The importance of flooring in any interior design cannot be gainsaid. Besides just enhancing the space’s aesthetic appeal, it also helps prevent heat loss from the house during the cold months and helps save on energy bills. Some of the most popular flooring options today are carpets, vinyl flooring, laminate flooring, natural flooring, and hardwood flooring. Hardwood flooring is a classic flooring option that has never gone out of style. Engineered hardwood flooring is the in-thing today, and more people are choosing it over traditional solid hardwood flooring for various reasons, not the least of which being that they are cheaper than solid hardwood flooring.
Engineered hardwood floors are made of a hardwood veneer at the top with 3-12 layers of unfinished plywood under it. The thicker the veneer, the better it is because you can simply refinish the floor when it gets worn out. If the veneer is too thin, it cannot be refinished when the floor gets worn out. You will have to replace it, and this is definitely more expensive than refinishing the floor. The number of layers of plywood also affects the resilience and durability of the floors. You can have floors of different thicknesses in different areas of the house. High-traffic areas need thicker floors as they are likely to wear out faster than floors in low-traffic areas.
Engineered floors are very versatile. They can be used in different areas of the house, including the basement and bathrooms, since they are more resistant to heat and moisture than solid hardwood floors. The floors can be used over concrete slabs or attached to a wooden subfloor by either nailing them down or using glue. If you are remodeling your house and want to replace an older floor with engineered floors, the new floor can be placed directly over the old floor, saving you the cost of removing the old floor.
Bottom-line
Having some knowledge on engineered flooring before embarking on your flooring project will help you make an informed decision. It is important to buy from a good store with flooring experts who can give you more information, and help you make the best choice depending on your unique needs. Installation of engineered flooring is not something you should attempt to do yourself. This is best left to the experts who have all the necessary equipment and are well versed in all things to do with flooring.