wood flooring advice

 

Plank Structure In Detail

Engineered Flooring

Unlike solid hardwood floors which are typically 10-20mm thick boards cut out of a tree as one unit, engineered hardwood floors are composed of several layers of wood bonded together using cross-grain lamination. The top layer, usually 3 – 6mm thick, is the part that is visible when the flooring is installed. This layer is bonded to the layered core, which may be constructed from the same wood specie or from hardwood/ply like Burch, or softwood species like Pine. The additional layers and the way they are connected dramatically increase the stability of the planks and reduce the natural tendency of hardwoods to expand, contract, warp, or cup due to changing room temperature or moisture in the air or sub-floor.

There are a several reasons engineered flooring provide a superior option to solid wood flooring. Engineered wood can be installed using the ‘floating’ installation method, reducing installation times and providing a simple acoustic solution. In most cases they are also adequate to be used over Underfloor Heating, due to their stability.


Solid Flooring

Solid hardwood floors are typically 18-20mm thick boards cut out of a tree as one unit, a tradition that has been around for generations. Solid hardwood flooring provides a unique look to ones home and depending on the selected specie and grade provides a natural characteristic and texture full environment.

Solid wood floors come in a wide variety of widths, helping you achieve the exact look you are after. It is available in narrow boards, wider boards and most sizes in between, and in some designs can be used in mixed widths to achieve a more natural and informal look. Solid wood floorings durability and longevity can supersede those of other flooring types and because of the thicker wear layer they can be sanded and refinished several times, providing a newer floor look every time. In additional as solid wood floors can, in most cases, be used as a structural floor and contributes to the overall structural strength of a property.

In addition to the large variety in widths, thickness and lengths, solid wood flooring is also available in a large variety of species. In addition to the classic hardwood variants such as white oak, red oak and maple, ash or walnut, there are a large number of exotic varieties such as Jatoba, Jarah, Ipe, Raintree, Mango, Teak and many more. It is important to note that some of the exotic species like Wenge or teak from certain parts of the world are endangered and should be avoided.