SUBFLOOR CONSIDERATIONS: ENGINEERED OR SOLID?
When deciding between engineered or solid hardwood flooring for your home, first determine what type of subfloor you have. If your home is on a slab, you should choose an engineered hardwood. If your home is on a crawlspace, you are open to either a solid or engineered option. It is a good idea to consider the conditions your floor will encounter. The following points will help inform you on the best type of floor for your space. By selecting either solid or engineered hardwood, you will have chosen a beautiful floor that will add value to your home.
Engineered Hardwood is manufactured from three or more layers of high-density fiberboard (HDF) or medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and a real hardwood veneer top layer bonded together. Each layer is placed with the grain running in an alternate direction to the next. This process is designed to create a product that is dimensionally stable and highly resistant to cracking or cupping. Engineered floors are ideal for homes where moisture levels or temperature fluctuations are an issue (for example, homes near the water) or on concrete slabs.
Solid Wood Flooring, as the name implies, means that each flooring board is made from one solid piece of wood. Solid hardwood flooring is prone to expansion, warping, and cupping if exposed to temperature fluctuations. Historically the advantage of a solid floor has been the wear surface. The wear surface is the thickness of the floor from the face, or walking surface, down to the tongue or groove of the flooring. Today, however, some engineered floors have wear surfaces close to that of solids. Due to the humid climate of the ‘Lowcountry’ Woodboys recommends solid flooring no wider than 3 ¼” unless the home has some type of dehumidification system in place.