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Characteristics of Hardwood

Feb 20, 2018 | 6:00 AM

When choosing a type of hardwood floor there is usually one place to start and that is with either choosing Solid Hardwood or Engineered Hardwood.

Solid hardwood is 3/4″ thick and varies in width from 1 1/2″ planks up to 5″ wide planks. Each plank is made with one piece of wood versus multiple layers which makes it a 100% natural product that is Eco friendly. Solid hardwood usually comes in a tongue and grove design that is installed on or above grade only, meaning it is not to be installed on concrete or gypcrete substrates. Solid hardwood is known to be very durable and is less expensive than Engineered Hardwood.

Engineered Hardwood is designed to have multiple layers of wood (positioned as cross members) held together by glue. Due to the glue this product is not considered Eco friendly even though the glue is non-toxic, and because of the design it is generally more expensive. Just like Solid hardwood, Engineered Hardwood is manufactured in a tongue and groove format, however Engineered floors can be installed above or below grade which makes it more versatile than Solid floors.

The structural integrity of Engineered Hardwood can be more forgiving than the Solid Hardwood regarding expansion and contraction of the wood when dealing with humidity levels. It is important to note that both types of hardwood are living products that require a constant humidity level between 45% – 55% to maintain their optimum integrity. Once any wood has been exposed to levels above or below suggested values for any length of time the wood could become damaged and irreparable.