Engineered Hardwood Flooring is An Excellent Choice

Many homeowners prefer using hardwood flooring because of its traditional aesthetic and durability. But there are some definite concerns that one must address before installing wood flooring in their home or business. First, wood flooring can be quite expensive for a do-it-yourself project, and it's susceptible to moisture and water damage, so it's not the best choice for use in kitchens, baths and similar areas.

Hardwood flooring comes in two main varieties: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood. Solid hardwood is the most expensive variety, while engineered hardwood offers all of the beauty of traditional wood floors at an economical price. Engineered hardwoods are a combination of true finished wood on top with an un-finished plywood as the base. The additional layers of plywood are laid in a cross ply patter, making it very sturdy and increasing its durability. The combination of beauty, durability and value makes engineered hardwood an attractive choice for many homeowners.

Top 4 Reasons to Choose Engineered Hardwood Flooring

1. Engineered hardwood is available in a variety of wood styles. You might think that engineered hardwood doesn't have a lot of options and it in no way compares to the real thing, but you'd be wrong. Advances in engineered hardwood manufacturing have made more styles of wood available than ever before. Some of the most popular engineered hardwood options include Brazilian cherry, red oak, hickory, bamboo and ash. And you would never know the difference in engineered and solid hardwood flooring from just looking at it. The large variety ensures that homeowners will find exactly what they are imagining their hardwood flooring to look like.
2. Engineered hardwood flooring is always pre-finished. If you're looking for an economical way to incorporate wood flooring into your home, an engineered hardwood floor is the way to go. Because the flooring is pre-finished, you don't have to worry about adding the cost of sanding and sealing your wood floors to your installation bill. Engineered wood flooring arrives ready to install and pre-finished to cut down on installation time and cost. Also, you may have heard the myth of not being able to re-sand and refinish your engineered hardwood flooring, but rest assured that this isn't true either. Even the least expensive engineered wood floors can be re-sanded and refinished at least one, maybe 2 times.
3. Engineered hardwood handles moisture better than solid hardwood. While no wood flooring is ideal for wet areas of the home, solid hardwood flooring is never recommended for high moisture areas like bathrooms and basements. Engineered hardwood floors are however much better with handling any type of moisture thrown at it. This feature makes it ideal for areas with a lot of water being spilled or homes with high humidity levels.
4. Installation is far easier with engineered hardwood floors than solid. This is because solid hardwood floors require you to nail the boards to a wooden subfloor during installation. With engineered floors however, it is possible to install it by gluing it down or even using a floating floor installation method. This is particularly important if you are interested in radiant floor heating systems for your home.

Advances in technology have made modern engineered hardwood floors more durable and more attractive than ever. If you're looking for an economical alternative to solid hardwood flooring, but don't want to give up the look of real wood, check out the selection of engineered hardwood flooring, available at Georgia Carpet.