Solid or Engineered - which do I choose?

First and foremost, always make sure your hardwood flooring supplier / retailer is supplying you with FSC sourced timber, so you know that the flooring is responsibly sourced and quality checked to BS EN 14342.

When buying a hardwood floor, or considering having a contractor install in your home or office it is important to not to overlook the following:

• Will I be installing over underfloor heating?
• Will the flooring have to tolerate sometimes rapid temperature and moisture changes?
• What size flooring do I want?
• What subfloor system is the flooring going to be installed over?
• What number of times might I want to re-sand and change colour?
• Are there height restrictions on how thick the flooring can be?
• Should I buy pre-finished or un-finished? 
• Should I pay a professional to install the floor?

These are just some of the factors to consider. 

We often see retailers misleading the public into thinking that Engineered floors are more 'durable' or 'hard-wearing' than Solid wood floors, when in reality, the outermost layer of a good quality Engineered wood floor is EXACTLY the same material as the top of a Solid Oak floor because.. you guessed it - it is made from Solid Oak. So, their durability in terms of how they wear shouldn't really differ?

The coatings used to protect the wood flooring, how it is installed and how it is specified are the key contributing factors to what makes the Oak more durable from a wear and general use perspective. Both types of flooring are capable of lasting just as long.

The choice between Engineered and Solid composition is a decision to be made on what is right for the application and specification of the flooring, not on an ill-informed sales pitch from someone who doesn't understand the real difference between these two types of hardwood floor. 

Solid.

Engineered.

As the name suggests, a Solid wood floor is (for instance) solid Oak from the very top, to the very bottom, made 100% of Oak. 

Solid wood floors are the traditional type of wood flooring. They have been around for centuries and worked along side very old building techniques and specifications.

As designs have changed and requirements for use of wooden floors have developed, they have become unsuitable in all applications. 

Narrow width Solid Oak floors are relatively dimensionally stable, especially those that are thicker i.e a solid herringbone block at 70mm wide by 22mm thick does not go under a significant amount of dimensional change under normal conditions as a 10m x 70mm overlay block would be susceptible to.

A wide Solid Oak floor, in plank form at say 180mm to 200mm+ wide will be less dimensionally stable as there is more timber across a greater width that will want to move more noticeably throughout seasonal change, as the timber takes on and sheds moisture content.

Incorrect installation of Solid wood flooring, both plank and parquet can allow the timber to move too much. This is a common cause for gapping between boards, and even swelling during certain months when moisture levels change. In more severe cases of in-proper installation, this can be the single contributing factor to the premature failure of a hardwood floor regardless of wether the composition is Solid or Engineered.

With the above in mind, a Solid wood floor would not be suitable in a room with underfloor heating, a subfloor which may pick up moisture easily, or in a room where humidity and temperature can change quickly - i.e. orangeries or conservatories. These are some, but not all of the factors to consider with installation of Solid wood floors.

A wood floor that is 'Engineered' to meet modern day requirements for underfloor heating systems, and environments where moisture, relative humidity and temperature can change quickly or frequently. Also developed to cater for the oversize and extra wide parquet and plank designs.

An Engineered wood floor (for instance) is made up of the top layer being solid Oak, and the bottom layer or base being made up of multiple layers of cross-laminated plywood. 

Because the Oak on top is usually anywhere between 4mm and 6mm thick, the dimensional change strength is reduced as the remainder of the board (usually 11mm or 14mm) is made up of plywood which, constitutes a dimensionally stable product that can tolerate the key elements that a solid floor cannot. 

So, your Engineered floor would be applicable when:

• Using over underfloor heating systems
• Using over certain solid subfloors
• Using in rooms where temperature and moisture can or do change frequently
• Using where the flooring specification and or design is wide (anything over 70mm in width)
• Using over acoustic sound dampening systems 

As far as wear, durability, ease of scratching etc is concerned - both flooring compositions will perform EXACTLY the same...

The coating system, and maintenance provided is the real factor behind durability and surface lifespan.

So what is the key to durability?

What coating system is right?

A Solid Oak floor and an Engineered Oak floor have the exact same material that you walk on, that takes all the wear and use over the years - so what makes them durable?

Oak is one of the more tougher types of wood flooring that is readily available to the market, so there's one key contributing factor.

The next, perhaps most important is choosing the right protective coating for the floor. Many floors now come pre-finished, but what do they come finished with? How do you maintain it? How do you know, that the products you maintain it with, are even right for the coating system applied in the factory? 

Factors to consider that will affect the durability of a coating system on a hardwood floor are:

• How much foot traffic will it receive?
• How often will people walk over it in outdoor footwear?
• How often or regular does the end user clean and protect the floor?
• Will it be subject to regular spills and frequent cleaning?
• Will there be walk-off matts to dry / clean footwear?
• Where will the flooring be getting installed?
• Why is a hardwood floor required?

We make all of our floors equally durable by applying coatings that are right for the environment they will be installed in.  

We listen to the end-user requirements and make sure we supply flooring that not only looks and feels good, but is fit for purpose.

There are generally no poor coatings about today, most will last up to 15-20 years before requiring a re-sand.

Which one is right for you will depend on what your expectations are from the floor, how you want it to look, feel (even sound!) and what degree of end-user maintenance you are prepared to do yourself!

Most coatings undergo some periodic maintenance at 3-5 years whereby a re-coat is performed to prolong the life of the original coating system. 

Our coatings fall into two broad categories: Oil and Lacquer

Oils provide more depth, lustre, visual warmth and a more natural, tangible element to a hardwood floor. Many of our customers enjoy this protective system not only because of the natural characteristics it displays, but also because it can easily be re-oiled by the end-user. 

Oils will wear into a floor nicely, provided the care is there - just like your skin or your hair, when the natural oil begins to dry out a little, or start to look a little bare then it is time to re-nourish. This can take as little as 1/2 hour per room and does not require professional application. 

Lacquers offer a 'build' coat that sits on top of the wood, often used with a primer coat first to stabilise the timber, and applied usually as two coats on top of the primer. They can be less susceptible to stains, and sometimes easier to wipe spills etc away from. Although both systems should be equally resistant to general spills if prepared and applied right. 

We find that they key difference in lacquers is the visual and tangible elements that put a different dynamic on the end user experience of the hardwood floor. 

Re-coating lacquer every ~5 years does require professional intervention in most cases.

To summarise.

Sometimes the information out there can be a little overwhelming, and it can be difficult when planning your next project or remodel to know exactly what it is that you want in terms of a visual, and in terms of how you want the floor to perform - everyone wants a floor to last, right? 

That's why when our customers are choosing their floor, we offer a comprehensive service from dealing with the subfloor to make that right for accepting a wood floor, to installation right through to helping guide you with your coating system choice. We listen to your requirements and put forward what we feel is the most appropriate protective coating system that ticks all of your boxes. 

All of the elements surrounding thorough preparation, installation, quality of timber and coatings used constitute a well-rounded system that delivers a hardwood floor that will last. 

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