Engineered Flooring - The Middle Path

Lots of people like to take the middle way - its safe, sane, and not too far in either direction. And thats what engineered flooring is.

You want the look and feel of real hardwood. But you dont want a thousand-dollar, expertly-installed hardwood floor in the kitchen, where you might drop sharp knives or hot cook pans. The wonderful compromise is engineered flooring. It has a top surface of genuine hardwood, backed by a durable layer of plywood. So you are walking on and looking at real hardwood, yet you have the strength of cross-laid plywood.

Unlike hardwood, which requires expert nailing, it can be floated. That is, each piece is simply laid down and attached to the next until you reach the wall, which holds it all together very snugly. This makes repairs much easier. And of course, it is less expensive than hardwood, although not as inexpensive as laminate flooring.

Since engineered flooring has a wood surface, it does require a bit more care than laminate. On the other hand, the plywood backing gives it more strength and durability, so there is less chance of warpage - especially due to moisture. (However - be warned that no wooden flooring - hardwood, laminate, or engineered - can tolerate standing water. So keep that towel handy.)

Since engineered flooring is topped by real wood, you can basically choose the exact type of wood you most like - Hickory, Oak, Bamboo, Maple, and many others. This flooring is pre-finished and you can sand out slight damage. This is not possible with laminate, which doesnt sand well. Thus, you can save a major repair with sandpaper and matching coating materials. (You should consult your installer for these - but most paint stores can match color from a sample and you can get a good polyurethane stain to match. This is one reason you should always keep or request some leftover samples of the installed floor handy - to bring for color-matching.)

Unlike hardwood, you can put engineered flooring in light-moisture areas, even in a bathroom. However, that really depends on how much shower-splash you have from your shower, and to a certain extent, how well shower-users dry off before puddling on the floor. A rug in front of the shower is a good idea, but only if it is not allowed to sit on the floor if very wet. One good idea is to partially floor the bathroom with manufactured flooring, leaving a foot or so of tile around the shower or bathtub.

Another advantage of this type of flooring is that it can be installed in a variety of ways - either nailed, glued, or floated. The type of installation recommended depends on the variety of flooring. If self-installed, gluing or floating is preferable, since nailing a floor requires special tools and expertise.

With the basic look and feel of hardwood, lower expense of material and installation, and more moisture-resistance, along with easier installation and repair, manufactured flooring is a sound choice. The engineered name tends to give the impression that it is some sort of factory-plastic, but the opposite is true. It is real wood on the surface, reinforced by strong plywood - and is a wonderful alternative for many areas of your house.