Is engineered flooring real wood?

1/23/2011

Yes, engineered flooring is made up of real wood veneers (generally3, 5 or 7 plys) . The graining of each layer runs in the opposite direction of the layer above and below it, thus acting as a check and balance system, keeping the wood from expanding or shrinking too far in one direction.

6 Comments

Max Ertem

1/24/2011 06:22:07 am

Solid hardwood is real wood, from top to bottom. Engineered wood, too, is real wood. It is a sandwich of 1/16" to 1/8" of finish wood on top and non-finish plywood underneath. So, what you're looking at is 100% genuine wood.

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5/30/2012 07:32:55 am

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8/23/2012 09:16:39 pm

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Reza Persian link

3/7/2013 11:51:32 am

First, it's important that you understand the difference between real wood flooring, be it engineered or solid, and plastic laminate flooring. It can be very confusing because prior the introduction of plastic laminate flooring into the U.S., a lot of flooring dealers referred to engineered wood flooring as a wood "laminate" flooring. First let me tell you about wood flooring. There are a few different types of wood flooring available to you. The first and perhaps the oldest in existence is the "solid wood floor". These floors are generally 3/4" thick and can be purchased raw or pre-finished. The other style of wood flooring which is actually now becoming much more popular is the "engineered wood floor". Engineered wood flooring is the type of floor that is most commonly confused with plastic laminate flooring. This is a wood floor which has a top wear layer, usually 1/8" thick on better products, and than has one or more layers or "plies". The top layer is generally made out of oak, maple, cherry, etc. These engineered wood floors are gaining in popularity because in a lot of applications they will be more stable than the solid wood floor, cost less than the solid wood floor, and can be refinished like a solid wood floor. Engineered wood floors are also able to be installed using methods not available with solid wood floors. They come in styles that can be glued down, free floated, or stapled.

Now we'll talk about what is now referred to as "laminate" flooring. These days when we say laminate flooring, we're talking about "plastic laminate" flooring. A lot of consumers don't even refer to it this way, they simply say "Pergo" flooring. The reason for this is that Pergo, a brand name, was one of the first to introduce their product in the U.S. We have a page dedicated to Pergo in our manufacturers' section. We've heard that as of about six months ago there are now close to one hundred different brands of laminate flooring on the market worldwide. The easiest way to describe laminate flooring would be to say that it is similar to your mica countertop only much stronger. The surface is actually a plastic type composition applied to the core using heat and pressure, the core is usually made of high density fiber or particle board, and the backing can be a paper or another layer of laminate. Plastic laminate floors are extremely durable however they cannot ever be refinished or recoated once they are scratched or worn. That is generally the main difference between plastic laminate floors and real wood floors. Another down side to the laminate flooring is that the pattern is printed and many of the boards, in some cases all of the boards are identical in appearance.
Okay, so now that you have a general idea of the differences in these types of flooring, let's discuss which is better for you. You need to evaluate your individual situation to make an educated decision. Let's see if I can help you make this determination. Listed below are a few questions you may want to ask yourself that will narrow down your choice.

What style house do I have and which floor will be better suited to that style? (I.E. Does the price level home you have warrant the expense of good quality real wood flooring?)

What are my long term goals with regard to a new floor? (Basically, how long do you plan on being in the house?)

Have I established a budget and if so, do I intend to exceed that budget?

What type of traffic do you have in the house and how much abuse will the floor have to endure?

Does resale value have any relevance in my decision? (Am I looking for a floor that will be an investment and increase the value of my home?)

Your answers to these questions will ultimately dictate your choice.

Allow me to give you some hypothetical situations that may pertain to your position.

Regarding question number 1, let's say that you paid $100,000. for your home and that's about the maximum priced home in the neighborhood. It really won't make much difference whether you go with real wood or the laminate. Unless you plan on being in the home beyond seven to ten years, you may want to consider staying with the laminate flooring. Chances are if you go through the expense of installing a good quality wood floor, you won't realize any type of gain when you sell the home. On the other hand, if you paid $200,000. or more for your home, and the houses in your neighborhood fluctuate in price depending on the upgrades, then the real wood flooring may be a benefit whether you're in the home for one year or ten years.

Regarding question number 2, whether your in a $100,000. home, or a $500,000. home, if you're planning on being in that home beyond seven to ten years, and don't want to replace the floors again for the duration of your stay, than there is no doubt that a good quality real wood floor would be the better choice. The main reason for this being that you will be able to resurface the real wood floor when it shows s

Real Wood Flooring link

3/20/2013 08:01:10 pm

Engineered wood is real wood. It is a layer of 1/16" to 1/8" of finish wood on top and non-finish plywood underneath. So, what you're looking at is 100% genuine wood. The top finish layer is pre-finished, which means that it's already sanded and sealed. As soon as the floor has been laid, you can walk on it.

Celina Anne Vang link

1/3/2014 09:57:22 pm

I thank you for this post. Real Wood Floors selects only the highest quality hardwoods to meet our unwavering standards.

Is engineered flooring real wood?

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