The Pros and Cons of Engineered Hardwood
Choosing the floor of your new or old home is an extremely important decision and one that is a swaying factor in most of your other home decisions. Whether it is choosing the right furniture and wall colors or deciding on your decor and accent pieces, you will want to consider your flooring a part of that equation. When searching for the right flooring that will compliment the entire home, it’s crucial to pick a flooring that is both aesthetically pleasing and practical. Engineered hardwood flooring comes in a wide range of colors.
Beyond how it looks, think about how many gatherings will be thrown? Do you plan on having or currently have any dogs? Also think about how long you would like to be in your home. Are you in your forever home? Or do you think you would be moving soon and just need to modernize the place before flipping it? In this article, we’ll tackle the pros and cons of installing engineered hardwood in particular european oak.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN CHOOSING ENGINEERED FLOORING:
- Aesthetic: Does it match your style? Does it match your inspiration boards?
- Durability: How many people live in the house? Do you have dogs? Do you often change furniture?
- Maintenance Needs: How often do I need to clean my floors? What type of products do I need to buy for maintenance?
- Price: Does this fit into my budget? Can this increase my home equity?
WHAT ENGINEERED WOOD IS MADE OF
Engineered hardwood is made of several layers of wood. The bottom layer of engineered hardwood consists of plywood core and the top layer is a veneer of real hardwood that has a “wear layer” measured with it. Each layer is built in different directions. The way it’s built is a preventative measure to help against warping and bowing if moisture was to hit it. Regular solid hardwood flooring does not have this as a feature.
Engineered hardwood flooring stands up to humidity and temperature extremely well. The way engineered hardwood is constructed allows it to be water resistant but it is not waterproof. Regardless, this aspect allows it to be more appealing than regular hardwood resulting in it being more commonly used today. Our customers love the look and feel of engineered hardwood because once installed you can’t really tell it’s not pure hardwood since the top layer is. Two cons of engineered hardwood is that it can scratch in comparison to laminate or vinyl and that it requires maintenance since it is made of real wood. That said, your finish is important in regards to scratching and maintenance for example oil wood floors may not show scratches as easily compared to lacquer flooring but it does require periodic re-oiling as lacquer floors do not. If you want a natural looking floor with a reasonable price engineered hardwood may be for you.
JANKA RATING
Janka rating is an important factor when determining durability of a hardwood. Each hardwood is given a certain janka score that will let you know how it compares to other hardwood and the overall durability of the wood. We sell White oak, Maple, and Walnut engineered hardwood floors. Our European White Oak has a janka rating of 1360 which places the hardwood somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Walnut has a janka rating of 1010 which places it on the lower end of the spectrum and Maple has a janka rating of 1450 which places it in the high middle of the spectrum.
EASY INSTALLATION
With a wide range of flooring options available, quality engineered wood floors are the most popular for home improvement. Engineered hardwood is one of the easiest flooring to install. It can be installed by nail down method, gluing, or floating. This flooring does not need a plywood subfloor to install it and it can be installed below grade such as a basement concrete subfloor or a downstairs lounge. Floating a floor can be the easiest and most cost effective installation method if you have concrete subfloors since you wouldn’t need adhesive or nails.
COST EFFECTIVENESS
In comparison to solid wood flooring, engineered flooring is the more cost effective option. Engineered hardwood ranges from $4 to $13 per square foot compared from $7 to $16 per square foot for regular hardwood. In regard to the cheapest flooring… Vinyl takes the cake on that averaging $1 to $2 a square foot but there are pros and cons to that type of flooring which can be addressed in another article.
SANDING & REFINISHING
A wood wear layer determines how many times the wood can be sanded and refinished. Engineered hardwood can be made with a 2mm wear layer and can be made with 10mm+ wear layers. We suggest an industry standard of 4mm that allows you the ability to sand and refinish a few times which results in the flooring lasting 25+ years.
MAINTENANCE
At ADM Flooring our floors come in 2 finishes: Lacquer and Oil. Lacquer floors are recommended to be vacuumed once a week and lightly mopped with a slightly damp applicator pad. Oil floors are also recommended to be vacuumed and mopped once a week however it is also recommended to use the woca oil refresher spray after noticeable wear to rejuvenate oiled wood floors.
ABOUT ADM FLOORING
Based out of Los Angeles, California, ADM designs and produces exclusive engineered wood flooring. Each engineered floor is crafted with quality and durability in mind using the most durable of wood materials from White Oak, Maple, and Walnut. Carrying over 1MM+ SQ FT of engineered hardwood year around. We are a one-stop-shop for all your flooring needs whether you need Woca maintenance products, adhesives, custom flooring, t-molds, or stair treads, we have it all.
