> > Engineered Flooring: Easier Hardwood? Engineered Flooring: Easier Hardwood? None can deny the appeal of a hardwood floor. It has a long tradition of luxury, and a timeless beauty. It is also expensive and difficult to install. Those looking for that classic look and feel might do well to consider engineered hardwood flooring. When determining whether or not to invest in engineered wood flooring, here are the essentials to keep in mind. Unlike conventional hardwood, which comes straight out of a tree and into your home, engineered hardwood is a more complex product that consists of several layers. The outermost is a hardwood veneer, a thin slice of wood (less than 1/8″) of whatever species you desire. The inner layers are made of plywood, high density fiberboard, or hardwood. The core layers make the product more stable than regular hardwood, while the outer veneer surface adds beauty and authenticity. Engineered hardwood is different than a hardwood laminate because the surface is made of real wood.

While laminate has a core of high density fiberboard, its surface is basically a picture of wood (or any other material, for that matter). Laminate is less expensive than engineered and solid hardwood, but has a different look and feel due to its make up. Engineered hardwood flooring is designed to reduce the moisture problems associated with conventional hardwood. Its layers block moisture and provide added stability to your floor. Engineered flooring will not swell or warp, making it very low maintenance. Environmental Advantages of Engineered Hardwood Choosing engineered flooring is considered more environmentally-friendly than traditional hardwood for a few reasons. Veneer is sliced rather than cut with a saw. This process produces no sawdust, which means that all of the tree’s wood can be used. The sawdust produced making hardwood boards is wasted wood (and adds up to a significant amount). Hardwood trees grow much more slowly than the trees used to make engineered flooring cores.

Because more surface area is produced making veneer, installing traditional hardwood uses many times the amount of slow growing tree. This makes the replenishing time much longer. Engineered Hardwood Flooring Cons There are, in actuality, very few principle drawbacks to this type of hardwood flooring, but this doesn’t make it a foolproof project or even the right floor for every application. Comparable to solid hardwood in terms of cost, engineered floors are still considerably more expensive than laminate, tile, and carpet. That said, by far, the biggest concern as a homeowner should be avoiding shoddy or inferior engineered manufacturers and products. Veneers that are too thin will prevent sanding and refinishing opportunities that may double the lifetime of the floor. Some veneers are so thin and poorly made that they can prematurely warp or fade. Core layers must still be fashioned from high-quality wood. Some manufacturers try to cut corners by using fiberboard or oriented strand board that may compromise the stability of your floor and, at the very least, will result in an inferior flooring product.

Is The Floor Worth It? Engineered flooring is definitively easier to install, in fact, some handy homeowners are even enticed into installing their own engineered floors. It’s still a major project with big financial implications,  so don’t over-reach on your home improvement skills. Even for the majority of homeowners who hire a flooring contractor for the job, you’ll save a hefty sum on installation, which is important given that most engineered flooring is more expensive than solid wood.Akon T Shirts High-quality engineered floors (thick veneers, quality substrate) will usually cost somewhere between $8 and $12 per square foot. Better Homes And Gardens Cookbook Stuffed PeppersHow much extra money this costs and whether cheaper installation offsets this price often depends on the type of wood you’re choosing. Siberian Husky For Sale South West

With an exotic or even highly-coveted hardwood, such as maple, engineered flooring is likely to be cheaper overall. For more common hardwoods, solid wood flooring may be cheaper overall, although it will still take longer to install. Need to find a pro for your engineered floor?Resilient Vinyl DesignVinyl FlooringFlooring How To's FLOORTÉ™: Luxury Vinyl Flooring Collection Floorte™ uses high-definition printing for a hardwood or tile look that is highly authentic. Its FOLD N GO™ locking system is precision-engineered for an easy installation. Floorté™ floors are also strong, durable, flexible—concealing imperfections of the floor beneath—and waterproof, making Floorté™ a great flooring option on and below ground level. Floorte’s waterproof qualities make it ideal for high-moisture areas like basements, bathrooms, and mudrooms.  “We’ve been amazed at Floorte’s  waterproof characteristics even after weeks and weeks of testing in the water,” says Drew Hash, director of hard surfaces.

Because Floorte is created using high-definition printing, it provides a look that’s highly authentic.   It’s designed to emulate the top species and colors of hardwood as well as a variety of fossilized wood, stone and concrete visuals! “You can get the wood look without the high-maintenance, a product that hides imperfections in subfloors, and an easy click system,” says Natalie Cady, director of hard surface marketing.  The fact that it’s waterproof is just icing on the cake.” There are three levels of products in Floorte:  Bella, Casa, Largo Plank and Mantua Plank. Bella and Largo Plank styles feature a 20 mil wear layer with AmourBead protectant on their surface and Casa features a 12 mil wear layer. Mantua Plank features an 8 mil wear layer. Each style comes in beautiful wood looks featuring realistic sawn-face visuals, painted or wire brushed visuals and longer planks, making it even more beautiful. See our Floorte Resilient Vinyl Flooring Collection