Engineered wood flooring is a flexible and popular solution for your home, but is often misunderstood.
It can be confused with laminate flooring, but is, in fact, worlds apart. Engineered wood flooring is made from natural products, but is processed into a durable and highly stable item. Constructed from layers of ply and topped with solid wood lamella, engineered wood flooring can be exposed to extreme fluctuations of moisture and temperature, and still remains exceptionally resistant to contraction and expansion.
Engineered wood flooring is particularly resistant to temperature and moisture varieties, and can be used in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms, where wood flooring would normally not be recommended.
Wear layer
Oak engineered flooring is topped with a layer of solid oak.
When purchasing engineered wood flooring, the dimensions express a figure such as 20/6, 14/3 or 18/5, which state the thickness of the board overall, and the thickness of just the top layer.
The wear layer is the top layer, which wears away gradually over time from the traffic of feet and furniture being moved. This is also the layer that’s removed, if you want to re-sand and varnish your flooring.
Protecting your flooring
There are some preventative measures you can take to minimise day-to-day wear on your flooring.
A set of two good quality doormats placed indoors and outdoors will help keep harsh wear low. The outdoor dirt that can be tracked through your home spells disaster for engineered wood flooring, and can eat away at the surface. An absorbent, soft doormat placed inside your doorway can help remove grime and grit, and also moisture, helping your floor remain in good condition for years.
Sanding
How often you sand your flooring determines its lifespan. A floorboard of 2cm thickness has a wear layer of 8mm, meaning around 5mm of floor surface can be sanded away in its lifetime without weakening the flooring. This would approximately be between 5 and 7 professional sandings.
Choosing a flooring with a thicker wear layer would give your engineered wood flooring a longer life, with more opportunities for sanding. This will keep your flooring looking good for an even longer period of time.
When choosing the right engineered wood flooring for your needs, always consider underfloor heating, footfall and budget.
