What is Engineered Wood Flooring and Is It Any Good?

Lately, few design styles have been able to keep up with the popularity of wooden flooring. It is stylish and classy, yet also warm and homely. It is practical and durable and looks good in just about any and every setting. While genuine hardwood is not always the most practical – or affordable – option, engineered wood allows everyone to enjoy the classic beauty of wood-look floors. But what is it exactly and despite its popularity, is it really worth installing this type of floor? We take a closer look at the features and benefits it offers.

What is engineered wood flooring made of?

This product consists of various layers that make up the engineered planks used for installation. Typically, the planks are made from composite material that can contain wood fibre, plastic or other materials to provide the necessary stability. The wood-look is obtained by using very thin layers of actual wood which are placed on top of the composite layer. You thus get to enjoy the beauty of genuine wooden flooring, but with increased stability and durability at a much more affordable rate.

Engineered wood vs. hardwood flooring

When comparing these two floor types, it is important to note that both categories contain a range of products that can vary in quality and style. However, there are a number of differences that are worth mentioning:

• Longevity: Hardwood is more prone to gapping, crowning and cupping – various terms for the warping of the planks – when exposed to moisture or heat than engineered wood flooring 

• Cost-effective: Engineered wood flooring provides the same visual beauty as genuine hardwood, but at a fraction of the price, making it a much more cost-effective solution.

• Easy installation: Generally speaking, engineered wood flooring is much quicker and easier to install, and has the added benefit that it can be installed on top of existing floors due to the floating installation technique, making it a great choice for renovation projects.

• Underfloor heating: Unlike genuine hardwood floors, engineered wood flooring can be installed on top of underfloor heating.
• Eco-friendlier option: Genuine hardwood floors require the use of much more natural resources than its composite counterpart.

• Moisture-resistant: Engineered wood is better than hardwood flooring at handling exposure to moisture.

Get even more benefits with Top Carpets and Floors

As the leading supplier of residential and commercial flooring solutions in South Africa, we have a great range of products to suit just about every style, taste and need. What’s more, we make it easy for you to do your shopping from wherever you are. Our online store helps you find your ideal style and our Room Visualizer lets you look at the product in situ to help you make the right choice.

Once you have chosen your ideal floor type, you can also opt for our innovative Healthy Living installation system to sanitise your floor and protect your family against microbes and other allergens. Our expert team of installers will carefully remove your existing floor, power vacuum all allergens and particles away, treat the surface with an antimicrobial spray, and install a special underlayer to diminish the effect of microbes, mould, mildew and allergens before installing your new floor.

That’s not all. We also offer numerous guarantees to provide you with complete peace of mind. This includes guaranteeing the quality of our installation work, manufacturer’s guarantees on products, and a 10-day colour guarantee. This means that if you are having second thoughts about your floor choice, you can call us within ten days to replace your floor with another colour in the same product range, and you only pay the re-installation cost.

Start your journey now by heading over to our online store to start browsing through our great selection of engineered wood flooring options.