Solid vs Engineered Hardwood

What Are the Types of Hardwood?

At Arrow Floor Carpet One in Andover, we are your local hardwood flooring experts. Our flooring professionals take the confusion out of buying a new floor for your home. There are two different hardwood constructions, solid and engineered. As your local hardwood experts, we can explain the differences between the two and help you choose the best option for your home. From the surface, engineered and solid hardwood look the same, but the construction underneath is what matters most in your home.

Benefits of Engineered Hardwood

It is a common misconception that engineered hardwood is not real wood. Engineered planks are made up of three to seven layers of real wood veneers. The layered construction allows the wood to resist its natural tendency to expand or contract due to changes in moisture and adds stability. The stability helps engineered planks to stand up to moderate traffic and withstand more moisture than solid hardwood. The top layer of engineered hardwood is a premium layer of wood, which is why it looks so similar to solid hardwood, and can even be sanded and refinished to extend its lifetime in your home. Engineered planks can be installed on all levels of your home, even in finished basements.

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Solid hardwood is a traditional option in hardwood flooring. Since solid hardwood features a uniform construction, its natural characteristics stand out. Solid hardwood is beautiful and can help to add real estate value to your home, but it is limited in where you can install it. For example, solid hardwood should be kept in dry, cool spaces of your home that do not see much foot traffic, like a bedroom or home office. Solid hardwood flooring can also be refinished to extend its lifecycle in your home.