What’s the difference between solid wood and engineered wood?

Your home’s flooring is a big investment. You want it to look good for a long time, but everyone has a budget to consider. If you are looking at flooring for your Ottawa home, you are probably considering both hardwood and engineered hardwood options. As you do your research, you will find out many details, but here we will discuss the basics of each option.

Solid wood x Engineered wood: what’s the difference?

Solid Wood

Hardwood flooring is cut into boards from trees that have actually grown in the forest. It is a natural product and can come from various trees like oak, walnut, hickory, pine, maple, mahogany, and others. If you are unsure which species suits your home, our guide on choosing hardwood can help you compare options.

After it is cut, it is shaped into planks and sanded. Once it is laid in your Ottawa home, it can be sanded from time to time to refresh its appearance and restained as necessary. Professional hardwood floor refinishing can restore worn or scratched floors to their original beauty. Engineered wood can only be sanded once in its lifetime. Hardwood is very durable and lasts for decades, some as long as a century if well cared for. Proper floor care and maintenance is the key to reaching that lifespan.

Engineered Wood

Engineered hardwood flooring is a human-made material that simulates hardwood. The top layer is actually hardwood, but the next layer is manufactured plywood, which is highly durable and makes up over 80% of the product.

Since this uses far less limited-resourced wood, it is a much more eco friendly flooring option. It is going to be far more resistant to moisture and will not warp like hardwood. Maintenance is straightforward. This is the better option for kitchens and baths where the traffic is higher and moisture is more likely. It also performs well in below-grade spaces, making it a solid choice among basement flooring solutions. Because it is less labour intensive, it is less expensive.

Which one is the best?

In either event, there is no wrong choice. Each is an excellent investment for your home. Both can add to the resale value of your home when it comes time to put it on the market. There are advantages and downsides to either choice, but either will add to the enjoyment and appearance of your home. Our professional floor installation team ensures whichever option you choose is installed correctly for Ottawa’s climate. Visit our flooring showroom to see both options side by side, or contact us today for more details.