What is Engineered Wooden Flooring: Its Importance and Detailed Analysis
Engineered Oak Flooring
Engineered oak flooring has rapidly become the talk of the town, given its flexibility, style and durability. With so many qualities, it comes as no surprise that it has become an excellent replacement for solid oak flooring. Engineered oak flooring is well adept at replacing its counterpart since it looks like the real thing and also possesses some qualities which are not present in solid oak flooring.
If one is to talk about solid oak flooring, one would realize that it has no special qualities whatsoever. Basically, an oak tree is lumbered, graded and just cut into floor planks. It is hard to negate the fact that oak is a hard bearing variety of wood; it is found in abundance and is usually quite affordable at the same time. These are some of the major reasons why it is so popular in the market.
What is engineered oak flooring?
Let’s take a deeper look into the world of engineered oak flooring. Like other types of quality engineered wood, this product is also made from layers of ply, which are bonded together to form a strong, stable core board. This core board is further topped with solid oak, to form the finished product, often known as engineered oak flooring boards. The best feature of engineered oak flooring is that it is not affected by the changes in moisture and temperature. Due to this reason, it is a preferred choice of flooring in areas where there are massive environmental and temperature fluctuations. Unlike solid wood, engineered wood does not expand or contract, which makes it a perfect fit for such areas.
Why choose engineered oak flooring over solid oak flooring?
When it comes to dealing with style, temperature fluctuations and environmental changes, people prefer to go for engineered oak flooring. However, here are some more reasons why engineered oak flooring is a better option for people who are looking at renovating their homes and want to change the flooring.
- Imitates the real thing: Many a time people feel a little uncomfortable putting engineered wood flooring since they feel it might look artificial. However, the best fact about engineered flooring is that it looks exactly like the real thing, which leaves no scope for doubt about its look and feels. ?
- Fits anywhere you want: It’s not that engineered flooring can only be placed in the bathrooms, kitchens and areas with high-temperature fluctuations. It can be placed almost anywhere, especially if you want to give a clean, stylish look to your rooms. ?
- Suitable for underfloor heating: Most flooring experts usually avoid putting solid oak flooring over underfloor heating. Since solid oak flooring expands and contracts with heat changes, it becomes a hassle to replace the flooring again and again. This is where engineered oak flooring comes to the rescue since it is a well-fitted choice to fit over underfloor heating.
- Re-sand and re-finish the flooring as much as you want: Unlike solid oak flooring, there is an option to re-sand and re-finish the engineered oak flooring multiple times during its lifetime. However, it is best to check with the flooring expert on the total number of times you can perform these activities since even engineered oak flooring has a specified lifetime. ?
- The choice is never a problem: If you have decided to use engineered oak flooring, then you might want to explore a lot of options for yourself. This is the best solution with engineered oak flooring. It not only comes in different shapes, sizes and, but is also available in different types of grades and options. An ideal solution for people with good artistic taste. ?
- Does not burn a hole in your pocket: Other types of flooring options can often burn a hole in your pocket, simply with their prices and installation costs. Such is not the case with engineered oak flooring. As mentioned above, it is affordable, and will definitely fit your allocated budget for remodelling.
How do you choose between solid oak flooring and engineered oak flooring?
We all can be in situations wherein we might know what the best fit for our house is. This could mean that it becomes difficult to choose between solid oak flooring and engineered oak flooring. This does not have to be the case, especially if you are able to fit yourself into one of the situations below:
- What is your subfloor type?
The first thing about installing a new wooden floor is to know the moisture levels in the subfloor. In a normal scenario, the moisture content of the floors should not exceed 2-3%. If in doubt, and you want to be confident about the moisture levels, then you should take multiple readings across the entire floor to ascertain the moisture content. If the subfloor temperature is bordering, then it is best to use engineered oak flooring. Chances are that solid oak flooring will not survive the moisture content in the long run.
- Are you flooring a kitchen or a bathroom?
Since there are different types of rooms in the house, it is imperative to understand if you are flooring a kitchen or a bathroom in the house. If you are flooring any other room, apart from the kitchen and the bathroom, then you can even use solid oak flooring. If you are choosing a flooring board for your kitchen and bathroom, then the safest bet would be engineered oak flooring. Simply said, engineered oak flooring is more resistant to moisture and temperature fluctuations, which makes it an excellent choice for these types of rooms within the house.
- What kind of foot-fall do you have in the house?
High footfall will mean that you have a lot of guests and people coming over on a day to day basis. If you have a high traffic situation inside the house, then engineered flooring is a suitable option. If there is a lot of footfall on a day to day basis, there will be a lot of wear and tear of the upper layer of the wooden flooring, which would start to look bad after a certain period of time. If you are a homeowner, you don’t want your floors to look bad. Engineered oak flooring can be re-sanded and refinished multiple times before it’s finally time to bid them adieu. Such flooring types look as good as new once they are refurbished by an expert.
- Have a budget constraint?
We all look into our pockets, especially when house re-modelling is on the cards. If you are someone who is on a tight budget constraint and are looking for a suitable, yet effective solution for your home flooring, then engineered wooden oak flooring is the thing for you. This wooden variety is not only affordable but also comes in different grades, styles and colours, which makes it an excellent choice for people who want to invest in their home upgrade. Engineered flooring is an ideal choice for all the home connoisseurs out there.
Solid oak flooring might look to be a very good option for many homeowners. But the fact of the matter is that most of the times it turns out to be a less suitable option, given the area of installation, the costing, the style and the design. When engineered flooring type fits in on all these categories, why settle for solid oak flooring, with all its flaws.
