What if you had the option of installing an alternative to wood floors that look and feel just as good as the real deal?
What if you could get this without any of the expensive cost and maintenance that would no doubt come with installing real wood in your home?
Did you know that you could do all of the above with engineered wood flooring?
If you think about it, engineered wood floors seem like the smarter choice. Or, at least, you’ll certainly think it’s the smarter choice once you go through the following list of why even the experts would recommend wood floors that have been engineered over the real deal:
There’s not much of a difference between real and engineered
If you’re worried that your engineered wood floors might look like a cheap knock-off trying to pass as the real deal, you can put those worries to bed. You’ll find that in reality, there isn’t much of a difference between solid wood and engineered wood after all.
One difference between the two would be the thickness measurement. Solid wood ranges between 18 to 22 millimeters in thickness on average. Engineered wood floors, on the other hand, are a lot thinner.
In fact, engineered wood floors are constructed of thin-cut solid wood that has been compressed between plywood or softwood. The thickness of the engineered wood floors ranges between 15, 18, and 21 millimeters.
There’s only going to be about 3.5 millimeters of solid wood sandwiched between a 15-millimeter engineered wood floor. The thickness of the solid wood part is something you want to pay attention to since it correlates directly with the number of times your floor can be refinished and sanded down.
A 15-millimeter engineered wood floor, for example, could only be sanded once in its lifetime, perhaps. A 21-millimeter engineered wood floor, on the other hand, can be sanded anywhere between three to four times, comparable to some of the best solid wood flooring you’ll find on the market.
It’s not as expensive as you might think
Who wouldn’t want to save a couple of hundred dollars on their renovation bill if they could?
Home renovations, although sometimes a necessity, aren’t the cheapest project to undertake. That’s why when there’s a quality product on the market for a much lower price tag without compromising on quality, it shouldn’t be overlooked.
Now, as far as engineered wood floors go, prices can be driven by several factors. For example, wider boards are going to be a little bit more expensive than narrower boards.
Thicker boards are typically slightly more expensive than the thinner ones, too. The engineering process of the wood is also going to influence its price point. The source you’re purchasing your flooring from will influence its final price tag.
You can expect, as with everything else, that the more well-established brands are going to sit on the more expensive range.
A guarantee isn’t a guarantee per se
While many engineered wood floor sellers might offer some guarantee, at the end of the day, the wood is still a natural product. The way you look after your floors will have a big influence on how long your floors remain in their original form.
Any guarantee that the seller offers is most likely not going to cover daily wear and tear, like inevitable scratching, for instance. You could consider putting carpet or felt pads beneath your furniture to protect your floors for longer.
Ideally, you want to avoid dragging heavy items around, too, since you run the risk of leaving a scuff mark or scratch every time you do.
They come in a choice of lacquered or oiled
With the engineered wood floor variety, you have the option of going with either lacquered or oiled. Choosing to go with the oil finish option would give your floors a natural look that’s absolutely beautiful.
The downside is, the oil options make the floor more susceptible to spills and stains. Lacquered-finish floors are a lot more resistant to stains and spills, and the color will last much longer.
However, the drawback with this option is that if you were to scratch the floor, the entire floor would have to be re-lacquered or sanded.
It’s possible to use in bathrooms, too
As long as you clean up your spills and water-prone accidents right away, there’s no reason why engineered wood floors can’t be used in the bathroom.
Of course, you’ll need to maintain the wood with the proper cleaning products and maintenance care, but otherwise, engineered wood floors are good to go in bathrooms as long as you have a lot of ventilation and some good quality bath mats to prevent water from sitting on the floor for hours.
If you do want to install this type of flooring in your bathroom, your best bet would be to go with the type of floors that come with a sealed board, instead of one that’s hard wax or natural oiled.
No type of wood floor, solid wood or engineered, is ever going to hold up well in any area that has excessive moisture, condensation, or heat. Tiles or vinyl are still a better bet for bathroom areas, but if you have your heart set on engineered wood for your bathroom setup, just be sure to look after your floors properly.
The bathrooms will need more care than the other areas of your home, simply because of the excess moisture factor.
Engineered wood floors are the number one choice of today’s home renovations. The best results will always come from choosing a professional fitter to get the job done for you.
Laying the wood perfectly on your floor can be a lot tricker than you bargained for once you actually start doing it, especially if you’ve never done something like this before. Go with the experts. You’ll be much happier in the long run.
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