Made from real wood, engineered hardwood can be used for a range of home improvements and commercial uses, including a variety of types of flooring. It can be a lot more affordable than normal hardwood, but the quality can vary depending what type you use.

Tailor made wood

Essentially, engineered hardwood is a way to use odds and ends of wood, chippings, scraps, cut-offs and leftovers or pieces of wood that are mis-shaped and unsuitable for other purposes. The method of constructing engineered hardwood gives the material great stability, which is ideal for floating floors or for directly placing onto timber sub floors. Because of this, many DIY enthusiasts choose this as a preferred option for flooring.

Each type of engineered flooring wood comes in different shades and finishes. For example, oak wide plank comes in Sorrento rustic and numerous other shades and patterns. Beech engineered flooring comes in beech finishes and patterns and maple engineered flooring also comes in a choice of finishes. Of course with all the engineered flooring products, the look varies between lacquered and oiled wood finishes. There are also wood protection finishes such as staining.

Because engineered wood is man made, it can be designed for a range of conditions and uses. With the use of engineered wood for floors, several woodpiles are glued together. Ranging from 3 to 7 inches wide and in a choice of hardwood species, some types of engineered hardwood come with a thin wear layer for added protection. Other brands of engineered hardwood floor can be sanded. The life span of engineered hardwood floors can be up to 100 years.

Engineered hardwood can be manufactured in two ways. The top surface wear layer can be sliced or sawn from the log, giving an engineered hardwood floor that has a more authentic wood look and graining. Engineered hardwood floors can also be rotary cut, with the hardwood wear layer peeled off the log using lathes. This way of making engineered hardwood floors can show much wilder graining.

Economical and green

Engineered hardwood helps conserve wood, with as much as four times the amount of engineered hardwood coming from wood as solid wood flooring. It’s also a good material to use in homes that have a higher humidity level, as it is more stable under different climatic conditions. This durability makes them ideal for summer homes and shopping centres. As well as customers enjoying the durability and look of an engineered floor, it is also ideal for under floor heating.

Engineered wood flooring is cheaper than solid wood floors and yet it is more attractive and durable than vinyl floors, engineered hardwood is often regarded as a money saving, cost effective alternative to traditional wooden floors, and more natural and better looking than totally artificial floors. With engineered hardwood, you get real wood, but it is manufactured in a style and to a level of durability that can be tailored according to a range of personal needs, depending on your individual taste.

Author Bio: UK Flooring distributor Floors Online supply a range of laminate flooring, wood floors, solid wood floors, engineered wood floors and vinyl flooring products. Contacts For information, sales and advice on flooring solutions, contact Floors Online 0800 731 2374 / 01827 283 184 www.floorsonline.co.uk

Category: Home Management
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