Benefits Of Engineered Flooring


 
 
Engineered  Flooring consists of several cross-stacked strips of wood that are more stable and resistant to humidity and moisture than solid wood floors. Engineered hardwood flooring is a product made up of a core of hardwood, plywood or high density fiber (HDF) and a top layer of hardwood veneer that is glued on the top surface of the core and is available in almost any hardwood species. Unlike solid wood, engineered hardwood doesn’t shrink or expand  as much of solid wood floors due to temperature and humidity changes and can be install on concrete slab and wood subfloor, it can be install anywhere in your home by gluing it down or nail down. It also allows for longer and wider planks--providing not only a more desirable look, but also resistance to the bending or bowing that can occur with longer solid planks.
What's more, the total thickness of an engineered floor is only 3/8 to 5/8 inch, so it can be installed over an existing floor -- say, during a kitchen renovation -- with a minimal increase in level. Most engineered flooring is available in tongue-and-groove strips which must be stapled or glued to the subfloor. Engineered hardwoods are the most common of the wood flooring types that are glued down during installation. Engineered hardwoods have more flexibility and can endure the wear and tear over time. This type of installation is not recommended for the novice, but you can always take the challenge, with a little guidance from the experts, why not? But it takes a lot of floor preparation and can be quite messy... 

 
 
 
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Types Of Hardwood Floors

 
The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) breaks the types of floors down nicely for homeowners.
 
Unfinished wood flooring: As natural as it comes, a contractor can fit and add finishing to your home.

Factory-finished flooring: Just like it sounds, the factory applies the finishes before the wood leaves the warehouse, removing some of the steps that would otherwise occur in your home.
Engineered wood: There’s solid wood traditional flooring, and then there’s wood flooring with different veneers. While this type of flooring can be sanded and finished, it cannot be done as many times as solid wood flooring, according to the NWFA.
Floating engineered wood floors: Okay, so this isn’t entirely a separate floor type defined by the NWFA, but it is a way to think about wood floors beyond just nailing down boards.
Floating floors offer a wood option for those who don’t want to invest the time and price of sourcing solid wood flooring. These boards sit above your current floor and fit together like puzzle pieces, with minimal shaping (except for along the edges).
Such flooring can lie over concrete, ceramic tile, and other surfaces that may otherwise rule out traditional wood floors—or necessitate costly removal to make wood possible.
 

Installing New Hardwood Floors

 
Cost, noise and time can play as much of a part in this decision as the environment or looks. Sure, you could refinish the floor, but do you have the time to do so?
Renting tools so you can DIY the new floor could bring the project cost close to that of a good contractor, not to mention the time involved for someone who doesn’t do this for a living.
If you’re fairly handy and the floors appear in good shape, buffering, stain and some finish—one weekend, or even one day, of elbow grease depending on the room size—could handle the issue.
A local, well-stocked hardware store could help you here.
But if you aren’t sure how to install hardwood floors or how to refinish wood floors yourself, your living room boards may thank you for hiring an expert.