Genuine Wooden Flooring - Choosing The Right Wooden Flooring For Your Home

If you decide to get new wood floors in your house, it's best to obtain lots of details about the different kinds of hardwood floors you can buy. The truth is, picking out a wooden flooring isn't just about the finished appearance you are attempting to achieve; you also have to assess the type of care and maintenance it will need over time. There's two principal kinds of wood floors - engineered and real. Here is what you have to know about each of them to be able to choose what type you would like for your house.

Wood Composition
The biggest distinction between engineered and solid hardwood floors is in their composition. The panels in solid wooden flooring are made of just that - solid wood. Basically, a tree will be cut to create timber planks that will be finished, dried in a kiln and then used to lay your floor.

Engineered wood, however, is made up of a number of thin layers of wood (multi-ply) pressed and glued together to a certain thickness. They're then cut in order to produce flooring panels. Engineered wood flooring also features a top veneer of hard wood that gives it the appearance and feel of a solid wood floor.

It’s All In The Appearance
Because the two types of hardwood floors are very different in structure, they also have totally different aesthetic appeals. Solid hardwood floors have all the rustic charm of good old-fashioned timber. What you see is what you get; there aren't any layers underneath or facades on the top.

Conversely, engineered wood floors are made to replicate a certain type of wood. This means that you will get pretty convincing renditions of, for example, a solid oak wood floor or possibly a pine floor, using engineered wood floor boards. The true secret to these particular renditions lies in the upper most layer of the wooden panels - they include veneers of genuine timber. Engineered floors can be found in the plank, 2 strip and 3 strip designs to suit your needs. If you prefer a busier look, you could pick the 3 strip or 2 strip styles; should you wish to create visual space, choose the plank for its minimalistic look and feel.

How Does It Behave?
So precisely how do solid and engineered wood floors behave in comparison? Typically, solid wooden floors tend to be more liable to be impacted by adjustments in moisture and temperature as opposed to engineered versions. They have a tendency to expand and shrink quite a bit and are therefore difficult to pre-cut to a stable dimension.

Engineered floor boards, on the other hand, are comparatively much more stable. Their multi-ply, cross-laid backing makes them more dimensionally stable and less prone to changes in length and width. For this reason, engineered floors can be used in places where solid wood cannot be installed.

Ease Of Use
Both kinds of wooden floors are manufactured to withstand the test of the elements; both also have their limitations. Solid wood panels can resist moisture and staining; but as far as looks go, they are limited to the sort of tree they came from. In other words, you cannot make pine to look like oak and you cannot make oak to look like teak and so on.

Engineered wooden floors are treated to resist the elements; they are quite sturdy and tastefully finished with beveled edges. Moreover, they are designed for easy installation with the layperson in mind. Despite all these pros however, experts still maintain that in high traffic areas around the house, solid wooden flooring are incomparable. They are thick, sturdy and can stand up to wear, tear and sanding-down over time.

Cost Of Purchase And Installation
Over all, you will find that engineered hardwood floors are relatively cheaper to purchase and lay down in comparison to real hardwood floors. This is because engineered hardwood floors are designed to be easily installed; they are also manufactured using cost-effective techniques that make them more affordable for most buyers.

Which ever type of wood floors you decide to go for, make sure that you can provide it with the necessary care and upkeep to maintain its beauty for many years of use.