Flooring on a hard surface comes with a lot of questions, especially since there are many options to choose from. But most homeowners these days seem to be moving towards an engineered floor than the original hardwood floor, claiming it is better as a long-term investment.
But what makes equal better than simple solid hardwood flooring?
For that, you will need to know what an engineered floor is, and what gives it an edge over the hardwood flooring.
About engineered flooring
An engineered floor is constructed using both hardwood and plywood. This double usage of layers gives it a longer life than the solid hardwood floors, as they are made out of a solid piece of wood with no layers.
Wood warps in the presence of moisture. Continuous moisture can even cause it to crack and come apart, and your floor might become a dangerous place for you to walk on. But an engineered floor does not have that disadvantage.
This is because engineered floors are constructed using multi-layers of wood. Each layer is positioned in opposing directions. In this manner, the wood does not have the space or the ability to bow and bend the way a hardwood floor does. The opposing pieces keep each other in check.
Hardwood floors have limitations on where they can be placed owing to their nature in moist areas, but engineered floors face no such problems. Nowadays, people also do parquet flooring using engineered wood to get the same finish but a floor that stays in tip-top condition longer.
Engineered flooring is the better option due to its longer life and better durability. They are easy to maintain and will look just as good as a solid hardwood floor. Moisture will not adversely affect it, making it easy to clean too.