What is Engineered Wood Flooring?

Some of you may have heard the term 'engineered wood flooring' but never truly understood what it is. Technical jargon can easily slip into conversations about flooring, but we are here to explain what it is and what the benefits are from having engineered wood flooring.

Engineered Wood Flooring

An engineered board is a timber board which consists of more than one layer. By placing each layer so the grain runs at a 90 degree angle, it makes it difficult for the timber to swell or shrink due to changes in humidity, increasing its stability. The top layer of an engineered board (the lamella) is made from solid, usually hardwood, and may be anything from 2 to 6mm thick. The thicker the surface layer, the more times it can be sanded and refinished to remove wear and tears; the thickest wear layers are the equivalent to those on solid timber boards.

The lamella is securely bonded to one or two further layers; this may be multi-layered plywood or a sandwich with either a softwood or hardwood core. It's important that engineered boards should not be confused with laminate or veneer. Laminate uses an image of wood on its surface whilst veneer uses only a very thin layer of wood over a core of some type made from a composite wood product, usually fibreboard.

Engineered timber is one of the most common types of wood flooring in the world and technology has enabled the production of much wider boards as well as the application of an enormous variety of really interesting finishes.

What are the benefits of engineered wood flooring?

It doesn't matter how well seasoned, oiled, waxed or lacquered it may be, wood still remains hydroscopic. This means that when the humidity is high it will absorb some of that moisture, swell and rise in the middle. If the same piece of wood was put in a dry environment, it will release its moisture, dry out and shrink. Lay pieces of timber side by side in a confined space and those changes in humidity, over time, may well result in them bowing, warping or gapping between the planks. This is what can happen with a solid wood floor, wall or ceiling.

Engineered boards are like solid timber planks but with many great benefits, such as:

• They are more stable than solid wood planks, meaning they are less likely to have re-occurring problems and wider boards can be produced.
• Engineered boards are usually available pre-finished which means a reduced installation time, making it more convenient for you.
• Unlike a lot of solid timber planks, engineered boards can usually be fitted over under-floor heating systems, helping you save money on your energy bills.
• Engineered boards make far more efficient use of slow-growing, lamella layer timbers such as oak and walnut.

We have a range of great engineered wood flooring for you to choose from, why not pop into our showroom at Shepherds Business Park, Lenwade to find out more.