Solid Wood Flooring and Engineered Wood flooring—The Difference

Solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring are two of the most popular flooring options among homeowners. Although both fall under the category of the wooden floor, there are some significant differences between the two.

Wooden floors provide a beautiful warm vibe to your house. Hardwood flooring is a solid plank of wood with homogenous thickness. It can be made of various wood species like oak, mahogany, pine, maple, etc.

Engineered wood flooring, on the other hand, is a relatively thin wooden plank bonded on a highly durable substrate plank. The primary difference between the two types of wooden floors lies in their composition. While one is a narrow plank with tight seams between the boards. The other one is ‘engineered’ over plywood. The planks for engineered wood is much broader though.

The colour and texture variant in wood flooring differs with the species. For instance, solid oak wooden flooring generally gives a warm texture and are widely available.

Nowadays, with advancements in technology and the fact that engineered wood is a ‘wooden’ floor, it does offer variants in colour gradation and texture.

Engineered wood is best described as an affordable imitation of solid wood. The planks are very handy to use and with little experience, one can easily DIY the installation process. This is why it is so popular among people with a limited budget. However, solid wood, although expensive is an investment. It has a better resale value than engineered wood. Once installed and taken care of properly, wood flooring can have a lifespan of over 80 to 100 years, depending on its quality.

Both the floors have good durability against daily foot traffic or spilling. But solid wood floors can warp or swell with water damage.

To have a better idea about the differences between these flooring types, check out the infographic below. You can also visit Floorsave to see the samples for yourself.