There are three different types of wood flooring. This includes solid wood, engineered wood, and laminate. Each has unique features and benefits. With all the options available, we have written this blog to answer your questions and discuss the advantages of each. We hope our expertise in wood flooring will guide you through the choices of your next flooring project.
What Are The Different Types Of Wood Flooring?
Solid Wood
Traditional and luxurious, solid wood floorboards are cut from a single piece of wood. The wood featured in your flooring will depend on the species you choose. The most popular species for wood flooring are oak, walnut, and birch. However, the number of colours, finishes, and sizes on the market means there are hundreds of combinations to choose from. While it is beautiful and long-lasting, it requires the most care out of the three wood flooring options due to its natural structure.
Solid wood flooring is often the most expensive wood flooring you can buy. This is due to the high production cost associated with selecting suitable wood to cut into solid wood flooring. Thankfully, at Flooring365 we regularly check and review our prices to ensure that we offer the best prices online.
Engineered Wood
Solid wood flooring is not the be-all, end-all and many homeowners are starting to opt for engineered wood flooring instead. Engineered wood flooring has been specifically designed to overcome the challenges encountered by solid wood. It has a thinner slab of solid wood, dramatically reducing the cost of production. It also has multiple sub-layers of wood to increase stability and make the board less susceptible to warping from temperature and humidity changes. Since the top layer of engineered wood is solid wood, it is visibly identical when installed.
Laminate
Introduced in the 1970s, laminate flooring is a newer and less expensive option when compared to solid wood as it completely removes the solid wood veneer. Instead featuring a printed layer on top of a fibreboard material to simulate the appearance of solid wood flooring. While laminate originally had a reputation as a cheap imitation, innovations such as sharper image layers and deep embossing have made it more popular in recent years. Don’t forget to order free samples from our website and compare them to solid wood yourself.
Laminate features a transparent wear layer that makes it durable, it is a great choice for homes with pets and children. The printed layer and lack of veneer means that laminate can't be refinished or sanded down. However, its construction does come with its benefits. It reduces the cost even more than engineered wood and is easy to clean due to its lack of seems that dirt can get stuck in.
Like other wood flooring, laminate is not suitable in bathrooms, where water is an issue. Although laminate is more water resistant than engineered and solid wood, liquid can still get through the wear layer and saturate the wood below. Any kind of wood will swell when saturated with water.
Wood Flooring Colours
While different wood species have unique natural tones, the colour of wood flooring is primarily determined by the stain applied to it. If you buy unfinished solid or engineered wood flooring, you can stain it to your liking. Laminate, due to its printed image layer, provides more options in terms of colour.
Wood Flooring Finishes
Solid and engineered wood have the same variety of finishes as they share the same real wood top surface. They can even be “unfinished,” where you can stain and finish the wood to your liking. However, after years of experience in the flooring industry, we can say that the most popular finishes are oiled and lacquered.
Wood Flooring Styles
Many aspects make up a wood flooring style, such as the size of the boards, the colour, and the finish. Wide plank flooring has a vintage appearance, while parquet flooring adds a touch of elegance and luxury through intricate patterns. Handscraped or distressed wood flooring offers a rustic, weathered look. Even the species of wood can alter the style. Walnut has an open, sprawling grain and oak has a tight, intricate structure. The style of wood flooring you choose will depend on your taste, the room's decor, and the overall aesthetic you're trying to achieve.
Installation and Maintenance
Arranging simple planks cut from solid floorboards can pose a challenge, as they require adhesive for attachment to the subfloor. Most solid and engineered wood flooring features a tongue and groove system that allows the boards to slot together, glue then secures the boards. Laminate and some engineered wood flooring feature a Click Lok system that removes the need for glue. Instead, the joint secures the boards on its own.
Whether you decide to choose tongue & groove, or a Click Lok system, you have the option to install it as a floating floor using underlay. Underlay has numerous benefits, such as adding sound and thermal insulation, softer footfall, and an even surface for your flooring. It also provides cushioning that makes the flooring more resistant to impacts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we hope that this blog post has provided you with valuable information about the types of wood flooring. You can now make an informed decision about what type of flooring would best suit your upcoming project. However, if you still find yourself unsure, we encourage you to take advantage of our free samples to help you find the perfect fit.
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