Engineered wood flooring has become a very popular choice, especially when it comes to finding an alternative to hardwood. Its many advantages make it a great material to use to spruce up your home or office.
Engineered wood is basically made from wood that is stacked in layers. Each of the layers is arranged in a cross-grained manner, and then heat and pressure are used to press and glue them together. Because the wood is layered, it can come in various thicknesses, but the most commonly used types are 3 and 5-ply.
An alternative to hardwood
Hardwood has long been a great choice when it comes to flooring because of its beauty, but it can often be very expensive with regards to its purchase price and its maintenance costs. Engineered wood flooring serves as a great alternative to hardwood as it is cheaper, while still lasting as long and providing the same elegant look.
Another problem that hardwood faces is the fact that is easily damaged by water or moisture. Whereas engineered wood is especially designed to be durable and stain resistant.
Advantages of engineered wood flooring
Wood that has been engineered is very versatile and can be used in any room of the house, including the basement, utility room, powder room and the kitchen. These rooms are often exposed to a lot of moisture and a lot of foot traffic, but this is no problem for this type of wood.
Because of its varying thicknesses, if you have existing floors, engineered wood can simply be installed on top of it. This saves you from having to do an entire renovating job that can run into thousands of dollars.
Choosing your flooring
Because engineered wood is manufacture by incorporating different pieces of wood, you can get flooring in a variety of wood species and styles. You can get a style called parquet, which is basically when the pieces are arranged in a special geometric design. You could even choose plank flooring where the pieces are wider and arranged in a linear fashion.
Then there is the strip style where, narrower strips of wood are pieced together. Each of these designs will add a different style to your home, so you will be able to find the perfect wood flooring to suit your design tastes.
Readymade wood flooring
Engineered flooring can be available as pre-finished or finished. Pre-finished basically means that all of the sanding, as well as the finishing has been done at the factory beforehand. So all you need to do is install it, which is pretty easy.
To find the right type of flooring to suit your home, you should shop online. This is an easy way to get an idea of what is available and how much it may cost you. Shopping online will also speed up the browsing process, and once you have settled on an option, you can make the purchase.
It is clear that flooring made from engineered wood is the best option if you are looking for a cheaper alternative to hardwood that still looks as beautiful. So do not delay, get yours today!