Benefits Of Engineered Flooring

by: Derek Rogers

Engineered flooring is a modern flooring material that imitates traditional hardwood floor boards. This looks exactly like its traditional counterpart but has many advantages over the traditional flooring system.

Engineered flooring is a composite material made up from several layers of medium or high density fibreboard or plywood with an upper layer of genuine hardwood. The core of this flooring (the fibreboard or plywood layers) are constructed by stacking the individual layers or ply's in the opposite direction of each other this provides strength to the flooring but also eliminates expansion or contraction.

It is available in a wide variety of natural timbers such as the traditional red and white oaks, maple and ash and now exotic hardwoods from all over the world are being used. With the wide variety of different timbers available home owners will be able to find an engineered flooring product to suit their individual tastes or to compliment their decorating scheme.

The main benefits of engineered flooring include:

* The ability to use engineered flooring in areas where traditional hardwood cannot be used such as damp areas or places where the floor would be exposed to radiant heat. When exposed to moisture or radiant heat traditional boards warp or cup; the core of the engineered flooring is constructed with the individual ply's laid in opposite directions which ensures the flooring will not enlarge or shrink when exposed to changes in humidity.

* Most are fully finished (coated), this means that you do not have to sand and coat before use. When you install engineered flooring you can literally move the furniture back in and be using the room again in a matter of hours.

* It is generally easy to lay making it a perfect DIY project and saving you money on installation.

* Engineered flooring can be nailed, stapled or glued down or installed as a floating floor. A floating floor only requires that a moisture barrier, usually a foam underlay is placed on the existing floor and the engineered flooring is laid directly onto it - no sticking down is required. This allows the option that the floor can easily be removed and taken away if you move home etc, and also makes replacement of any damaged boards a relatively easy task.

* It looks exactly the same and offers the same rich warmth and ambiance to a room as traditional hardwood flooring, but is generally considerably cheaper than the traditional boards.

* Some are constructed with a thick upper layer or wear layer that can be sanded and refinished in the future to remove wear and renew the flooring.

* It is available in many different timber species, sizes, styles and grain patterns. There is an engineered flooring solution for every taste and decorating need.

This flooring is growing in popularity for many reasons and is being used in preference to solid wood due to its durability - the fact it will not warp or cup, even when laid in a basement or other high moisture area or when exposed to radiant heat. It is easy to lay and when installed looks exactly like traditional hardwood floors.