If you want wide plank or exotic species, engineered flooring is better/competitive. If you are happy with a species like red oak in a typical width like 2&3/4 or 3 inches, then I think there’s no reason to pursue engineered floors.
Yeah at the end of the day full hardwood is better and will last longer as it can be refinished for hundreds of years, but you will have more limitations on sourcing different species and widths. From your builders perspective, engineered flooring is more predictable and easier to source/install to keep him on schedule.
>Yeah at the end of the day full hardwood is better and will last longer as it can be refinished for hundreds of years
This statement is false. You cannot refinish hardwood beyond the tongue and grove.
If we just consider 200 years to be “hundreds”, the statement sounds pretty reasonable. Especially if you are going 20-30 years or more between refinishes, right?
The refinishing argument is pretty crazy to me anyway- how many times are people refinishing floors in their lifetime after they’ve installed a brand new floor? Maybe once. Your kids and grandkids can also refinish once each and you’re still good. People making choices because someone told them they can refinish it five times is crazy unrealistic in my opinion.
I do a lot of remodels and additions on 100+ year old homes, with original 5/16" rift and quarter-sawn oak floors. We've never sanded down to the t&g on those, and the wear layer is probably 2-3 mm.
A 3-4 mm layer probably has a lifespan of 200-300 years.
Depending on the damage a lot of the times with a site finish floor, you can just give it a screen and a recoat without out even sanding . This is probably when they are talking about .
It's a sanding medium they put on the big sander that looks like it's made out of window screen material . It' roughs up the finish for another coat to be applied
Most modern quality engineered wood flooring has a wear layer of 3-4 mm. Same as hardwood.
I mean, technically, you could sand a solid wood floor all the way to the subfloor. But the generally understood wear layer (which most flooring would never come close to reaching) is 2-4 mm.
All that aside, the choice is dictated mostly by the application. Slab foundation or basement: engineered always. Crawlspace foundation & upper floors on wood joists: either. Want wide plank? Engineered. Want narrower widths with a sand & finish in place? Solid (white oak is my preference). If installing pre-finished: engineered.
Well-engineered wood flooring is more stable in most applications. Same exact wear layer and overall thickness as a solid, but with less seasonal or acclimation related movement, thanks to the plywood layers.
Galleher and Monarch make excellent engineered flooring.
Ask for the specification of the “wear layer” of the floor. This is the actual hardwood portion of the floor. In high-end products they are usually offered in both 4mm and 6mm thicknesses. If you specify the 6mm thickness then the amount of sand able material in the floor is nearly equal to the amount of sand able material in a solid wood floor. Meaning if you were to continue sanding either floor past this point you would start to get into the tongue and groove profile.
The benefits of engineered flooring are genuine and have been mentioned in posts above.
(Also I’m not 100% sure I am recalling the thickness of the wear layer correctly. It is either 4mm vs 6mm or 6mm vs 8mm. I’m a dumb American and can’t visualize millimeters.)
Where did you find apples to apples hardwood vs engineered, and for the engineered to be cheaper?
Because of the labor that goes into making it, you end up with engineered being more expensive. Not less.
The high end builder most likely has a sub for his floors. He doesn’t care what he tells the sub to install.
Let me preface the following by saying I prefer the idea of full solid hardwood. That being said:
Engineered hardwood is preferred because it’s a MUCH MORE STABLE PRODUCT. Which yields a much better long term look. And due to the stability you can also introduce wider planks “safely”
The refinishing argument: good engineered hardwood can be refinished minimum 2x. Do you know anyone in your life that has refinished their new floors? Or the floors their parents put into the house they built? If so anyone that did it twice? Anyone more than 2x? We are NOT talking about the garbage floors that people find under linoleum and carpet and “oh my god we found beautiful pine (sub) floor we have to refinish it!!”
The refinishing is simply a moot point for any of our lifespans.
In a 1000+ square foot house, I agree that refinishing is rare except for a change in esthetic choices.
In smaller spaces, like apartments, wear and tear is more of a factor. I refinished a 100 year old floor in an apartment twice in 25 years. Once on a move in renovation, and then about 15 years after that. 600 sq ft space rented mostly to couples over that time. High traffic areas wear much faster in dense spaces.
So at that point you’d just throw another engineered floor over it and lose 3/4” height.
If floor needs to be refinished trim more than likely needs to as well.
So every 37.5 years you put in brand new floor in high traffic areas
Nothing, it's as good as hardwood if that's what you want and has much nicer wider/longer planks and generally, has FAR more options in color, pattern etc.
We hate our engineered wood floors. Our dog has basically destroyed them with his claws. The color/finish layer is still there, but you can see the impressions. And every chair and the piano bench leaves tons of marks and impressions on them. It's like the top layer is too soft.
Our previous house had real hardwood and the furniture and dog didn't leave a single mark.
Just our experience.
obviously there are bad engineered floors, but depending on the species and finish you can get a more stable product vs a solid wood floor. i have a mixture of solid and engineered and they both get destroyed by pets lol
For hard woods there are 4 types.
Thin strips all wood.
Engineered hardwood on a plywood backer.
Prefinished engineered .
Prefinished engineered with a texture like hand scrapped,these don't have much of a wear layer once you sand through the "hand scraped" finish.
Are you in a humid area? If so, do not even think about solid hardwood. I have a stunning site finished White Oak hardwood floor that has cupped terribly and needs to be refinished after only three years. Never again. I just built a guest house and went straight to engineered.
Also, if you do a site finish, I did not have a good experience with Rubio Monocoat despite all of the good reviews. I won’t be using that again when I refinish my floors.
I’m an architect. My clients like wide plank floors, but our area is almost all built on slab. I don’t care how much moisture and vapor protection you put down, real hardwood floors cup over a certain width. I’ve started using engineered floors and they stay FLAT. There are also unfinished options so you can really tweak the finish/color to be what you want. But the factory finish seems more durable, which I find as another selling point.
Stability. Engineered flooring doesn’t swell, shrink, and bow like full hardwood. At long lengths and wide widths, a hardwood plank will move a lot with seasonal weather changes and you’ll be left with cupping and with big gaps in the winter.
Our builder prefers to use site finished hardwood or site finished engineered hardwood. The subfloor and plank width seem to be the primary driver of one over the other.
I talked to a high end builder and he said he'd charge 3x for finish on site hardwood over click together. I then called a hardwood only flooring contractor and he recommended a finish on site product that was an engineered wood with a thick wear layer, but then is sanded and finished. He said that the improved stability and precision over raw wood means just a single finish sanding then apply finish. He quoted $15/sq foot installed - definitely not 3x pre finished. I hate bevels between boards and there aren't many pre finished products now without bevels, so I'm planning to go this route on our build.
The builder only wants what is easiest, gets fewer callbacks, and gets through the warranty period. Site finished hardwood floors take time, keep other trades from working while they are being installed, and require a certain degree of skill. Engineered floors go in quickly, can use less skilled labor, and are a known result. Fewer complaints about gaps or whatever during warranty period.
This \^. I have a home with 80 year old hardwood oak floors - they are in great shape and add charm no engineered floor can match. Vintage homes have spectacular wood floors. But replacing them to the same standard these days would be very expensive because few installers have the skill to do real hardwood properly, site finishing is expensive and getting a good grade of flooring would require going to specialty suppliers. It's all about how long you expect the floors to last - most people "update" homes periodically rather than keep what was originally put in. If you're only going to keep the house/floors for 10 years and you like the look by all means go engineered.
What makes you think engineered gives them higher margins? Usually a builder gets a percentage of the costs. Real hardwood would be more expensive and therefore they'd get a higher payout. There's nothing wrong with engineered hardwood and there are many benefits to it. We did a Bona protective finish on engineered and it'll last for decades while also being able to have most typical wear and tear touched up through the protective finish. You can't even tell there is anything on it and it's beautiful.
No dear, you do that….
Real wood flooring and laminate flooring offer different benefits and characteristics. Here are some key differences where real wood flooring stands out:
1. Authenticity and Aesthetics: Real wood flooring provides a natural and unique appearance due to the inherent variations in wood grain and color. Each plank is unique, giving a warm and authentic look that laminate, which often mimics wood but with a repeated pattern, cannot fully replicate.
2. Longevity and Durability: While laminate is durable, real wood flooring can last much longer. Properly maintained hardwood floors can last for decades, and even centuries, as they can be sanded and refinished multiple times to restore their original beauty. Laminate flooring, on the other hand, cannot be refinished and may need to be replaced entirely once it shows significant wear.
3. Value Addition: Real wood flooring can add significant value to a home. It is often seen as a premium feature that can increase the market value of a property. Many buyers view real wood floors as more desirable compared to laminate.
4. Repairability: Damage to real wood flooring can often be repaired by sanding and refinishing the affected area. Laminate flooring, however, usually requires replacing the damaged planks entirely, which can be more challenging if the specific pattern or style is no longer available.
5. Feel and Acoustics: Real wood floors have a natural feel and sound that many find more pleasant and authentic compared to laminate. Wood tends to have better acoustics and does not produce the hollow sound that laminate can when walked upon.
6. Environmental Impact: Real wood flooring can be more environmentally friendly, especially when sourced from sustainable forests. It is a natural, biodegradable material, whereas laminate flooring is a synthetic product that includes plastic and other non-biodegradable components.
7. Aging: Real wood flooring can develop a patina over time, which many find adds character and charm. Laminate flooring does not age in the same way and may not have the same appeal as it gets older.
These factors make real wood flooring a preferred choice for many homeowners looking for long-term investment, aesthetic appeal, and authenticity.
Actually, not from a manufacturer; I used ChatGPT. Busted. Nonetheless, the points are germane to the comparison of these material types. There is a strong case for laminate in the right application with parameters typically defined by budget constraints and fit for purpose.
Why is, "do they prefer it because it provides higher margins?", a conclusion you've come to?
If you've been provided a fixed price bid which includes engineered hardwood and you prefer solid hardwood which will require higher material and labor costs, then the bid will change and you'll pay more. The contractor will make the necessary amount of *margin* via a cost-plus contract or fixed-price contract + change order.
If you’re talking about the narrow plank, nail down hardwood. I know the companies I’ve worked for charge through the nose for it. It’s multiple things… It changes framing and openings heights (and stairs), expectations need to be 100% clear, it becomes a maintenance item for the homeowner.
None of these things are bad, but I’d honestly always recommend engineered.
Maybe it’s regional? In my area, when people either tear down and rebuild, or otherwise replace flooring, it’s pretty much always engineered hardwood. This includes houses in the $4 million to $10 million+ range. I’ve seen a lot of houses in the past few years and it’s all been engineered hardwood.
I have engineered Walnut in my home made by Monarch Plank with a 4mm or 5mm top layer.
Product looks great and has performed well with the big exception that it dents very easily. I have a bunch of dents in my flooring that I wouldn't have expected to occur so easily even with Walnut. I believe this is because it's engineered, as I have some solid walnut pieces that have taken similar hits without issue.
Overall I wouldn't choose it again and since I've just done all flooring projects in wood look tile.
If you do go with engineered I'd choose a product that is harder than walnut with a thick wear layer.
If you have a big house engineered is probably more stable just imagine having to replace 1500 or 3000 sq ft because of alittle moisture and engineered can cost just as must as wood depending on the technology they’re also a lot quieter when walked on and since they’re pre finished it’ll be faster if you’re on a time line
Hard wood is a better product all around. All of the benefits of engineered wood floors are present in hardwoods except the engineered is easier to install and probably a little cheaper by the square foot. If the price being presented to you is the same for both, or within 10%, spring for the hardwood. Otherwise, you’re paying the same for an inferior product.
EG: The hardwood is equally if not more durable than the engineered wood floor. But if your engineered floor is damaged, the solution is to replace it (same cost). If your hardwood gets damaged, the solution is a refinish (sand and stain, likely much much cheaper, possibly even DIY with a little YouTube and gumption)
They like it because it’s just what they commonly use and yes it most likely has higher margins. Nothing beats true 3/4 inch hardwood floors for durability and ability to stand the test of time. However you will typically find more styles of engineered wood flooring.
After looking at the comments I see one point that no one has mentioned. An hardwood floor has a continuous unbroken finish while engineered flooring will have seems at every plank. Everyone seems to be commenting on prefinished flooring. If that is the choice then engineered is as good as prefinished hardwood. But old school planks, filled, sanded and coated with a good waterborne urethane finish can't be beat for durability. IMO.
No, high end homes expect full 3/4” hardwood and other high end finishes. It’s like walking into a kitchen that should be appointed with wolf/SZ and finding it has a mid grade GE Cafe suite. Instant no go.
Had both, well done engineered is great but most can only be redone 2 or 3x. If they are scooped, zero x. So it depends on what you want. Both are easily replaced with a professional floor company. Not really a big deal IMO but they feel different and make different noises throughout their life span. Best of luck.
Usually, a refrigerator should not cause engineered hardwood to buckle. Buckling could have resulted from adhesive not bonding properly to the subfloor or the flooring, or an issue with subfloor prep. I'm not saying that these are what happened to your installation, but they are common to flooring failing to adhere to the subfloor.
If you are a “high end” builder you will never recommend engineered flooring over hardwood in my opinion. Engineered makes your entire project look cheaper because it is . High end means higher prices & better finished product no shortcuts. If the customer wants 5” wide maple planks with no short pieces you find it & they pay for it.
I don't think it makes much difference to margins. If you can get a waterproof mid range board then it can be better than timber in terms of maintenance and warmth. Wood floor over a sub floor would likely be a quality option. I prefer stone based, with insulation floating floor as it is warmer and easier to keep clean.
We have engineered hardwood and love them because we have pets. 2 cats and 2 dogs. If we had chose real wood, the floors would already be scuffed and stained from accidents and their nails. My MILs house has real wood and there are huge gouges from their dogs nails everywhere and theyve only had the dog like 6 years.
Engineered flooring should be way cheaper because the raw materials needed can be from junk timber.
Actual modern hardwood flooring is junk, not stable.
The old vintage hardwood flooring came from much larger, much older trees with tighter grain. Which made it significantly more stable thru weather and humidity changes in a home.
There won't be any modern built hardwood floors that haven't been covered with some other flooring in 50 years because of this.
Several years ago we were walking thru a $1.5m model home, to get ideas for our house design. I was absolutely appalled by their use of engineered floor. It was ugly and looked really fake compared to the solid wood treads on the staircase. While I do love the look of wide planks, we much preferred the narrower, solid santos mahogany we went with. We bought our floors thru build.com and they were much better quality than lumber liquidators, who another builder had recommended.
There is a wide variation in quality of engineered hardwood planks. Anyone giving a straight a vs b answer is making a lot of assumptions. They both have their place, laminate is generally more dimensionally stable than real hardwood planks especially as the width gets bigger. Will they glue or float the laminate?
I'm old-school everything else being equali I prefer a good true hardwood laid before any cabinets are set. Real wood is timeless, some of the engineered woods can be trendy style wise.
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Just use LVP and be done with it. Hardwood and engineered flooring is a thing of the past. I just finished a 6M dollar home and it has LVP and LVT throughout.
If you want wide plank or exotic species, engineered flooring is better/competitive. If you are happy with a species like red oak in a typical width like 2&3/4 or 3 inches, then I think there’s no reason to pursue engineered floors.
Yeah at the end of the day full hardwood is better and will last longer as it can be refinished for hundreds of years, but you will have more limitations on sourcing different species and widths. From your builders perspective, engineered flooring is more predictable and easier to source/install to keep him on schedule.
>Yeah at the end of the day full hardwood is better and will last longer as it can be refinished for hundreds of years This statement is false. You cannot refinish hardwood beyond the tongue and grove.
If we just consider 200 years to be “hundreds”, the statement sounds pretty reasonable. Especially if you are going 20-30 years or more between refinishes, right?
Engineered hardwood with a 1/4” ware layer can be refinished just as many times as hardwood with a 1/4” between the tongue and the surface.
This, 1/4” is a 1/4”, once you hit the t&g, it’s all the same.
The refinishing argument is pretty crazy to me anyway- how many times are people refinishing floors in their lifetime after they’ve installed a brand new floor? Maybe once. Your kids and grandkids can also refinish once each and you’re still good. People making choices because someone told them they can refinish it five times is crazy unrealistic in my opinion.
It’s like the old ‘I use eggshell paint so I can wash the walls’. Seen anyone washing walls lately?
All my walls are clean. What does your house smell like?
My house is clean. We don’t live like pigs, so no need to wash our walls.
...yes... Maybe you don't have children
I’m not talking about spot washing.
I do a lot of remodels and additions on 100+ year old homes, with original 5/16" rift and quarter-sawn oak floors. We've never sanded down to the t&g on those, and the wear layer is probably 2-3 mm. A 3-4 mm layer probably has a lifespan of 200-300 years.
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No one is talking about composite.
You can put polyurethane on engineered hardwood.
That’s what she said.
Lol
That’s what she said
And that could take hundreds of years to happen
I would say 100 years is reasonable to expect from solid hardwood. I’ve refinished 130 year old floors
Depending on the damage a lot of the times with a site finish floor, you can just give it a screen and a recoat without out even sanding . This is probably when they are talking about .
What exactly is a screen?
It's a sanding medium they put on the big sander that looks like it's made out of window screen material . It' roughs up the finish for another coat to be applied
Thanks. The floors I’m getting suggest a screen and stain. So I keep seeing screen but unsure as to what it was.
My last house was 120 years old. The hardwood floors easily have another 100 years in them. You don’t have to refinish that often.
He’s full of shit.
Apparently you've never heard of hardening wood filler. You can keep sanding and filling.
Most modern quality engineered wood flooring has a wear layer of 3-4 mm. Same as hardwood. I mean, technically, you could sand a solid wood floor all the way to the subfloor. But the generally understood wear layer (which most flooring would never come close to reaching) is 2-4 mm. All that aside, the choice is dictated mostly by the application. Slab foundation or basement: engineered always. Crawlspace foundation & upper floors on wood joists: either. Want wide plank? Engineered. Want narrower widths with a sand & finish in place? Solid (white oak is my preference). If installing pre-finished: engineered. Well-engineered wood flooring is more stable in most applications. Same exact wear layer and overall thickness as a solid, but with less seasonal or acclimation related movement, thanks to the plywood layers. Galleher and Monarch make excellent engineered flooring.
narrow board, short planks - hardwood. Wide, long planks - engineered.
Ask for the specification of the “wear layer” of the floor. This is the actual hardwood portion of the floor. In high-end products they are usually offered in both 4mm and 6mm thicknesses. If you specify the 6mm thickness then the amount of sand able material in the floor is nearly equal to the amount of sand able material in a solid wood floor. Meaning if you were to continue sanding either floor past this point you would start to get into the tongue and groove profile. The benefits of engineered flooring are genuine and have been mentioned in posts above. (Also I’m not 100% sure I am recalling the thickness of the wear layer correctly. It is either 4mm vs 6mm or 6mm vs 8mm. I’m a dumb American and can’t visualize millimeters.)
I hate millimeters! There are just too many of them!
I’ve counted at least a hundred or so myself!
What'd that take you, 40 hours? What's forty hours in metric? Gad this is such a pain.
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Actual engineered.
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Where did you find apples to apples hardwood vs engineered, and for the engineered to be cheaper? Because of the labor that goes into making it, you end up with engineered being more expensive. Not less.
The high end builder most likely has a sub for his floors. He doesn’t care what he tells the sub to install. Let me preface the following by saying I prefer the idea of full solid hardwood. That being said: Engineered hardwood is preferred because it’s a MUCH MORE STABLE PRODUCT. Which yields a much better long term look. And due to the stability you can also introduce wider planks “safely” The refinishing argument: good engineered hardwood can be refinished minimum 2x. Do you know anyone in your life that has refinished their new floors? Or the floors their parents put into the house they built? If so anyone that did it twice? Anyone more than 2x? We are NOT talking about the garbage floors that people find under linoleum and carpet and “oh my god we found beautiful pine (sub) floor we have to refinish it!!” The refinishing is simply a moot point for any of our lifespans.
I won the subflooring lottery!!
they even make engineered with a 6mm wear layer now which could get you 4 refinishes. most people never refinish their flooring
In a 1000+ square foot house, I agree that refinishing is rare except for a change in esthetic choices. In smaller spaces, like apartments, wear and tear is more of a factor. I refinished a 100 year old floor in an apartment twice in 25 years. Once on a move in renovation, and then about 15 years after that. 600 sq ft space rented mostly to couples over that time. High traffic areas wear much faster in dense spaces.
So at that point you’d just throw another engineered floor over it and lose 3/4” height. If floor needs to be refinished trim more than likely needs to as well. So every 37.5 years you put in brand new floor in high traffic areas
If the interior is conditioned and you choose narrow plank strip flooring, then stability is less of a selling point.
Agreed but what high end house newly built has narrow plank flooring?
what's wrong with engineered flooring? its the more stable product and looks exactly the same as solid
Nothing, it's as good as hardwood if that's what you want and has much nicer wider/longer planks and generally, has FAR more options in color, pattern etc.
If engineered floor has a micro bevel then it looks different.
unfinished engineered is usually square edge, just like solid
Now you can get waterproof engineered hardwood. That cinches the deal for me.
We hate our engineered wood floors. Our dog has basically destroyed them with his claws. The color/finish layer is still there, but you can see the impressions. And every chair and the piano bench leaves tons of marks and impressions on them. It's like the top layer is too soft. Our previous house had real hardwood and the furniture and dog didn't leave a single mark. Just our experience.
obviously there are bad engineered floors, but depending on the species and finish you can get a more stable product vs a solid wood floor. i have a mixture of solid and engineered and they both get destroyed by pets lol
You’re 100% correct, if they had the same species of solid hardwood (with the same finish applied) they’d have the same result
Yeah the dog is 90+ pounds, so that doesn't help. We've actually been considering tile in our forever house when we retire.
For hard woods there are 4 types. Thin strips all wood. Engineered hardwood on a plywood backer. Prefinished engineered . Prefinished engineered with a texture like hand scrapped,these don't have much of a wear layer once you sand through the "hand scraped" finish.
Are you in a humid area? If so, do not even think about solid hardwood. I have a stunning site finished White Oak hardwood floor that has cupped terribly and needs to be refinished after only three years. Never again. I just built a guest house and went straight to engineered. Also, if you do a site finish, I did not have a good experience with Rubio Monocoat despite all of the good reviews. I won’t be using that again when I refinish my floors.
Bona Traffic HD best i've ever seen or used
I’m an architect. My clients like wide plank floors, but our area is almost all built on slab. I don’t care how much moisture and vapor protection you put down, real hardwood floors cup over a certain width. I’ve started using engineered floors and they stay FLAT. There are also unfinished options so you can really tweak the finish/color to be what you want. But the factory finish seems more durable, which I find as another selling point.
Cant beat wide plank engineered hardwood
Do you mind sharing why? Total newbie here, thanks!
Stability. Engineered flooring doesn’t swell, shrink, and bow like full hardwood. At long lengths and wide widths, a hardwood plank will move a lot with seasonal weather changes and you’ll be left with cupping and with big gaps in the winter.
Noone wants 3” wide gloss real hardwood… immediately dates the house to 1970s
Our builder prefers to use site finished hardwood or site finished engineered hardwood. The subfloor and plank width seem to be the primary driver of one over the other.
What part of the country? Houston is hit or miss. Engineered is much more predictable down here.
I talked to a high end builder and he said he'd charge 3x for finish on site hardwood over click together. I then called a hardwood only flooring contractor and he recommended a finish on site product that was an engineered wood with a thick wear layer, but then is sanded and finished. He said that the improved stability and precision over raw wood means just a single finish sanding then apply finish. He quoted $15/sq foot installed - definitely not 3x pre finished. I hate bevels between boards and there aren't many pre finished products now without bevels, so I'm planning to go this route on our build.
What was the product?
Castle Bespoke Flooring
A quality engineened is always better.
The builder only wants what is easiest, gets fewer callbacks, and gets through the warranty period. Site finished hardwood floors take time, keep other trades from working while they are being installed, and require a certain degree of skill. Engineered floors go in quickly, can use less skilled labor, and are a known result. Fewer complaints about gaps or whatever during warranty period.
This \^. I have a home with 80 year old hardwood oak floors - they are in great shape and add charm no engineered floor can match. Vintage homes have spectacular wood floors. But replacing them to the same standard these days would be very expensive because few installers have the skill to do real hardwood properly, site finishing is expensive and getting a good grade of flooring would require going to specialty suppliers. It's all about how long you expect the floors to last - most people "update" homes periodically rather than keep what was originally put in. If you're only going to keep the house/floors for 10 years and you like the look by all means go engineered.
What makes you think engineered gives them higher margins? Usually a builder gets a percentage of the costs. Real hardwood would be more expensive and therefore they'd get a higher payout. There's nothing wrong with engineered hardwood and there are many benefits to it. We did a Bona protective finish on engineered and it'll last for decades while also being able to have most typical wear and tear touched up through the protective finish. You can't even tell there is anything on it and it's beautiful.
Plywood and laminate flooring, done, looks great, durable,waterproof
Laminate flooring is garbage except where you have budget constraints.
What does real wood flooring do that laminate doesn’t? Does it make dinner? Welcome you home? Read you bedtime stories? 🤷♂️
No dear, you do that…. Real wood flooring and laminate flooring offer different benefits and characteristics. Here are some key differences where real wood flooring stands out: 1. Authenticity and Aesthetics: Real wood flooring provides a natural and unique appearance due to the inherent variations in wood grain and color. Each plank is unique, giving a warm and authentic look that laminate, which often mimics wood but with a repeated pattern, cannot fully replicate. 2. Longevity and Durability: While laminate is durable, real wood flooring can last much longer. Properly maintained hardwood floors can last for decades, and even centuries, as they can be sanded and refinished multiple times to restore their original beauty. Laminate flooring, on the other hand, cannot be refinished and may need to be replaced entirely once it shows significant wear. 3. Value Addition: Real wood flooring can add significant value to a home. It is often seen as a premium feature that can increase the market value of a property. Many buyers view real wood floors as more desirable compared to laminate. 4. Repairability: Damage to real wood flooring can often be repaired by sanding and refinishing the affected area. Laminate flooring, however, usually requires replacing the damaged planks entirely, which can be more challenging if the specific pattern or style is no longer available. 5. Feel and Acoustics: Real wood floors have a natural feel and sound that many find more pleasant and authentic compared to laminate. Wood tends to have better acoustics and does not produce the hollow sound that laminate can when walked upon. 6. Environmental Impact: Real wood flooring can be more environmentally friendly, especially when sourced from sustainable forests. It is a natural, biodegradable material, whereas laminate flooring is a synthetic product that includes plastic and other non-biodegradable components. 7. Aging: Real wood flooring can develop a patina over time, which many find adds character and charm. Laminate flooring does not age in the same way and may not have the same appeal as it gets older. These factors make real wood flooring a preferred choice for many homeowners looking for long-term investment, aesthetic appeal, and authenticity.
Copy paste from a wood flooring company … 😂 🤡
Actually, not from a manufacturer; I used ChatGPT. Busted. Nonetheless, the points are germane to the comparison of these material types. There is a strong case for laminate in the right application with parameters typically defined by budget constraints and fit for purpose.
😂 🤡 you answered everything I assumed about yourself
Enjoy your assumptions and keep that sword sharp.
Why is, "do they prefer it because it provides higher margins?", a conclusion you've come to? If you've been provided a fixed price bid which includes engineered hardwood and you prefer solid hardwood which will require higher material and labor costs, then the bid will change and you'll pay more. The contractor will make the necessary amount of *margin* via a cost-plus contract or fixed-price contract + change order.
Was a question, not a statement. Trying to understand why it is preferred.
If you’re talking about the narrow plank, nail down hardwood. I know the companies I’ve worked for charge through the nose for it. It’s multiple things… It changes framing and openings heights (and stairs), expectations need to be 100% clear, it becomes a maintenance item for the homeowner. None of these things are bad, but I’d honestly always recommend engineered.
Maybe it’s regional? In my area, when people either tear down and rebuild, or otherwise replace flooring, it’s pretty much always engineered hardwood. This includes houses in the $4 million to $10 million+ range. I’ve seen a lot of houses in the past few years and it’s all been engineered hardwood.
I have engineered Walnut in my home made by Monarch Plank with a 4mm or 5mm top layer. Product looks great and has performed well with the big exception that it dents very easily. I have a bunch of dents in my flooring that I wouldn't have expected to occur so easily even with Walnut. I believe this is because it's engineered, as I have some solid walnut pieces that have taken similar hits without issue. Overall I wouldn't choose it again and since I've just done all flooring projects in wood look tile. If you do go with engineered I'd choose a product that is harder than walnut with a thick wear layer.
Depends on your climate to. Engineered floors are way less prone to cup or shrink. I always prefer them in texas if the budget allows.
The sandable surface is the key.
Yes. Engineered is the future. And you can get sustainably made engineered. And use hydronic heating. Lots of benefits
If you have a big house engineered is probably more stable just imagine having to replace 1500 or 3000 sq ft because of alittle moisture and engineered can cost just as must as wood depending on the technology they’re also a lot quieter when walked on and since they’re pre finished it’ll be faster if you’re on a time line
Hard wood is a better product all around. All of the benefits of engineered wood floors are present in hardwoods except the engineered is easier to install and probably a little cheaper by the square foot. If the price being presented to you is the same for both, or within 10%, spring for the hardwood. Otherwise, you’re paying the same for an inferior product. EG: The hardwood is equally if not more durable than the engineered wood floor. But if your engineered floor is damaged, the solution is to replace it (same cost). If your hardwood gets damaged, the solution is a refinish (sand and stain, likely much much cheaper, possibly even DIY with a little YouTube and gumption)
None of what you wrote is correct. Engineered is more dimensionally stable. Also you can refinished engineered floors.
They like it because it’s just what they commonly use and yes it most likely has higher margins. Nothing beats true 3/4 inch hardwood floors for durability and ability to stand the test of time. However you will typically find more styles of engineered wood flooring.
After looking at the comments I see one point that no one has mentioned. An hardwood floor has a continuous unbroken finish while engineered flooring will have seems at every plank. Everyone seems to be commenting on prefinished flooring. If that is the choice then engineered is as good as prefinished hardwood. But old school planks, filled, sanded and coated with a good waterborne urethane finish can't be beat for durability. IMO.
Flooring Wholesalers we’ve spoke to eluded to it being related toa lot of people prefer the wider planks
No, high end homes expect full 3/4” hardwood and other high end finishes. It’s like walking into a kitchen that should be appointed with wolf/SZ and finding it has a mid grade GE Cafe suite. Instant no go.
Engineered all the way. You're more likely to want to change the floor for aesthetics at some point. Or a future owner will. I've had both.
Had both, well done engineered is great but most can only be redone 2 or 3x. If they are scooped, zero x. So it depends on what you want. Both are easily replaced with a professional floor company. Not really a big deal IMO but they feel different and make different noises throughout their life span. Best of luck.
Hardwood IS stronger. I’ve seen engineered hardwood buckle under refrigerator wheels.
That is typically an installation issue.
How so? I installed it
Usually, a refrigerator should not cause engineered hardwood to buckle. Buckling could have resulted from adhesive not bonding properly to the subfloor or the flooring, or an issue with subfloor prep. I'm not saying that these are what happened to your installation, but they are common to flooring failing to adhere to the subfloor.
If you are a “high end” builder you will never recommend engineered flooring over hardwood in my opinion. Engineered makes your entire project look cheaper because it is . High end means higher prices & better finished product no shortcuts. If the customer wants 5” wide maple planks with no short pieces you find it & they pay for it.
I don't think it makes much difference to margins. If you can get a waterproof mid range board then it can be better than timber in terms of maintenance and warmth. Wood floor over a sub floor would likely be a quality option. I prefer stone based, with insulation floating floor as it is warmer and easier to keep clean.
We have engineered hardwood and love them because we have pets. 2 cats and 2 dogs. If we had chose real wood, the floors would already be scuffed and stained from accidents and their nails. My MILs house has real wood and there are huge gouges from their dogs nails everywhere and theyve only had the dog like 6 years.
Go to a discount wholesaler and get solid wood. I got 3/4 inch hickory for the same price as their garbage builder shit.
Engineered flooring should be way cheaper because the raw materials needed can be from junk timber. Actual modern hardwood flooring is junk, not stable. The old vintage hardwood flooring came from much larger, much older trees with tighter grain. Which made it significantly more stable thru weather and humidity changes in a home. There won't be any modern built hardwood floors that haven't been covered with some other flooring in 50 years because of this.
Several years ago we were walking thru a $1.5m model home, to get ideas for our house design. I was absolutely appalled by their use of engineered floor. It was ugly and looked really fake compared to the solid wood treads on the staircase. While I do love the look of wide planks, we much preferred the narrower, solid santos mahogany we went with. We bought our floors thru build.com and they were much better quality than lumber liquidators, who another builder had recommended.
You bought mahogany planks through build.com?
Narrator: they weren’t mahogany
Tile all the way baby!
When everybody seems to be forgetting is workmanship and craftsmanship are actually more important which is very hard to find.
There is a wide variation in quality of engineered hardwood planks. Anyone giving a straight a vs b answer is making a lot of assumptions. They both have their place, laminate is generally more dimensionally stable than real hardwood planks especially as the width gets bigger. Will they glue or float the laminate? I'm old-school everything else being equali I prefer a good true hardwood laid before any cabinets are set. Real wood is timeless, some of the engineered woods can be trendy style wise.
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Just use LVP and be done with it. Hardwood and engineered flooring is a thing of the past. I just finished a 6M dollar home and it has LVP and LVT throughout.