Solid or Engineered Wood Flooring - What's the difference?

If you're considering installing a wooden floor in your home, it's easy to get confused about which type of wooden flooring, solid wood or engineered wood, would be most suitable.

To help you out, we put together a few points to consider when choosing a solid or engineered floor.

Pros of Engineered flooring

• Engineered floor boards tend to be more dimensionally stable than solid ones as the substrate, which is usually plywood, resists movement and keeps the top layer of solid wood flat.
• The increased stability of the board can make them easier to lay as the boards usually fit together more easily.
• Wider boards can be achieved than with solid timber as wide planks of solid timber have a tendency to ‘cup’, i.e. curl up at the edges.
• Engineered flooring tends to have fewer knots, as perceived defects in the thin layer of solid timber would be rejected during manufacture.
• Engineered boards can have a click system added to replace the standard tongue and groove, removing the need for glue and reducing laying time.
• Sometimes regarded as kinder to the environment as less solid Oak needed.

Pros of Solid flooring

• Often cheaper than engineered as fewer processes involved during manufacture.
• Usually has more character as larger defects are present, such as knots, sapwood, pith etc. creating more interesting looking boards.
• Can be sanded over and over again if damaged or if re-finishing is required. 

So there are a few hints and tips and we hope we've helped you make up your mind on the best type of wood flooring is suitable for your home.

Of course we have a wide range of solid and engineered wood flooring available in store, along with all the fitting and finishing accessories you need to create a beautiful wood floor in your home. You can check out our full ranges here.