Engineered hardwood floor are a popular, less expensive alternative to traditional hardwood floors. They’ve been available for many years, but their popularity is surging because of the rising prices of hardwoods.
Engineered floors are made up of many layers of wood that are sealed together, then overlaid with a layer of hardwood which varies in thickness from 1 mm up to 4 mm. Finished with the same aluminum oxide finish that is on laminate and higher end vinyl flooring, engineered hardwoods like Carolina Mt. Hardwood and Elegance come with a warranty on the finish. At Southside, our floors have a 25 year or a 50 year warranty! If needed, they can be sanded and refinished several times. They can also be chemically refinished many times, just like a piece of furniture.
Engineered hardwood actually has several advantages over solid hardwoods, especially in board widths of 4″ and up. With flooring this size, temperature and humidity changes cause expansion and contraction. If the floor isn’t installed properly, your floorboards may gap, squeak, or even bow. With engineered floors, the crisscrossed grains prevent this. Your floor planks will maintain the same space between them.
The first engineered hardwoods were developed after World War II when there were so many homes being built. Contractors wanted to offer the most affordable options to returning troops, and putting down carpet was a cheaper alternative since it could be glued onto concreted slabs. Traditional wood floor require a subfloor be installed first, which was costly and time consuming. The wood floor industry “engineered” a floor that could also be installed directly onto a concrete slab. This actually remains another advantage of the engineered floor.
At Southside, we stock quite a bit of engineered hardwood flooring, with top layers from 1.5 mm to 3 mm, and 25 year warranties! We can special order many other kinds. With the advantages of engineered hardwood and the low prices that you’ll find at Southside, you may find this type of flooring a viable option for your next building project. Come in and talk to us about what is best for your home and your budget!