SOLID OR ENGINEERED WOOD?

One of the most important decisions to make with regards to your wooden flooring is whether you will opt for solid or engineered oak materials. For many people, solid wood carries a certain cache that is irreplaceable, but with advances in technology and manufacturing techniques, engineered wooden flooring has become increasingly desirable.

SOLID

Solid wooden flooring uses the material in its purest form, so should you select an oak floor for example, you will receive boarding that is 100% solid oak. This usually comes in a 20mm thick board that includes a wear layer, which covers from the top of the wooden floor itself to the tongue, usually between 6mm and 8mm in depth. Solid flooring is incredibly versatile and can be manufactured in any size, any length and any width, making it a perfect option for any living space.

ENGINEERED

Within engineered boarding, there are two types: a cross-layer engineered board and a multi-ply engineered board. A cross-layer board is a bottom layer of softwood with a layer of hard wood on top. In between the two is a core that links them, acting as a stabiliser for the boarding and making sure that it is completely stable. A multi-ply board consists of a top layer of hardwood, usually about 4mm to 6mm in thickness placed on top of a good spruce plywood, which is then cross layered to achieve the thickness needed. This option provides an incredibly stable and solid finish and is perfect for wide planks. It is our recommendation that you should not use a solid material for any planks that will exceed 150mm in width, as they will not be stable enough for the purpose.