Engineered Wood Flooring Construction

The core is 5 to 7 layers of plywood crisscrossed and bonded together.

Engineered wood flooring construction.

A thin slice or veneer of real hardwood is placed on the top of each plank and covered by a finish or topcoat for protection. Solid hardwood flooring on the other hand has the limiting requirement of needing to be stapled down over suspended floors above grade. The best way to think of an engineered flooring board is in layers as they all have a bottom middle and top. Engineered hardwood flooring has a layered construction.

Underneath are more thin wood layers all glued together to make a plywood sandwich called engineered flooring. Engineered hardwood flooring given proper conditions can be used below grade. A good quality engineered wood floor typically lasts 25 to 30 years and it is both less expensive and easier for diyers to install. Engineered wood flooring is made with a solid hardwood surface layer an artificial core and an artificial base.

Sure it s oak on top but that s just a wood veneer skin. Engineered hardwood flooring engineered flooring is actually produced with three to five layers of hardwood. Shaw epic plus engineered hardwood flooring shaw s stabilitek core is made for high performance and lasting durability. Engineered hardwood s construction fortifies it with greater structural stability so that it can be used at any level of the home at above or below ground level.

Since it s partially man made engineered hardwood is more affordable than natural wood more durable and can even be waterproof depending on the core material. Each layer is stacked in a cross grain configuration and bonded together under heat and pressure. What should you consider when making a choice between engineered and solid hardwood. Depending on the moisture level it might be necessary to use a moisture barrier.

Since their invention in the 1960s engineered wood floors have improved in appearance and performance accounting for 30 percent of all the wood flooring sold in america today. An engineered wood floor is constructed of layers of both hardwood and plywood where solid hardwood is a solid piece of wood with no layers. Engineered wood flooring can generally be used in any level of the home. On the bottom is another layer of wood.

Engineered wood flooring looks very much like solid hardwood but its construction features a relatively thin layer of hardwood bonded over a premium quality plywood layer that gives the flooring very good stability. The top of each plank is 100 wood available in a variety of species and on trend styles. Constructed from wood fibers bonded with proprietary chemistry stabilitek holds up to the challenges of climate fluctuation and sub floor moisture. Hardwood flooring is a great way to create timeless pizzazz to any room.