When it comes to flooring, wooden floors remain a strong choice and it’s no surprise really given the beautiful warmth they bring to any space.

Solid wood floors have been used for centuries but the market has now seen the rise of engineered wood so which one is best suited to your project, yourself and lifestyle though?

Solid Wood

As its name suggests, solid wood is made of a solid piece of hardwood.

Pros:

• Luxurious and warm feel

• Long life expectancy

• Various varieties of wood and finishes available, as well as unfinished to match other woods or stains

• Option to sand and refinish a number of times to address the wear and tear or to change the colour and / or finish

Cons:

• Living product, timber is constantly in a state of expansion and contraction and will therefore move

• Not suitable for underfloor heating

• Not suitable for wet rooms as absorbs water and expands

• Installation to be done by a professional as it has to be nailed to the subfloor, which needs to be even

• Oiled or lacquered finishes require maintenance, you will need to reapply an oil or a lacquer to protect the wood

• Sustainability issue, requires slow growing wood species

Engineered Wood

Unlike laminate which uses a realistic photo of wood, engineered wood is entirely made of wood and the difference with the solid wood lies in the fact that it is made of several layers: the top one is a thin layer of real, hardwood and the base is made of plywood, with modern adhesives bonding the two together.

Pros:

• Good quality engineered wood doesn’t look different from solid wood

• Large choice of different wood species, styles, colours, finishes and wider plank sizes

• More stable, doesn’t contract and expand

• Compatible with underfloor heating

• Easier and quicker installation as doesn’t necessarily need to be nailed to the subfloor, you can alternatively glue it down or install it as a floating floor. The subfloor doesn’t need to be as even as for solid wood too.

• Usually more cost effective

• If necessary, the top layer of real wood can be sanded and refinished

• More environmentally friendly as the plywood layer is usually made of faster growing hardwood such as birch, eucalyptus and poplar

Cons:

• Oiled or lacquered finishes require maintenance, you will need to reapply an oil or a lacquer to protect the wood

• Not as durable as solid wood since the top layer of wood is thinner. It will still last few decades though!

• Cannot be re-sanded as many times as solid wood

I hope this post makes things clearer and brought you a better understanding of both solid and engineered wood floors. If you have any other question, feel free to comment or get in touch!

Julie