When homeowners make the decision to fit wood flooring they are sometimes surprised at the complexity of these floors in terms of their many options. To make the right decision as to which wood flooring to fit, you need to first understand the differences between the two most popular types, solid and engineered floors. Whilst in most homes either type will suit well, under some circumstances only one type might prove appropriate.

Wood Flooring Types:

There are two types of wood flooring that are both considered ‘real wood flooring’ and they vary from one another in their construction technology. The one that most homeowners are familiar with is solid wood and the newer option that is an alternative to solid is engineered wood floors. Solid wood floors are made from one piece of tree timber and due to this construction have a reputation of fantastic durability that can exceed 100 years of service life. On the negative side, because natural wood is used without any other materials, sizes are limited in terms of width and length. Therefore the alternative is engineered wood floors that are made from real wood on the top part supported by three or four layers of syntactic material such as MDF and Plywood. Due to their varied construction, they are suitable for use in areas that solid natural wood might buckle such as damp or humid areas. On the negative side, durability of engineered flooring isn’t as good as solid wood, though they will often exceed other types of non-wood floors.

So, which type is most suitable for your home?

In most cases either type will fit well. The decision is normally based on budget and availability at the time from your local supplier. As engineered floors are slightly cheaper, they are becoming the favorite choice for many. If you intend to fit the floor on your own, the easiest DIY friendly method is floating and only engineered floors are suitable. Furthermore, if you intend to fit the floor in a damp (or likely to experience such conditions) room such as the basement, you will do well to consider engineered floors.