Hardwood Buyer’s Guide Volume 1
Hardwood Flooring in Atlanta Buyer’s Guide: Solid vs. Engineered
Here at Timberland Flooring, we are happy to bring you informational ideas to assist you with hardwood flooring in order to help you start your projects off on the right foot. When you make the decision to put hardwood flooring in your Atlanta home you must first decide whether you want solid or engineered hardwood.
Solid wood is just that – one piece that is milled from lumber. The following are some things to know and keep in mind when you choose solid hardwood flooring for Atlanta projects. They include:
- Solid wood comes in a variety of widths, from 2 1/4” to 8” wide.
- It also comes in different thicknesses: 3/4” is standard, but you can also find “thin profile” solid that is 5/16” thick. Keep in mind that 5/16” solid hardwood can be installed directly over concrete while 3/4” can’t.
- Moisture and extreme temperature changes can cause solid wood to shrink and expand, potentially causing gaps between boards during colder or dryer seasons.
- All solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished if needed, and urethane coated floors can be recoated as needed to renew the surface of the floor (better known as screen & coat) which can be more economical than sanding and refinishing.
Like solid wood, engineered hardwood flooring is real wood, but is not made of one solid piece. When considering engineered hardwood flooring for Atlanta projects please keep in mind:
- Instead of one piece of solid wood, engineered hardwood consists of three to 10 layers of wood, called piles that are assembled and glued in a cross-ply construction.
- The top layer of wood can range from 1/16” to 1/6” thick. Engineered wood with a top layer thinner than 1/10” can’t be refinished, but it can be recoated (screen & coat) to renew the surface of the floor.
- Overall board thickness ranges from 1/4” to 3/4”.
- Due to its multi-ply structure, engineered wood is much more stable than solid wood and is less susceptible to shrinking and expanding with changes in temperatures and humidity.
- Engineered wood can be installed directly over concrete and can also be installed below ground level during your hardwood flooring installation in Atlanta.
Contact Timberland Flooring for more information about the differences and benefits of both solid and engineered hardwood flooring for your Atlanta home, and keep an eye out for our next informational letter on site finished vs. prefinished hardwood.