Choosing The Right Type Of Hardwood Floor ( Solid or Engineered)

Oct. 13, 2009 - PRLog -- Over the past 37 years I have been exposed to all types of hard surface flooring.  I want to present a overview of hardwood flooring.  There are two types of wood flooring.  Solid and engineered.  Solid is 3/4" thick and comes in many species of wood.  Engineered wood flooring is a layer of real wood with plys of other filler woods to make up the board. Solid wood is nailed down, engineered is glued, floated or a combination of both. Solid goes above ground and over a suitable wood subfloor.. Engineered can go above or below grade and that is why it is so popular.Solid hardwood floors come in a wide range of dimensions and styles, with each plank made of solid wood and milled from a single piece of timber. Solid hardwood floors were originally used for structural purposes. Solid hardwood also comes pre-finished or unfinished. The pre-finished type has become very popular because of the less mess cleanup and elimination of sanding, staining and urethane application.  Plus if you add in the factory finish, pre-finished can't be beat.

Whether you chose a solid or engineered product you must  acclimate the product in the desired  area it is to be installed.  48-72 hours would be ideal.

Solid wood has many limitations due to the natural characteristics of wood. Expansion and contraction of wood from moisture and temperature changes puts many dimensional restrictions on solid wood floors. Typically,  the boards are 3 " to 4 " wide and 3/4" thick and 5" is about the widest board that can be manufactured.. There is, however, no standard size which will perform well in every environment. The most significant characteristic of solid wood floors is that they are not recommended to be installed directly over concrete.

Engineered wood flooring has several benefits over solid wood, beyond dimensional stability and universal use. Patented installation systems allows for faster installation, and easy replacement of boards. Engineered wood can use floating' installations, increasing ease of repair and reducing installation times

It is very difficult to compare a solid wood floor to engineered wood floors, as there is a wide range of engineered wood floor qualities. There are several limitations on solid hardwood that give it a more limited scope of use: solid wood should not be installed directly over concrete, should not be installed below grade (basements) and it should not be used with radiant  heating. Solid hardwood is also typically limited in plank width and is more prone to gapping and cupping with increased plank size. Solid wood products, on average, have a thicker 'sandable area' (the wood that is above the tongue), and can be installed using nails. Lastly, solid wood tends to be less expensive than engineered wood, but this, as with the 'sandable area,' depends on the quality of the engineered wood (most inexpensive engineered wood products are 'veneer' wood floors, and not  engineered.

For the homeowner I believe that a professionally installed hardwood floor whether solid or engineered is the key to a long lasting beautiful installation.  Nailing down a solid floor is not too difficult.  Tools can be rented to perform the job if you decide to DIY.  Floating floors are also somewhat easy to install as well. However, the complete finished job is what makes or breaks the completed look. Positioning the starting points ( laying the job out prior to starting). How well are the finished pieces at the doorways (transtitions) are cut to fit.  The finished mitered toe strip is also a job in itself.
I've seen so many jobs where the floor itself looked pretty good but the door and toe strip
finishes left so much to be desired. Undercutting the door jambs is a must for a beautiful installation. And that what makes the job.
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Home-Based Carpet & Flooring  is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and also ships to customers in the United States and will help you find certified installers in your locale. Feel free to contact us at gkeairns@yahoo.com.  You can visit us on the web at http://www.CincinnatiFloorings.com

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