The difference between solid and engineered wood flooring

A solid hardwood floor and an engineered hardwood floor look the same. But looks can be deceiving! Because of its makeup, engineered wood is appropriate for more applications than solid hardwood flooring. About All Floors is a hardwood flooring company in Wyomissing and Douglassville, Pennsylvania, that offers a wide variety of finished and unfinished solid wood and engineered wood flooring. Each type of plank is found in many wood species, finishes, and textures.

Layered composition 

While a solid plank is cut from one log, a human-made plank has a layered construction. The hardwood layer is situated on top of a base made up of several layers of plywood. These layers are crisscrossed and bonded together. Thus, the flooring can tolerate changes in moisture and temperature. Engineered wood can be installed in basements and other moisture-prone spaces, and it can be installed over a concrete subfloor.

Floating floors and more

While solid wood planks are nailed to a wood subfloor, human-made planks are designed to interlock at the edges. Therefore, floors float above the subfloor rather than attach to it. Engineered wood, which can often be installed over existing hard surface flooring, almost always requires an underlayment. This padding muffles noise, provides thermal insulation, and evens out subfloor imperfections. Some underlayment comes with a moisture barrier.

Family-owned About All Floors can assist you with your hardwood floor upgrade. We provide residential and commercial installation services. The pros on our installation team are licensed and insured. We also offer design consultation and job supervision and coordination. We can answer all of your questions during a free consultation. Flooring estimates are free, too. Exeter, Pottstown, Birdsboro, Boyertown, and Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, are located in our service area. Please view our online catalog or visit one of our showrooms to begin your wood flooring project.