Industrial Floor Solutions

If you have made the decision that it's time for hardwood flooring in your home, you might be trying to decide if you need engineered or solid hardwood floors. While both flooring options give you the hardwood flooring look and feel, they are very different products. Understanding the two and their differences can help you to decide which one is the right choice for your home. Here's a look at a few of the things that you need to know when you're trying to make that decision.

Solid Hardwood Flooring Lasts Longer

One of the reasons that many homeowners choose solid hardwood flooring is because it can last for several decades, if not longer. You'll find that most solid hardwood flooring is thick enough that it will support sanding and refinishing several times before it's too thin to safely do it again. Depending on how much wear and tear your flooring suffers, you can net nearly a lifetime of use from that single investment. It may cost more up-front, but you likely won't have to pay for flooring installation again in your lifetime.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring Is More Affordable

As with any manufactured or engineered product, engineered hardwood flooring is more affordable than its solid hardwood counterpart. Engineered hardwood flooring features a thin layer of hardwood over several layers of fiberboard and other types of material. That makes this flooring more affordable to purchase. If you're installing hardwood flooring on a budget, engineered hardwood is the way to go. However, it's worth noting that you can't sand and refinish engineered hardwood flooring more than a couple of times at the most because of the thickness of the hardwood surface layer. 

Solid Hardwood Flooring Can Be Customized with Stain After Installation

Since there's more natural material to solid hardwood flooring, it can easily be roughed up for staining purposes after installation. As an alternative, you can ask that the flooring be shipped raw so that you can stain and seal it yourself after it's been installed. In either case, this flooring option is much easier for you to customize if you so choose.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring Handles Moisture Better

If you're installing hardwood flooring in an area that's likely to see wet footsteps, water drops, or puddling, you'll want to consider engineered hardwood flooring instead of solid flooring. Engineered hardwood flooring can handle moisture exposure better than solid hardwood floors. The material that makes up the foundational layers of this flooring isn't nearly as susceptible to expansion and contraction nor water absorption, which makes it a better choice if there's any moisture or high humidity in the area.

Look to a flooring supplier such as Carpet Discount Center for more help and information.