Solid or Engineered Flooring
Occasionally we get people who ask us; "am I better off buying solid or engineered wood flooring?"
Because of this, I have decided to add this section to our site. Listed above is a cross section of a
piece of both solid and engineered wood flooring. While engineered wood floors can vary in overall
thickness, the basic concept is the same. Look at the pictures and then read on.
Solid (Left) , Engineered (Right)
In looking at these pictures, what's your first reaction? Like a lot of people, you probably said to
yourself, "the solid wood must be better because it's twice as thick". Well, guess what, you're not
correct. Before I go into why, let me explain the black line drawn on an angle on the picture of the
solid wood. This represents where a nail would be driven into the floor during installation. Now
allow me to explain.
When comparing solid wood to engineered wood, we tend to think about resurfacing or
"refinishing" the floor years down the road. This of course is directly related to the longevity of the
flooring. Thinking about resurfacing the floor sometimes is the reason we may be misled into
believing that the solid floor is better or will absolutely last longer. This is not so. Let's refer back to
the pictures above. While there is no question that the solid wood floor is much thicker, take a look
at where the nail is. When doing your resurfacing, maybe on the second or third resurfacing about
60 to 80 years from now, you are going to run into (literally) one of two things. It will be the nails with
the solid wood floor, or the plywood core on the engineered floor. So, with that statement, now do
you believe that the solid wood will really last longer?
There are also other important factors to consider. A solid wood floor is usually less stable than an
engineered wood floor. When I say less stable, I am referring to moisture and expansion related to
that moisture. When you get climate changes in your home, which you absolutely will, wood
flooring expands and contracts. With solid wood flooring, it generally expands and contracts a lot
more than the engineered wood. Engineered wood flooring is constructed to be dimensionally
stable, while most solid wood floors are simply cut pieces of wood from a tree. Considering solid
wood floors are cut pieces of wood, there is a lot more room for error or "cabin grade" type wood to
be used. What we're saying here is that if you happen to see a solid wood floor real cheap, you are
probably getting exactly what you are paying for, junk. While the same holds true for engineered
wood floors, there is a lot less cabin grade around.
As we mentioned, the solid wood floors expand more than the engineered, and they expand
vertically as well as horizontally. While you get little to no vertical expansion with most engineered
wood floors, you may get a lot of this vertical expansion with the solid floors. Vertical expansion is
when the boards will actually grow up and shrink down in addition to the side to side or horizontal
expansion and contraction. The end result of this can be raised boards that sometimes catch your
shoes and become a trip hazard. When looking at wood flooring samples, you will notice that most
solid, pre-finished wood floors have beveled edges. These beveled edges counteract the raised
boards that can become trip hazards, and sort of act as a smoother for the joints. The down side to
this is the appearance. The beveled wood floors are not as natural looking. Also, when you get
horizontal contraction, when the boards may shrink slightly, unfortunately the bevel edges tend to
accentuate these gaps or basically make them look bigger. We have also heard complaints from
customers who have had this type of wood flooring, that the bevels seem to hold the dirt when
trying to clean the floor. This could be true depending on the depth of the bevel.
Summary
We are not saying that solid wood floors are bad or of lesser quality, but here are some facts you
should know when considering what to buy. Unless you spend serious money on a solid wood
floor, be it pre-finished or raw, you will most likely get a wood floor that will have characteristics as
we described above. In some cases, with certain species, you may have no choice because solid
wood is all that particular species is available in. But, if you are looking at Oak, Maple, Cherry,
Hickory, Pecan, Brazilian Cherry, or one of the other somewhat more popular species, you can
most likely find it in an engineered floor, and it will probably be a better value. Engineered wood
floors are available in styles that have different installation methods. They include floors that can be
installed using staple down, glue down, or free float methods.
Occasionally we get people who ask us; "am I better off buying solid or engineered wood flooring?"
Because of this, I have decided to add this section to our site. Listed above is a cross section of a
piece of both solid and engineered wood flooring. While engineered wood floors can vary in overall
thickness, the basic concept is the same. Look at the pictures and then read on.
Solid (Left) , Engineered (Right)
In looking at these pictures, what's your first reaction? Like a lot of people, you probably said to
yourself, "the solid wood must be better because it's twice as thick". Well, guess what, you're not
correct. Before I go into why, let me explain the black line drawn on an angle on the picture of the
solid wood. This represents where a nail would be driven into the floor during installation. Now
allow me to explain.
When comparing solid wood to engineered wood, we tend to think about resurfacing or
"refinishing" the floor years down the road. This of course is directly related to the longevity of the
flooring. Thinking about resurfacing the floor sometimes is the reason we may be misled into
believing that the solid floor is better or will absolutely last longer. This is not so. Let's refer back to
the pictures above. While there is no question that the solid wood floor is much thicker, take a look
at where the nail is. When doing your resurfacing, maybe on the second or third resurfacing about
60 to 80 years from now, you are going to run into (literally) one of two things. It will be the nails with
the solid wood floor, or the plywood core on the engineered floor. So, with that statement, now do
you believe that the solid wood will really last longer?
There are also other important factors to consider. A solid wood floor is usually less stable than an
engineered wood floor. When I say less stable, I am referring to moisture and expansion related to
that moisture. When you get climate changes in your home, which you absolutely will, wood
flooring expands and contracts. With solid wood flooring, it generally expands and contracts a lot
more than the engineered wood. Engineered wood flooring is constructed to be dimensionally
stable, while most solid wood floors are simply cut pieces of wood from a tree. Considering solid
wood floors are cut pieces of wood, there is a lot more room for error or "cabin grade" type wood to
be used. What we're saying here is that if you happen to see a solid wood floor real cheap, you are
probably getting exactly what you are paying for, junk. While the same holds true for engineered
wood floors, there is a lot less cabin grade around.
As we mentioned, the solid wood floors expand more than the engineered, and they expand
vertically as well as horizontally. While you get little to no vertical expansion with most engineered
wood floors, you may get a lot of this vertical expansion with the solid floors. Vertical expansion is
when the boards will actually grow up and shrink down in addition to the side to side or horizontal
expansion and contraction. The end result of this can be raised boards that sometimes catch your
shoes and become a trip hazard. When looking at wood flooring samples, you will notice that most
solid, pre-finished wood floors have beveled edges. These beveled edges counteract the raised
boards that can become trip hazards, and sort of act as a smoother for the joints. The down side to
this is the appearance. The beveled wood floors are not as natural looking. Also, when you get
horizontal contraction, when the boards may shrink slightly, unfortunately the bevel edges tend to
accentuate these gaps or basically make them look bigger. We have also heard complaints from
customers who have had this type of wood flooring, that the bevels seem to hold the dirt when
trying to clean the floor. This could be true depending on the depth of the bevel.
Summary
We are not saying that solid wood floors are bad or of lesser quality, but here are some facts you
should know when considering what to buy. Unless you spend serious money on a solid wood
floor, be it pre-finished or raw, you will most likely get a wood floor that will have characteristics as
we described above. In some cases, with certain species, you may have no choice because solid
wood is all that particular species is available in. But, if you are looking at Oak, Maple, Cherry,
Hickory, Pecan, Brazilian Cherry, or one of the other somewhat more popular species, you can
most likely find it in an engineered floor, and it will probably be a better value. Engineered wood
floors are available in styles that have different installation methods. They include floors that can be
installed using staple down, glue down, or free float methods.
| Solid |
| Engineered |
* Sweep or vacuum floor bi-weekly to prevent sand or abrasive dust from building up and scratching the
finish. Use a brush type broom or dust mop when sweeping by hand, or a brush or felt type of vacuum. Do
not use a vacuum with a beater bar head, and make sure the wheels are clean and free of grit, sand or
other abrasive material.
* Place doormats and rugs outside and inside every entrance to the house. This will reduce the amount of
sand and abrasive dust that is brought inside the house/building. Also consider the use of runners and
area rugs in excessive traffic areas and pivot points of stair landings and room entrances.
* Place a rug in front of the kitchen sink, wet bars, dishwashers, and other work areas to prevent damage
from spilled fluids and dropped items.
* Remove all spills promptly using a soft cloth as water from spills can cause damage to any wood floor.
* Never wet mop, damp mop or flood your floor with water or other products. Excess water will cause
cupping, swelling and subsequent gapping. Standing fluids can also dull the finish, damage the wood,
leave a discoloring residue, and void the warrantee.
* Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors, as they will dull the finish and cause the
floor to be slippery.
* Do not use cleaners that contain pine soap, lemon oil, oil soap, chlorine bleach, silicon, ammonia, or any
abrasive cleaners. They might scratch the surface, react with the floor’s finish, and negatively affect the
long-term performance of your floor. Use of non-approved cleaners will also void the warrantee.
* Take care to protect the floor by placing protective pads beneath furniture legs and feet. Use dollies,
thick fabric pads, or carpet scraps soft side down when moving heavy objects such as furniture and
appliances.
* Keep pets’ nails trimmed and paws clean of dirt, debris and oils as they may affect the condition of the
floor.
* Avoid walking on wood floors with cleats, sport shoes, and high spiked heels. You should also avoid
wearing damaged and worn shoes containing metal in their structure, as there is a high risk of scratching
and denting.
* Hardwood is a natural product and as such will expand and contract with changes of relative humidity.
Excessive shrinkage and/or swelling can result in the cracking, cupping, and gapping of the floor. It is
recommended to keep relative humidity levels between 35% and 55% year round. This can be accomplished
by using a dehumidifier/humidifier and/or air conditioning.
* As a wood floor ages, it will change color and gain its final character. Natural and UV rays will accelerate
this aging process, and warranties do not cover damage related to light exposure. To avoid problems and
uneven aging due to light exposure, make sure to rearrange rugs, furniture and other objects periodically
so the floor ages evenly over time.
finish. Use a brush type broom or dust mop when sweeping by hand, or a brush or felt type of vacuum. Do
not use a vacuum with a beater bar head, and make sure the wheels are clean and free of grit, sand or
other abrasive material.
* Place doormats and rugs outside and inside every entrance to the house. This will reduce the amount of
sand and abrasive dust that is brought inside the house/building. Also consider the use of runners and
area rugs in excessive traffic areas and pivot points of stair landings and room entrances.
* Place a rug in front of the kitchen sink, wet bars, dishwashers, and other work areas to prevent damage
from spilled fluids and dropped items.
* Remove all spills promptly using a soft cloth as water from spills can cause damage to any wood floor.
* Never wet mop, damp mop or flood your floor with water or other products. Excess water will cause
cupping, swelling and subsequent gapping. Standing fluids can also dull the finish, damage the wood,
leave a discoloring residue, and void the warrantee.
* Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors, as they will dull the finish and cause the
floor to be slippery.
* Do not use cleaners that contain pine soap, lemon oil, oil soap, chlorine bleach, silicon, ammonia, or any
abrasive cleaners. They might scratch the surface, react with the floor’s finish, and negatively affect the
long-term performance of your floor. Use of non-approved cleaners will also void the warrantee.
* Take care to protect the floor by placing protective pads beneath furniture legs and feet. Use dollies,
thick fabric pads, or carpet scraps soft side down when moving heavy objects such as furniture and
appliances.
* Keep pets’ nails trimmed and paws clean of dirt, debris and oils as they may affect the condition of the
floor.
* Avoid walking on wood floors with cleats, sport shoes, and high spiked heels. You should also avoid
wearing damaged and worn shoes containing metal in their structure, as there is a high risk of scratching
and denting.
* Hardwood is a natural product and as such will expand and contract with changes of relative humidity.
Excessive shrinkage and/or swelling can result in the cracking, cupping, and gapping of the floor. It is
recommended to keep relative humidity levels between 35% and 55% year round. This can be accomplished
by using a dehumidifier/humidifier and/or air conditioning.
* As a wood floor ages, it will change color and gain its final character. Natural and UV rays will accelerate
this aging process, and warranties do not cover damage related to light exposure. To avoid problems and
uneven aging due to light exposure, make sure to rearrange rugs, furniture and other objects periodically
so the floor ages evenly over time.
| General Care and Maintenance Guidelines |
