Solid vs Engineered Hardwood

What Are the Types of Hardwood?

At Kerns Carpet One Floor & Home, our flooring professionals are your local hardwood experts. We help take the confusion out of buying a new floor for your home. There are two different hardwood constructions, solid and engineered. As your local hardwood experts, we can explain the differences between the two and help you choose the best option for your home. From the surface, engineered and solid hardwood look the same, but the construction underneath is what matters most in your home.

Are you ready for a new hardwood floor in your home? Before you commit to a type of hardwood floor, you need to consider a few different factors. One of them being, do you have pets or children? Believe it or not that can have a major impact on the type of hardwood that would work best in your home. You’ll need a floor that can handle play time, accidental spills, and daily wear. Continue reading below to learn more about our hardwood options and which would be best for your family. 

We have locations in Mequon and Brookfield. 

Benefits of Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood planks are made up of three to seven layers of real wood veneers that are laid with the grains going in opposite directions. The layered construction allows the wood to resist its natural tendency to expand or contract due to changes in moisture and adds stability. The stability helps engineered planks to stand up to moderately trafficked areas. The top layer of engineered hardwood is a premium layer of wood, which is why it looks so similar to solid hardwood, and can even be sanded and refinished to extend its lifetime in your home. Engineered planks can be installed on all levels of your home, even in finished basements.

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Solid hardwood is a traditional option in hardwood flooring. Its uniform and classic design allows the wood to show off its natural characteristics. Solid hardwood is beautiful and can help to add real estate value to your home, but it is limited in where you can install it. For example, solid hardwood should be kept in dry, cool spaces of your home that do not see much foot traffic, like a bedroom or home office. Solid hardwood flooring can also be refinished to extend its lifecycle in your home.