Did you know new hardwood floors can add up to 2.5 percent to the value of your home? Not only that, but many buyers today all but expect hardwood floors in high end or custom homes.
You might be considering hardwood flooring for your new home or renovation project. An engineered wood floor is a popular choice.
You want to make sure your floors are done right. To that end, you want to be sure you’re choosing the highest quality wood flooring for your home. These five tips will help you do just that.
1. Double-Check the Lengths of Your Engineered Wood Floor
The first thing you want to do when you’re selecting engineered wood is check the lengths. Most people understand the plank width is quite important when it comes to flooring.
Have you thought about the plank lengths? All the dimensions have an impact on how the flooring will look in your home.
Generally speaking, you’ll want to select planks that are at least two feet in length. Anything shorter will look like patchwork, especially in larger rooms with high ceilings. Lengths from 24″ to 120″ can ensure the floor has a natural flow.
2. Consider the Species for Your Floor
Another consideration in picking the right hardwood flooring is the species. Different species have different qualities. One species might offer certain advantages, depending on the room or even the climate you live in. White Oak for instance readily takes a custom stain color.
Hickory, for example, is moisture sensitive but wears well. It’s a great choice for high-traffic areas or rooms that experience paw traffic. Black walnut is another durable species that looks gorgeous in almost any setting.
3. Select Unfinished Flooring to Create the Perfect Match
It used to be that you could only buy engineered hardwood that was pre-finished. Today, you can buy unfinished planks for your wood floor.
Why is an unfinished flooring such a good option? It allows you to control the finish more. You can get the perfect match for the cabinetry in your kitchen.
4. Look for a High-Quality Core
You will never see the underside of your engineered wood floor, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. In fact, the plywood core is one of the key factors in determining the quality of wood flooring.
The highest quality hardwood flooring uses a multi-layer hardwood ply. Lower quality flooring uses block board, which tends to be less stable and less reliable.
Always ask what’s at the heart of any flooring before you buy.
5. Steer Clear of Thin Planks
Another thing you’ll want to consider for your hardwood floor is the thickness of the planks.
Generally speaking, plank thickness indicates the quality of the flooring itself. High-quality flooring has much thicker planks. The lower the quality, the thinner the plank.
Why is the thickness of planks such a good indicator of flooring quality? Thinner planks tend to have thin wear layers. As your floor wears, these layers get worn down. When it comes time to redo the floors, you’ll often find you need to replace the floor.
Thicker planks have better wear layers, meaning they can be refinished instead.
Get Your Flooring Project Started
If you’re considering an engineered wood floor for your home, keep these five factors in mind. They’ll help you find the highest quality flooring.
Wondering how much a hardwood floor will cost you? Get in touch with our team to get an estimate on your next project.
FAQs
The top layer of the floorboards is called “wear layer” which is made of solid wood veneers. The thicker the layer is, the better is the quality of the product. Cheaper variants of engineered wood have several layers of wood bonded together to form the top layer but a quality flooring has a “single strip” top layer.
How can you tell if engineered hardwood is good quality? ›
The top layer of the floorboards is called “wear layer” which is made of solid wood veneers. The thicker the layer is, the better is the quality of the product. Cheaper variants of engineered wood have several layers of wood bonded together to form the top layer but a quality flooring has a “single strip” top layer.
What is the best thickness for engineered hardwood flooring? ›
It is this construction detail that will play the biggest role in how your floor looks, how stable it will be, and how long it will last. As you consider durable engineered wood flooring, you want to select products that meet certain criteria: Overall Thickness: 5/8” or ¾” thick.
What is the best core for engineered flooring? ›
Selecting the best core material for your engineered wood flooring is crucial for its performance and longevity. Plywood and HDF cores are commonly considered the top choices due to their superior stability, durability, and resistance to moisture.
What is the toughest engineered wood flooring? ›
Ipe or Brazilian walnut is top-notch if you want the hardest and most durable flooring on the market. It boasts a Janka rating of 3,680, making it extremely hard to dent. Aside from its extreme hardness, it's good for a few other reasons as well. One reason is that it's available in many colors.
What engineered wood has no knots? ›
Prime grade engineered wood flooring has a wear layer that's been specially selected during the manufacturing process for its smooth, streamlined, and almost uniform appearance. Planks of this grade typically have no knots or other defining features, making for a clean and tidy aesthetic.
Is thicker engineered wood floor better? ›
While it might cost more up-front to invest in higher quality solid wood floors or engineered hardwood flooring with a thicker wear layer, you will be buying a floor that lasts longer and will cost less to maintain over time.
How thick should engineered floors be? ›
In short, when it comes to engineered hardwood flooring, the best standard thickness option ranges between 3/4 and 5/8 of an inch. Engineered hardwood features a “wear” layer and a “backing” layer beneath it. So the wear layer can measure out to 3/16 of an inch, and the backing layer can measure to 9- or 11-ply.
Is thicker engineered hardwood better? ›
Generally speaking, a thicker wear layer means more durable flooring. This also means that engineered hardwood flooring options with a thicker wear layer are often more expensive, but they will last much longer than thinner options.
Can you put polyurethane on engineered wood flooring? ›
Your beautiful solid hardwood or engineered wood floor deserves the best possible finish. Polyurethane is a good floor finish that's easy to apply and cures rapidly.
What is a wear layer? To answer this question simply, the wear layer is basically the thickness of hardwood that sits on top of the multiply core of engineered wood flooring. These two elements combined present you with an engineered wooden floor. The wear layer can vary in thickness from as thin as 1mm up to 6mm.
Should engineered flooring have gaps? ›
Yes. Like hardwood floors, engineered hardwood also requires gaps between the planks to allow for expansion.
How do I choose underlayment for engineered hardwood? ›
What Underlayment is Best for Wood? When installing hardwood or engineered wood flooring, the best underlay options are cork and foam. However, foam does have more give than cork so, while it is the more popular option, we recommend cork. Cork has less give, making it less likely to flex underneath your planks.
Are there different grades of engineered wood flooring? ›
That being said, whether you're shopping for solid or engineered hardwood floors, the wood flooring grade can pretty much apply to both types. So, let's take a look at the four most common grades of hardwood flooring: AB, ABC, ABCD, and CD.
Does thickness of engineered flooring matter? ›
The wear layer thickness on engineered hardwood flooring varies from one brand to another. There are, indeed, several different ranges of wear layer thickness, from 0.6mm to 4mm. Simply put, the thickness of the wear layer will let you know how many times you can redo your floors.
