Engineered hardwood pros and cons

No one can deny the charm of a hardwood floor. Hardwood floor has a timeless beauty and a long tradition of luxury. Installing a hardwood floor is also difficult and expensive. If you are looking for a classic feel and look, then you may consider engineered hardwood flooring.

To determine whether or not you should invest in engineered hardwood flooring, you should keep certain essentials in mind. These essentials have been discussed below.

Engineered hardwood

Engineered hardwood, unlike conventional hardwood that comes straight out of the tree and into your home, is completely a complex, which consists of a number of layers. The outermost is a hardwood veneer, which is a very thin slice of wood (not more than 1/8 inches) of the species of your choice. The inner layers are usually made of hardwood, high density fiberboard, or plywood.

The outer veneer surface adds authenticity and beauty while the core layers are what makes the product much more stables as compared to regular hardwood.  The surface of an engineered hardwood is made of real wood. This is not the same case with a hardwood laminate. 

Engineered hardwood flooring Pros

• Engineered hardwood flooring is extremely easy to maintain and the maintenance cost is very low since it will not warp or swell
• The layers of an engineered hardwood flooring block moisture and also provide extra stability to your floor
• Engineered hardwood flooring is designed in a way that it reduces the moisture problems that are normally associated with the conventional hardwood   
• It is more environmentally-friendly than the traditional hardwood since veneer is sliced and not cut with a saw. The process of slicing veneer produces no sawdust, meaning that the entire tree’s wood would be used

Engineered hardwood flooring cons

Just like with any other good thing, there are also some drawbacks to engineered hardwood flooring. The drawbacks are mentioned below.

• I terms of cost, the engineered hardwood flooring are usually more expensive as compared to solid hardwood
• Core layers must always be fashioned from very high-quality wood. There are some manufactures who try to reduce the cost by using oriented strand board or fiberboard that could compromise your floor’s stability, and will most likely result in a very inferior flooring product

Is engineered hardwood flooring worth it?

Of course, engineered hardwood flooring is a worthwhile investment. It is not only looks luxurious and beautiful, but it is also durable and environmentally-friendly. Just make sure that it is done by the most qualified professionals.