Contents
- 1 Cordalera Lakes Colletion – Engineered Hardwood Flooring
- 2 Naturale Elegance Engineered Hardwood Flooring
- 3 Wickham Engineered Hardwood Flooring
- 3.1 How Engineered Hardwood Flooring is Made
- 3.2 Engineered Hardwood Flooring FAQ’s
- 3.2.1 Is engineered hardwood as durable as hardwood?
- 3.2.2 What are the pro’s of engineered hardwood flooring?
- 3.2.3 What are the disadvantages of engineered wood?
- 3.2.4 Which is better hardwood or engineered hardwood?
- 3.2.5 Does Engineered Hardwood Scratch Easily?
- 3.2.6 Is Engineered Hardwood More Expensive Than Solid Hardwood?
- 3.2.7 Is Engineered Hardwood the Same as Laminate?
- 3.2.8 How Long Will an Engineered Wood Floor Last?
- 3.2.9 How Thick Is Engineered Wood Flooring?
- 3.2.10 What are the advantages of engineered hardwood flooring?
- 3.2.11 What is engineered hardwood flooring?
- 3.2.12 Is solid or engineered hardwood better?
- 3.3 Different Installation Methods of Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Rustic Floor Supply offers engineered hardwood flooring at our Atlanta, Georgia location. Engineered hardwood is an excellent flooring option for areas that are situated below ground level, such as basements, as it can effectively withstand higher levels of moisture. This type of flooring comprises a thin layer of hardwood on top of a multilayer base, which imparts added stability and reduces the risk of warping or expansion caused by changes in moisture levels. Compared to solid hardwood, engineered hardwood is more suitable for use in damp or humid environments.
Engineered hardwood is prized for its resistance to movement resulting from fluctuations in moisture levels, a characteristic that sets it apart from other flooring types. This stability is achieved through its composition, consisting of a thin hardwood layer atop a multi-layer base. Engineered hardwood also boasts a diverse range of available colors, making it a versatile choice that complements various home decor styles. Manufacturers offer an extensive selection of colors, ensuring there is an option to suit every individual’s taste and preferences.
Apart from its wide range of color options, engineered hardwood provides various texture choices that are challenging for solid hardwood to replicate. These textures include wire brushing, circle-sawn texture, distressing, and more. The versatility of engineered hardwood offers limitless possibilities when it comes to colors, textures, and finishes, making it a versatile choice for various projects.
Engineered and solid prefinished hardwood are highly favored by homeowners in Atlanta, Georgia, as they eliminate the need for messy and time-consuming processes like sanding, staining, and finishing after installation. Engineered hardwood is ready to use immediately after installation, saving homeowners valuable time and effort. The installation process for engineered hardwood is often quicker than that of solid hardwood, enabling homeowners to enjoy their new floor promptly. These advantages make engineered and solid prefinished hardwood a convenient and hassle-free choice for many homeowners in Atlanta, Georgia.
Naturale Elegance is a brand celebrated for its remarkable fusion of performance, aesthetics, and simplicity. The company offers a diverse selection of engineered hardwood flooring options designed to cater to the requirements of a wide range of customers. Naturale Elegance prioritizes crafting products that resonate with both consumers and contractors, and its engineered hardwood flooring exemplifies this commitment. It delivers outstanding quality while remaining budget-friendly, making it a popular choice among consumers. The brand’s unwavering dedication to producing high-quality products that seamlessly combine practicality with style has been instrumental in establishing its reputation in the flooring industry.
Naturale Elegance places a strong emphasis on environmentally conscious practices, including responsible tree harvesting methods employed in crafting its engineered hardwood flooring. This approach helps prevent over-harvesting and promotes sustainable forestry practices. Furthermore, the veneer finishes utilized are water-based, resulting in reduced emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the manufacturing process. These practices underscore Naturale Elegance’s commitment to environmental protection and the promotion of a sustainable future for generations to come.
Roosevelt
Shenandoah
Rainer
Olympic
Kings Canyon
Katmai
Great Basin
Everglades
Cascades
Viso
Marmora
Roen
Etna
Amiata
Piana
Cristallo
Somma
Broadleaf
Elown
Adair
Hazel
Hollis
Ilana
Ivy
Linden
Willow
Wickham Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Wickham presents an impressive line of high-quality engineered hardwood flooring, boasting an extensive array of color choices tailored to cater to a diverse range of tastes and preferences. The company offers engineered hardwood available in thicknesses of 1/2″ and 3/4″ with a substantial 4mm wear layer. These floors are meticulously crafted from domestic woods sourced within North America, which translates to a flooring option that exhibits lower volatility compared to exotic species. This inherent stability contributes to the durability and reliability of the product.
While Wickham may not match the extensive color palette offered by Urban Floor or Naturale Elegance, the brand excels in delivering premium quality at an accessible price point. Wickham’s engineered hardwood flooring primarily features 5″ planks, but it compensates with a captivating selection of natural domestic wood options, ensuring a high-quality finish that appeals to homeowners and contractors alike.
Hickory Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Hickory Natural
Hickory Antique
Hickory Black Rock
Hickory Charcoal
Hickory Cherry
Hickory Cinnamon
Hickory Classic
Hickory Coffee
Hickory Creme
Hickory Cuivre
Hickory Edison
Hickory Golden
Hickory Graphite
Hickory Haze
Hickory Moka
Hickory Montebello
Hickory Nevada
Hickory Pearl
Hickory Polar
Hickory Pyramid
Hickory Savana
Hickory Sierra
Hickory Grey
Hickory Vine
Hickory Western
Hickory Wheat
Maple Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Maple Natural
Maple Antique
Maple Barewood
Maple Beach
Maple Charcoal
Maple Cherry
Maple Cinnamon
Maple Classic
Maple Copper
Maple Edison
Maple Forest Hills
Maple Golden
Maple Graphite
Maple Haze
Maple Moka
Maple Montebello
Maple Nevada
Maple Pearl
Maple Polar
Maple Prarie
Maple Pyramid
Maple Sandbank
Maple Stone
Maple Grey
Maple Vine
Maple Walnut
Maple Western
Maple Wheat
Red Oak Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Red Oak Natural
Red Oak Antique
Red Oak Barewood
Red Oak Black Rock
Red Oak Charcoal
Red Oak Cherry
Red Oak Cinnamon
Red Oak Classic
Red Oak Coffee
Red Oak Copper
Red Oak Cream
Red Oak Edison
Red Oak Golden
Red Oak Grpahite
Red Oak Haze
Red Oak Moka
Red Oak Montebello
Red Oak Nevada
Red Oak Pearl
Red Oak Polar
Red Oak Pyramid
Red Oak Savana
Red Oak Sierra
Red Oak Stone
Red Oak Grey
Red Oak Vine
Red Oak Walnut
Red Oak Western
Red Oak Wheat
White Oak Engineered Hardwood Flooring
White Oak Natural
White Oak Barewood
White Oak Elegance
White Oak Taupe
White Oak Forest Hill
How Engineered Hardwood Flooring is Made
Engineered hardwood flooring boasts a layered construction designed for enhanced stability and resilience. This construction typically includes three, five, or seven layers forming the core. These layers comprise plywood or other engineered wood products strategically stacked in different orientations, reducing susceptibility to expansion and contraction due to the inherent movement of wood. This design is particularly effective in addressing changes in humidity, maintaining the floor’s integrity.
The topmost layer, known as the veneer, is a thin sheet of wood, usually measuring between 1mm and 4mm in thickness. It’s crafted from a variety of wood species like red oak, white oak, hickory, maple, or ash. The veneer undergoes staining and finishing processes, tailored to meet the specifications of each unique product line. This veneer is notably less prone to movement compared to solid hardwood flooring, making engineered hardwood an excellent choice for environments with significant humidity fluctuations.
To create engineered hardwood flooring, the veneer and core are securely bonded together. The entire structure is then sealed with a finish coating, which varies according to the type of engineered hardwood and the manufacturer’s specifications. This final layer plays a crucial role in determining the floor’s aesthetics, protection, and overall performance.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring FAQ’s
Yes and no. Engineered hardwood is wood, so, it is as durable as solid hardwood. However, you are unlikely to be able to refinish it so you need to be sure to maintain the floor and buff & coat if possible every few years to ensure your investment lasts a long time.
While there are disadvantages to engineered flooring, there are advantages as well.
- Colors – You will notice that engineered flooring has more color options than maybe you are used to. Not that site finish on solid hardwood flooring you can’t get these colors – it is usually hard and can be time-consuming. Most engineered flooring has multi-layered colors that are not easily reproducible with stains.
- No sanding – While sanding does take an extra day or 2 engineered flooring allows for anyone to install and be done after installation
- Cheaper price points – While cheaper isn’t always better, not everyone has money for solid hardwood. However, cheaper usually has more issues so be careful which cheap option you choose.
Coming from an industry professional, below are real disadvantages of engineered hardwood flooring that traditional flooring stores will not tell you or warn you about prior to buying flooring. Remember, we sell every flooring – we just make sure to fully educate our client’s customers to the fullest for the most informed decision before spending thousands to only find out the choice was wrong for them.
- Unable to refinish – most engineered flooring has small wear layers, hand scraping, or something else that does not allow for resanding. ONLY 4mm with no distressing can really be truly refinished 1-2 times.
- Delamination – these products use many layers of wood to create their product. You need to understand this is not one solid piece of wood and glue can and will fail.
- Different cuts expand and contract differently – Different manufacturers to get certain price points will use cheap wood that produces issues when it gets cold or heats up.
- More noise – You are putting many layers down that are thin. The nail that goes through these materials usually does not set correctly, why we recommend a glue assist. These nails will produce noise if not set correctly. Pops are within spec.
I mean, this one is impossible to truly answer. However, Ideally, even if you do not believe it solid hardwood is probably better overall. That does not mean that engineered flooring is not ideal for certain applications or homes. Solid hardwood is longer lasting since you are able to refinish it. Engineered is possibly better for you if you desire a very specific color, the flooring is going below grade and your timeline is very slim.
Engineered hardwood typically lasts between 20 and 30 years.
Because they do have a top layer of hardwood, like solid hardwood, they are susceptible to scratches.
If scratch resistance is important to you, look for engineered hardwood floors with a scratch-resistant top coat. Small scratches on engineered hardwood can be repaired a wax repair kit or a cotton cloth and some rubbing alcohol.
Since the popularity of engineered hardwood has grown, solid hardwood is generally on par with most higher end engineered floors. Cheaper floors like 3/8″ flooring will still be cheaper.
While engineered hardwood may look similar to laminate flooring, they are not the same.
Engineered hardwood contains a top layer of solid wood, while laminate flooring has a photographic layer coated with a wear-layer that appears to look like a wood surface.
In addition, laminate flooring is usually thinner than engineered hardwood.
This question really depends on a lot of factors. First and foremost, if you have mapjor water damage the floor is ruined. Usually engineered floors are unable to be sanded since ther eis distressing, bevels and other things making sanding impossible. If you have no major damage a floor should last 20-30 years if maintained and you buff and coat the floor. A solid hardwood floor will last much longer.
Engineered flooring is typically between 3/8” to 3/4” thick, whereas solid hardwood is 1/2” to 3/4“ thick.
When compared to other flooring options, engineered hardwood floors offer the following advantages:
- Affordability: Engineered hardwood flooring falls on the lower end of the wood flooring price scale, typically ranging from $4–$10 per square foot depending on thickness and species.
- Moisture-resistant: Although standard engineered hardwood isn’t waterproof, it does boast excellent water resistance, making it a better choice for moist environments such as kitchens and bathrooms.
- Easy to maintain: Engineered wood floors simply need regular sweeping or gentle vacuuming to maintain, and may occasionally be mopped with a wet mop and neutral cleaner to restore shine to their surface.
- Quick installation: The click-and-lock system offered by engineered wood flooring allows for a quick and easy installation.
Engineered hardwood flooring looks almost identical to solid wood, but the way it is manufactured offers premium durability at an affordable price. Instead of a single wood plank, engineered wood flooring is made of a high-quality plywood core with a thinner layer of wood on top. This allows engineered hardwood to display the beauty of its species while leveraging the cost-effectiveness and added strength brought by its design.
Whether engineered or solid hardwood flooring is the better option for your home is dependent upon several factors. Engineered hardwood flooring is better for moist environments than solid hardwood, making it the best option for kitchens, bathrooms, mudrooms, and basements. Because of engineered hardwood’s improved water resistance, it also offers simpler maintenance than solid wood flooring, as you can use a wet mop to clean its surface. However, engineered hardwood floors cannot be restained over time, meaning solid wood has a longer lifespan. That being said, engineered hardwood is best suited for homes where durability is of primary concern, such as those with small children and animals, or in high-traffic areas such as kitchens or basements.
Different Installation Methods of Engineered Hardwood Flooring
**Please consult the guide for your certain floor to ensure which methods are allowed for that brand of engineered hardwood flooring.
There are various methods available for the installation of engineered hardwood flooring, each with its own advantages and considerations:
- Floating: This method involves placing the floor down and securing the tongue to the groove with tongue and groove glue. It is a popular choice for DIY homeowners but may not be the most secure option compared to other methods. It’s important to note that not all widths, thicknesses, and brands of engineered hardwood are compatible with this method.
- Nail Down: In this approach, nails are used to fasten the floor to the subfloor. The nail is driven flush with the tongue of each plank. It’s essential to set the air pressure correctly when using this method, as excessive pressure can lead to cracks and squeaks. Typically, this method is suitable for 3/4″ thick floors with planks up to 4″ wide. Extra care should be taken for wider planks or thinner floors to prevent noise issues and potential long-term problems.
- Nail & Glue Assist: Considered one of the most ideal installation methods for engineered hardwood flooring, this approach combines nails and glue for added stability. Nails hold the floor in place while glue reduces noise issues in case a nail is not set correctly. An S-pattern or strips of glue applied with a sausage gun provide extra stability, and nails are added according to guidelines provided by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).
- Full Glue Down: The Glue Down method entails applying adhesive to the subfloor and placing the flooring on top. It is suitable for a variety of subfloors, including concrete, plywood, or OSB. However, it’s important to note that if the flooring is removed from a plywood or OSB subfloor, the subfloor may be damaged and require costly repairs.
Each of these installation methods has its unique characteristics, and the choice depends on factors such as the type of subfloor, the width and thickness of the planks, and the specific requirements of the project. It’s advisable to follow manufacturer guidelines and consult with a professional installer to ensure the best method is chosen for your particular installation.
