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Engineered Wood
Engineered hardwood floors are constructed similar to that of basic plywood with the top surface being the actual hardwood. Engineered hardwood floors come in two to as much as twelve ply construction depending on the manufacturer.
Early versions of engineered hardwood floors looked basically the same in appearance, but they have changed with times. Many manufacturers have increased the surface wear layer of their engineered wood which makes them more durable and contributes to how many times they can be refinished.
Solid 3/4" hardwoods have approximately 1/4" above the tongue and groove construction. Once it is sanded to that level, nails or staples begin to appear and should be replaced. The better and thicker engineered hardwoods have 1/8" to 3/16" of an inch above the tongue and groove.
Dimensional stability of the engineered hardwood floors makes them an ideal solution for concrete floors, because each ply layer is pressure glued and set in the opposite direction. For those that are concerned with high humidity, engineered hardwoods expand and contract little if any as opposed to solid hardwoods.
Engineered hardwoods are installed using the glue down, floating or staple down method. It must be noted that not all engineered products have the same method of installation specifications, some may be floated, some may be glued direct, and some may be stapled only, and in some cases any of the three methods could be used to install a specific type of engineered wood. Follow manufacturer recommendation for the installation of your engineered wood.
The majority of prefinished engineered hardwoods have limits on lengths at 42 to 48 inches, opposed to most solid hardwoods at 72 to 84 inches.
Choosing an engineered wood could be somewhat confusing. They are available in different thicknesses, widths, looks and types such as oak, maple, cherry and many others. Thickness of engineered floors varies from 1/4” to 9/16”. There are more selections available in 3/8” and 1/2". Wear layer should be given priority in some situations. Another factor is the ply layers in the construction of engineered wood. The more layers the more stable the product will be in regard to humidity. One other thing that can come into play would be the joining areas where the new wood floor is going to be installed. Ceramic tile usually finishes at 3/8" in vertical height after thin set is applied under the tiles.
One thing worth mentioning about engineered wood is that the underlying ply construction should be equal or greater than the thickness of the veneer (surface layer). Reason being is that a force exists between the top and the bottom of the engineered wood during the changes in relative humidity within the environment. Thick wear layer with a thinner ply construction have been known to cause cupping or crowning issues.
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