dense and a perfectly suitable core for engineered flooring for extra durability. Often HDF uses recycled hardwood flooring making it an environmentally friendly choice.
• SPC: Stone-plastic composite gives flooring gold-star durability and makes it waterproof.
• Engineered Plywood: The most common variety is thin sheets of plywood glued together in a crisscross pattern.

The Benefits Of Engineered Wood Flooring 

If you’re looking to install a beautiful, timeless hardwood without the fuss of real flooring, engineered wood floors are an excellent choice. Here are some of their benefits:

• Eco-friendly: Since engineered hardwood only uses a real wood veneer (top wood layer) and the rest is composite, this makes it an eco-friendly alternative to using solid wood. 
• Improves Air Quality: Unlike carpet, installing engineered hardwood flooring will help improve your indoor air quality. However, there is a catch. Many overseas flooring producers may not pay close attention to human or environmentally safe practices, so their product could contain harmful levels of formaldehyde or VOCs (volatile organic compounds). To avoid this and reap the benefits of good air quality, buy only CARB2 compliant options.
• Unique Planks: Every veneer is unique, so no two boards will be the same. This mimics what we love most about the solid wood flooring, its character. 
• Moisture Resistance: Depending on the type of engineered hardwood flooring you want to install, you can purchase 100% waterproof or water-resistant flooring. If you’re looking for waterproof, you’ll require a stone-plastic composite (SPC) core; if it doesn’t say, it’s only water-resistant.
• Humidity Resistant: One of the few shortcomings of solid wood is that it’s not great in humidity or temperature fluctuations. Over time, the boards will warp or cup. Engineered hardwood, however, will not cup or bend in humid environments, making it excellent for Canadian weather!
• On Budget: Given the cost of natural hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood has taken over as the wood-look alternative.
• Janka Hardness: Wood floors are durability rated, including engineered hardwood. All engineered wood scores a minimum of 1000pds of force, if not higher.
• Durability: Thanks to both the Janka rating and the composition of engineered hardwood, it’s just as durable as hardwood. Thus, making this flooring an excellent choice for hard-wearing areas like hallways or living rooms.
• Easy To Clean: All it takes is a good sweep and damp mop every so often to keep your floors in showroom condition.
• Improves Home Value: Since homebuyers gravitate to hardwood flooring, using engineered hardwood for a wood-look finish will increase the value of your home, so it’s well worth the cost of installation!

Cost Of Engineered Hardwood

It’s definitely worth mentioning that installing engineered hardwood flooring is slightly cheaper than hardwood. The average price for engineered hardwood is about $2.50-$10 a square foot, while traditional hardwood runs $4-12 a square foot.

Engineered Wood Flooring Installation

There is nothing quite like real hardwood flooring. It’s beautiful, timeless and an overall good flooring choice. However, engineered wood floors can be just as stunning. Contact us about engineered wood flooring installation today. Our consultations are free, we can answer any questions you have, and we’d be happy to help with your project.