Characteristics of a Quality Engineered Hardwood Floor
If you are in the market for wood flooring, you have a lot of options to choose from. Solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring are two very common profiles. Engineered wood flooring sometimes gets a bad reputation because of stereotypes surrounding it. However, every manufacturer produces their engineered wood flooring differently. We are here to help you identify the characteristics of a quality engineered wood floor.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOLID AND ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING
First, let us explain the difference between solid and engineered wood flooring. Solid wood flooring is consistent wood the full way through while engineered wood flooring is a veneer layer of the solid wood bonded to a plywood base. Do not confuse engineered wood flooring with laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is an image of wood fused to fiberboard wood.
TRUE ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING IS 100% REAL WOOD
Some argue that engineered wood flooring is not “real wood”, but true engineered wood flooring is 100% wood - both in the veneer layer and plywood core.
THICKNESS OF WEAR LAYER AND PLYWOOD CORE
At Olde Wood Ltd., our solid wood veneer layer, also known as a wear layer, is a 4mm layer of solid wood adhered to an 8-layer plywood core of Russian Baltic Birch, which is viewed as the best plywood in the industry. Other engineered flooring manufacturers may only have a wear layer of 1 – 2 mm and a plywood core of 3 – 4 layers.
ULTRA-LOW-EMITTING ADHESIVE
Another way engineered flooring can differ is in the adhesive material used to bond it together. Formaldehyde, a colorless, strong-smelling chemical, is often used because it is inexpensive. However, the EPA recognizes it can be harmful to one’s health if it emits too much resin. This issue has appeared in the media quite frequently since 2014 when a lawsuit filed against Lumber Liquidators for their use of high-emitting formaldehyde in their laminate flooring brought awareness to this factor.
We manufacture our engineered wood flooring using an ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde resin. We pride ourselves on using a high-quality adhesive that follows the California Code of Regulations. This adhesive has been tested routinely to ensure it won’t emit harmful or dangerous chemicals.
Engineered wood flooring can be the perfect solution for your next building project. It offers fewer restrictions than solid wood flooring, as it can be installed on any grade level, it isn't as susceptible to changes in climate, and it can be installed over a concrete subfloor or radiant heat. Most of our wide plank flooring products collections can come in an engineered profile, include our reclaimed flooring. To learn more about these products, give us a call at 866-208-9663 and one of our Design Specialists would be happy to talk with you about them!