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What flooring is right for you? Solid vs Engineered

Posted by Bath Bespoke on 15 February 2017

When clients visit the Bath Bespoke workshop, many ask us what’s the difference between solid and engineered wood flooring? And, most importantly, which one is right for them?

Wooden Flooring

A lot of our clients ask us to fit new wooden flooring alongside another project, such as a kitchen re-fit. The two projects work hand in hand as it completely renovates the room with a whole new look. But, some clients also visit us just looking for a new floor.

With so many designs, options and finishes to choose from, wooden flooring has now become a piece of art that can add something very special to a room.

Plancher Du Quercy Velentre by Tedd Todd
Plancher Du Quercy Velentre by Tedd Todd

With our knowledge of wood and appreciation of good design, our hardwood floors are made, sourced and laid with the same level of care and expertise as our renowned furniture and joinery.

Our approach is also quite unique in that not only do we manufacture and finish our own hardwood floors but we also have access to the finest wooden floors in the global market. As such we’re able to fit you the right flooring that suits you and your home. So let’s start off and discover what’s the difference?

Solid flooring

Solid wood flooring is exactly what the name implies: a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. The thickness of solid wood flooring can vary, but generally ranges from 3/4” to 5/16”.

Solid wood can be used in any room that is above the ground. One of the many benefits of solid wood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished many times.  Solid wood floors are ideal in family/living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and even kitchens. About the only place you can’t use solid wood flooring is in the basement.

Engineered Flooring

Engineered wood floors are real wood floors that are manufactured using multiple layers of wood veneers. The majority of wooden flooring is now engineered.

The grain of each layer runs in perpendicular directions, which makes it very dimension-ally stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature. This makes it ideal for use in all rooms, as well as those with under floor heating.

Engineered floors can be nailed or stapled to a wood sub floor, or glued down to a wood or concrete sub floor. This makes engineered wood floors ideal for slab and basement installations. While this type of flooring can be sanded and refinished, it cannot be done as many times as solid wood flooring.

Both solid and engineered are great options. The majority of our clients choose engineered wood flooring for its stability. In terms of design and look, it would be hard to tell these two options apart as they can be finished in exactly the same way. So it usually just depends on preference.

Find out more about our flooring service and contact us to find out how we can help.

Choose your floor