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In this article I will cover the difference between engineered and solid wood flooring. I often get asked; is engineered hardwood actually real wood? The answer to that question is: Yes! There are some who think that engineered wood is inferior to its solid counterpart. Solid wood has its benefits, however it is not necessarily better than engineered. Actually, the opposite just may be true. Engineered hardwood has a cross-plywood construction, with a solid wood veneer laminated to the top. Solid hardwood is just that, solid. Both styles range in thickness from 5/16 to 3/4 inch. Both types of floors come prefinished or unfinished and come in a variety of widths and styles. There are several benefits to engineered hardwood. Here are just a few. Engineered hardwood is more dimensionally stable than solid wood flooring. Engineered floors can be glued down directly to concrete, floated or stapled. They can be installed above, on, or below grade. Engineered floors are less prone to cupping...

If you are interested in purchasing hardwood flooring there are many things to consider. What species of hardwood to buy, engineered vs solid, exotic or domestic and many others. For the purpose of this article I am going to talk about types of hardwood. There are three main types of hardwood flooring. All of which have different applications. There is engineered, floating and solid nail down. Engineered floors are typically glued down to a concrete slab or stapled to a plywood sub-floor. Engineered floors are made of a cross ply construction (made like plywood) with a wood veneer laminated to the top (these floors also come unfinished). Most engineered floors can also be floated. Typically the thicker the top veneer, the more expensive the product will be. Floating floors are installed over an under-layment or a pad. This type of flooring is not adhered to the sub-floor at all. It basically floats over the sub-floor. Both engineered and floating hardwoods can be installed above grade,...