Engineered Wood

It requires the cutting down of fewer trees, creates less waste and has greater product yielded from precious and costly hardwoods. Engineered versions of hardwood flooring are less expensive and easier to source.

Engineered wood floors can be installed on and over a variety of sub-floors and installed by either a floating click system or full bonded glue down installation and don’t need to be nailed to the floor. However it must always be installed over a level floor.

The Installation of prefinished hardwood flooring is quick and easy when compared to unfinished floors. Timeless pre-finished White Oak flooring is already coated in a factory setting, and does not need to be sanded and finished on-site, which eliminates the need to put up with the noise, dust and toxic smells that go along with installation of unfinished flooring.

There buy saving you time, money and inconvenience. Prefinished floors can furthermore be walked on immediately and have no curing time.

Installation of prefinished flooring means less mess and noise, as well as ZERO toxins and unpleasant smells that are unavoidable when traditional flooring is finished on-site. This is a major advantage for highly trafficked areas, or households with pets, children, or people with allergies. Prefinished hardwood flooring is a hypo-allergenic flooring solution.

Prefinished flooring runs through the finishing production line several times and has multiple coats of finish and strengtheners applied using a UV-curing technology in a strictly-controlled factory setting. This makes the wear layer of prefinished hardwood flooring very resilient, and the finish itself comes under manufacturer warranty, which is substantially better than any contractor warranty applied in the field. Unique finishing technologies(Smoked) and drying conditions that available at an industrial plant are simply impossible to replicate on-site. Factory applied finishes are more abrasion resistant and are free of dust, brush hairs and swirl marks. These evenly applied heavy duty finishes do not have an odour. While site-finished floors last 3-5 years (6-maximum) before needing to be refinished, most prefinished floors can last for decades.

Factory applied finishes tend to be highly transparent, which allows to preserve the look of natural wood texture and depth of colour to the maximum. Factory prefinished hardwood floors are available in a wide range of colours, surface finishes and styles.

Well, the short answer is no. At least, there is no real technical proof that it is. Most suppliers stocking a multi-ply engineered wood flooring will tell you that multi-ply wins hands down and without a shadow of a doubt. But to the contrary, there must be a reason why most Central European factories are producing exclusively three-ply boards which they export all over the globe, mustn’t there?

So, let’s take a step back.

As the respective names suggest, three-ply engineered wooden flooring is made up of three layers of board glued together and placed under massive pressure to condense and solidify the board. Multi-ply engineered wooden flooring contains four or more layers (up to twelve) which can sometimes be cross-hatched. The layers are also glued and placed under extreme pressure to create a solid structure. Both three-ply and multi-ply are manufactured with a click or tongue and groove system to allow for easy, hassle-free fitting. Three-ply often comes at a lower cost than multi-ply owing to the less time taken in construction, but ultimately both are made from solid wood that is glued together and placed under pressure and both types are equipped with a tongue and groove or click system.

Our recommendation is to understand the quality of each of the elements when assessing whether a multi-ply or a three-ply engineered wood floor is most suitable for your particular application.

Consider the quality and thickness of the top layer: The quality and the thickness of the top layer will make a huge difference to the look and finish of your floor and contribute to its long-lasting nature. Timeless has a solid 4mm White Oak top layer, which is rated 1360 on the Janka scale. Choose an engineered floor with strong hardwood top layer, preferably one that is harvested from a sustainable forest.

Look at the quality of the wood used in the creation of the board: Not all wood is created equal. Some wood is harder and more durable than other wood. Ask what wood forms the top, middle and bottom layers of the planks and do some research on its quality and expected durability.

Why Top Carpets & Floors sells 3 ply Engineered Wood: Using only 3 layers, each layer is more rigid than multi layered products, and significantly less adhesive is used, which is most important when it comes to your indoor air quality.

Consider the locking system: Choose a patented locking system that has been well-designed by a well-known brand and you will be able to rest assured that your tongue and groove system will not fail you in years to come.

Choose a reputable supplier: Purchase your engineered flooring from a company that has a proven track record in respect of honouring their warranties. Finfloor, for example, has outlived its original warranties and continues to source and supply only the highest quality products from brands that are internationally recognised and approved.