The tough part of a flooring battle is the fact there is never a real winner. It’s all down to personal choice, and arguably in this battle it’s the same outcome. In this blog, we’ll be comparing the two most popular flooring installation types, solid wood and engineered wood. First we’ll break down exactly what they are.
Solid
Solid wood flooring is exactly what it says on the tin, it’s makeup is a solid plank of wood, nothing else, just pure wood. It’s usually finished with either lacquer or oil, and is incredibly strong and durable, and you can easily find it in a lot of Floor Sales shops. Dependent on finish it can be easy to resand and finish, according to the information from Selected Hardwood Flooring, and can pretty much be resanded as much as you like, at least until the wood is too thin!
There is also a wide range of species on show, with the most popular being oak, and other choices such as walnut and bamboo. It’s a fairly straightforward flooring installation process, with the most popular being a glued method.
Engineered
Engineered wood is a little more complicated with its makeup. It is constructed of a number of layers, with the main layers constructed of core boards, and then layers and layers of ply held together. This Industrial Flooring is then topped with solid wood to give off the same design.
Engineered has a very similar installment process to solid wood, with gluing being the most popular method. It’s better suited in areas of high moisture, providing it has the correct underlay protection underneath. It is also suitable for underfloor heating, whereas solid is not. Due to its layers, the wood is protected from exposure to heat, whereas solid will expand and eventually be too damaged so need refitting, so if you opt for solid, underfloor heating is not recommended, however, we are predicting Continued growth for this trend.
Conclusion
Both have their pros and both have their cons. Other than their makeup they are arguably incredibly similar, solid is arguably the more durable of the two, whereas engineered flooring has the advantage of underfloor heating and better water resistance. For more flooring options and guidance visit https://www.truehardwoods.com/product-category/hardwood-flooring/solid/.
Mostly it is down to personal choice, and what fits you personally in your home. You can try vinyl plank flooring, bamboo flooring, or Waterproof Vinyl Flooring in your home if that’s what you think looks best. The benefit of having a vinyl plank flooring is that it has a variety of decor options – wood, stone, cement, etc. In addition, vinyl plank flooring is also low maintenance and easy to clean. Another flooring type that’s gaining popularity nowadays is cork flooring. We hope our guide has helped you to make your decision!
