What Is Engineered Hardwood Made up of?
In the 21st century marketplace, there are numerous options for hardwood or hardwood-like flooring. Engineered hardwood is a fairly new method of constructing floors that provides most of the benefits of classic hardwood but is less susceptible to the damage often suffered by the more traditional variety. They are also easier to install and work with than radiant heating systems. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Basic Design
-
Engineered hardwood flooring is not necessarily constructed entirely of hardwood. Several thin sheets of wood are adhered together to make engineered hardwood planks, and the bottom layers are often of a less expensive variety than the top layer, which is the only one actually seen. That top layer, then, is finished with veneer sheets, making the floor attractive and durable.
Cross-Ply Construction
-
Layering several thin sheets of wood to construct a floor plank, as opposed to creating a plank out of a solid piece of hardwood -- as in traditional hardwood floors -- offers several advantages. One of these is the ability to layer the sheets in opposing directions. This cross-ply construction limits the amount any plank can swell or contract with normal environmental humidity fluctuations. Wood naturally expands width-wise with moisture, so as one thin sheet swells or contracts, its neighbors will naturally counteract that action because they face the opposite direction, which reduces damage such as cracking, warping, gaping and cupping often experienced with solid hardwood planks.
-
Options
-
Engineered hardwood comes in a variety of sizes; plank thickness generally ranges from 1/4 to 9/16 inch, width from 2 1/4 to 7 inches and length from 12 to 60 inches, which is opposed to traditional hardwood floors, which are 3/4-inch thick and 2 1/4 inches wide. Engineered hardwood is also knife cut, as opposed to saw cut, which allows large swaths of hardwood to be cut into smaller planks and for more design customization. Clients can specify almost any type of pattern, from zigzag to long and skinny and colors ranging from beech to dark cherry.
Installation
-
Because engineered hardwood floors are so much more resistant to moisture than solid hardwood planks, they can be installed over concrete subfloors, given a moisture barrier is installed first, and are a good choice for radiant heating systems. They can also be installed using nails, staples, glues or floating techniques, which "float" a floor as one piece over an area and secure it at the edges, versus fastening it down at regular intervals throughout a room. While traditional hardwood can be used with radiant heat given the proper precautions, they are typically nailed down and cannot be installed over concrete, in basements or in areas that experience high levels of moisture.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
