What Is Engineered Wood Flooring Made Of?

Among the most Frequent questions we're asked at Hammersmith Floor Sanding is"what is engineered wood flooring manufactured from?" . In fact, engineered wood flooring is arguably among the most misunderstood flooring products on the market today and we think this is a real shame. In this article we would like to assist you get up close and personal with engineered timber flooring so you can begin to enjoy it in the exact same way as we can!

The basic arrangement of engineered wood floors

Engineered wood flooring is made up of anything between 3 and 12 layers of ply. These layers of ply are cross legged, then glued and pressed together to make a very strong bond. It is this bonded core board that makes engineered wood flooring so quite different from solid hardwood floors.


Once the center board has been cut into flooring planks, the groove and tongue are created. In effect, the layers of ply a board has, generally speaking the tougher it's going to be. For instance, a 3 ply board is going to have single center board, a base layer and a real wood top coating or lamella. The problem with many 3-ply engineered hardwood flooring solutions is that the center board, in which the tongue and groove fit together could become brittle, so generally speaking, if your budget permits, you need to pick a multi-layer board.

Why is it so unique?

The thing which makes engineered timber floors so unique is that the strength of its center board. As you can imagine, anything that's composed of a blend of different layers of ply which are secured together with a solid adhesive will be more powerful than just one piece of timber of the identical thickness. This is significant since it affects the equilibrium of this ground.

Imagine a scenario where temperature and humidity levels are varying, a scenario that is especially common from the likes of baths and kitchens.

Why is this significant? In consequence, excessive contraction and expansion may play havoc with flooring, producing unsightly and draughty gaps in addition to significantly raising the possibility of cupping and, or bowing. As a result of the way engineered timber flooring is created, the center board remains stable, in most but very extreme problems.

What would different thicknesses mean?

In the exact same manner as solid wood flooring, engineered hardwood flooring is made in different thicknesses. Nevertheless, there are essentially two elements to the thickness of an engineered timber flooring plank; the general board thickness and the top coating or lamella thickness.

Thus, when you see a figure like 18/5 or 14/3, this means that the boards are 18mm and 14mm thick respectively with corresponding top layers of 5mm and 3mm. When you are picking the depth of your board, then you have to be careful to pick the best alternative for your project. Broadly , a plank of over 14mm thick is not recommended over under floor heating and a board of less than 18mm thick is not suitable for structural jobs. All of that said, when it comes to exact technical details, you are best to call on the recommendations of an expert each time.


What about species, grades and finishes?

Regardless of what species, finish or grade you want, you should be able to track it down in engineered timber flooring, exactly the identical way that you can in solid. This signifies is that engineered timber flooring is far from any type of compromise -- it really is win:win!


If you want to ask more questions regarding engineered hardwood floors, we're here for you. All you have to do is get in touch and one of our passionate team will help!