Solid hardwood is the preferred flooring choice for millions of American households. Besides the high material cost of some species of solid hardwood like Maple, the installation costs of a solid hardwood floor are also significant. Yet another limitation of a solid hardwood floor is that it is not suited for installation below grade i.e., below the ground level. Exposure to moisture sounds the alarm bells for a solid wood floor. Solid wood floors are also prone to expansion and contraction with changing humidity levels and are therefore dimensionally unstable. These disadvantages of a solid hardwood floor have prompted many people to opt for the engineered hardwood plank flooring.

What is engineered wood floor?

• Engineered wood has a base layer of cheap and moisture resistant wood.
• All woods expand when exposed to moisture. Engineered woods get around this problem by gluing together layers of wood with their grains oriented in opposite directions. The layers of wood in an engineered floor do expand, but in opposite directions and the net result is a dimensionally stable floor.
• The engineered wood floor also differs from the solid wood floor when it comes to the source of the wood layer on top. The solid wood plank is made by sawing thorough the wooden log. The top layer of an engineered floor on the contrary is prepared by slicing away the outer layer of a rotating log.
• Engineered floors typically range between ¼ inches to 9/16 inches in thickness, 2.25 inches to 7 inches in width and 12 to 60 inches in length. Longer planks up to 84 inches long are also available but are sometimes called long strip wood products.
• The life of and engineered wood floor is affected by the kind of finish applied to your floor. Penetrating metallic finishes like aluminum and titanium oxide improve the wear characteristics of a wood floor and extend its life.
• Engineered wood floors can be installed as a floating floor, a glue down or staple down floor depending on your requirements and the nature of engineered floor you would like to have installed.

Precautions when choosing an engineered floor

• Engineered wood floors are resistant to moisture damage but must always be installed over a vapor barrier.
• Engineered wood floors can be installed as part of a DIY project. The cost of an engineered floor is lower than that of the solid hardwood floor but it is still a significant investment. Many people choose to have their engineered wood floor professionally installed to benefit from the tricks of the trade possessed only by an experienced wood floor installation expert. Even if it is professionally installed the costs of installation of an engineered wood floor are significantly lower than the solid hardwood floor.
• An engineered wood floor can be refinished like a solid wood floor but the number of times it can be refinished is directly proportional to the thickness of the wear layer on top of the floor. If you want your engineered floor to last you a lifetime it is important to buy a floor with a thick wear layer on top.

The quality of an engineered wood floor depends on the quality of the wood constituting the base layer, the quality of the top most layer of expensive wood and the controls exercised in manufacturing. It is therefore important to choose an engineered wood floor from highly reputed sellers with a tradition of trust and customer service. Contempo Floor Coverings has been serving discerning customers in the Los Angeles are for more than three decades. At Contempo Floor Coverings you can choose from a wide selection of wood and other flooring materials from reputed and ethical manufacturers.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.