Oak is becoming more and more popular as a construction material particularly for floors since it is considered among the most durable and beautiful types of wood. One of the options that home owners gravitate toward these days is engineered oak flooring as it has most of the great qualities of oak with added reinforcements as well.
What is Engineered Oak Wood Flooring?
This type of flooring is made by cutting oak into really thin layers (approx 4-6mm) and bonded with a layer of plywood as a form of substitute. A engineered oak floor looks very much like the solid version because the top layer which is exposed is the thinly cut piece of oak.
When buying this type of flooring, it is necessary to weigh your options and weigh the benefit of choosing such type of wood.
Affordability
Compared to solid oak, engineered oak floors can cost a lot less. This is among the top reasons why many people opt for engineered versions of wood especially when they need to cover a vast floor space.
Stability
Compared to solid wood, which is vulnerable to the elements, the engineered version is reinforced so that it becomes twice as sturdy as the original. Since the sub layer is made of softwood plywood, the top exposed layer is not exposed to moisture and heat from the ground.
Authentic Look
This is another great selling point of engineered wooden floors. That is, you can never really tell the difference between solid and manipulated oak because they look exactly the same on the surface.
Where to Use Engineered Flooring
As have been mentioned, reinforced wood is more resilient to moisture. In this context, you can make a sound conclusion that this type of flooring is best used for kitchen spaces as well as bathrooms. It is also acceptable to use engineered wood floors on wide areas such as the living room as well as bedrooms if it is your intention to save good money.
Shopping Guide
Appearance is the main factor you should look out for when shopping for floors especially if they are engineered. Original solid oak has natural occurring fissures and cracks, which should be left unfilled in the engineered version. Price is also relevant since not all floors are sold at same prices.
Installation
There are basically two ways of installing wood floors. One is by using nails or screws and the other is by applying adhesive. In any case, you might want to leave the installation process to professionals for best results.
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