Time and again I hear folks talk about how much they love the feel and prestige of hardwood flooring for their home, flat or condo but they are not prepared to go through the cumbersome task involved with installing these floors.
The good news is that now you dont have to go through all those difficult installation process. Engineered hardwood floors are installed in the exactly same manner as laminate; each piece clicks to the other and optionally you can choose to glue them down as you would with laminate.
Engineered hardwood flooring is made up of a top portion that is natural wood. The top portion is glued to a multilayer core that may be plywood, high density fiber or another form of replenishable wood. These layers are also pressed and glued together. Each layer is stacked on top of the other in a cross-grain setting. The Number of layers used at the core varies from one designer to another but most manufacturers use three or four layers.
The multilayer core unlike real hardwood is more resistant to moisture which allows engineered hardwood to be installed in almost any location including kitchen floors and basements.
Engineered hardwood floors are gaining popularity quickly since it is made of natural wood, looks prestigious, less expensive than hardwood, resistant to moisture, easy to install, can be sanded, can be finished and it can be installed on all types of flooring.
The top layer is available in various exotic styles, color and grain patterns. Some types of these include oak, pine, ash, teak, and bamboo among other designs. Each of these designs can be finished in lighter or darker shades.
Engineered hardwood flooring is fast becoming the favorite of home and condo owners since they can be installed on top of concrete slabs and the core is resistant to moisture. The use of sound dampening materials can make your flooring extremely quiet so that you can walk around and enjoy your prestigious floors without having to worry about noise.
The disadvantage with laminate flooring is that, if it fades away or become scratched (which it can despite many claims to the contrary), your only option would be a complete replacement that is both expensive and time-consuming. Some engineered hardwood floors may be sanded and finished up to two times which can drastically prolong the age of your floors while it remains looking brand new.