The Difference Between Solid Timber Flooring And Engineered Timber Flooring

Solid timber flooring and engineered timber flooring have a premium status in flooring since they utilise the beauty and natural warmth of real timber from trees.

Both options are relatively similar. However, it will be difficult to pinpoint a difference immediately, so you are not alone if you have difficulties deciding between solid timber flooring and engineered timber flooring. Even though they are both made of hard timber, they have subtle differences in composition and installation.

In this read, we will look at a few differentiations between solid and engineered timber flooring but, first, let’s start by understanding what they are.

What Is Solid Timber Flooring?

Solid timber flooring is solid timber logs milled and dressed to make flat and robust floorboards. It is a traditional hardwood floor with a solid piece of wood throughout the plank, meaning no other wood is mixed. These solid wood floors are common in old houses around Australia.

The flooring comes with a tongue, and a milled groove, enabling the board to fit together and then be nailed down to the subfloor. But, again, this is a process that will need some skills. In addition, solid timber floors come as a raw product meaning the flooring will be sanded, polished and refinished several times in its lifetime.

Pros And Cons Of Solid Timber Flooring

Pros

• Premium and authentic look and feel since its the real thing
• Lasts a lifetime because they are made of single wood pieces that can be repolished and resanded
• Durable thanks to the hard-wearing surface ideal for high traffic areas
• Easy to clean as they need occasional sweeping or cleaning using a damp mop

Cons

• Expensive as they are constructed fully from real timber where real timber takes a long time to grow
• Not as durable for high moisture environments

What Is Engineered Timber Flooring?

Engineered timber flooring is relatively similar to solid wood flooring, but it differs mainly in its construction features. It is a multi-layered floor with a lamination surface or timber veneer layer over premium-quality plywood, pine, or rubberwood. This gives the flooring great stability.

Engineered flooring consists of a top layer. In addition, most are 1-4 mm thin and give a luxurious look while reducing the cost. Most engineered timber flooring comes prefinished and not as raw timber, so you won’t have to deal with sanding, polishing or vanishing after installation.

In addition, thanks to the multiple layers of protective coating applied at the factory, timber floors will be wear-resistant. It is structured and made to prevent any humidity-related issues that would affect solid timber flooring.

Pros And Cons Of Engineered Timber Flooring

Pros

• More affordable as the flooring does not use as much hardwood
• Easy to install because they are pre-finished and can be floated over your existing floor.
• Have a premium feel and look because they give the natural texture and beauty of wood.
• Stable because they don’t expand or contract; hence you will hear less creaking of floors during extreme conditions.
• Low maintenance since you won’t have to sand or polish again during the installation.

Cons

• Short lifespan than solid wood floors
• They may emit fumes as with any floor with multiple components bonded together with glue which may release volatile organic compounds.
• Sound more hollow, especially if installed as a floating floor

What Are The Differences Between Solid Timber Flooring And Engineered Timber Flooring?

When choosing between solid and engineered timber flooring, you will need to know the differences between the two. They include:

Appearance

Solid timber flooring is narrower than engineered hardwood flooring, and it has very tight seams between boards. The solid floors have a great range of species and colours than engineered hardwood flooring. Also, solid hardwood is available in pre-finished and unfinished board forms.

On the other hand, for engineered timber flooring, floorboards are wider, whereas some have slightly bevelled edges. This creates slight grooves between the boards, different from the tight seams in the solid timber flooring.

Engineered timber is sold as pre-finished, and it has a narrow range of available species and colours than solid hardwood.In terms of appearance, the choice of hardwood flooring will boil down to preference. However, if you want freedom in refinishing your floor down the line, solid wood will be the best choice.

Stability- Water and Heat Resistance

Solid timber and engineered flooring are stable, but it will depend on the room in which the flooring will be installed. Moisture and heat will distort solid timber flooring making it unsuitable for bathrooms, conservatories or any room with underfloor heating, low or high temperatures. A hot super hot room will cause solid wood to dry out then shrink, and a cold or damp room will absorb moisture which eventually leads to swelling.On the other hand, engineered timber flooring features a plywood component in every board, making it less prone to warping. As a result, it is an ideal installation choice in rooms with fluctuations in temperature, concrete subfloor or an underfloor heating system. The engineering timber flooring is the best choice for stability because its plywood base is less susceptible to warping due to moisture.

Installation

Solid timber flooring is installed using a tongue-and-groove system where each board is blindly nailed to the subfloor through tongues at the boards’ edges. Some engineering timber floors are installed using the nail-down method for solid timber floors, but other forms with click-lock edges are installed as floating floors. In addition, engineered wood flooring can be glued down against a concrete subfloor. Most hobbyists prefer engineered timber flooring for its easy installation.When it comes to installation, most DIYers prefer the glue-down or click-down forms of engineered timber flooring are easier to install than the methods used for solid hardwood.

Sizes

Standard solid floor planks are 3/4 inch thick, 2,1/4 inches wide, and sold in different lengths between 12 and 84 inches. Other thicknesses and widths are available, but solid flooring is rarely 4 inches wide.Engineered timber floors are thinner and feature 3/8- to 9/16-inch-thick boards. It is mostly sold in wider boards of up to 7 inches, and its length runs between 12 to 60 inches. There is no winner between the two flooring types unless you have a specific preference for narrower or wider boards.

Durability and Maintenance

Solid timber flooring is superior in durability because it can be sanded down and refinished severally in its lifespan. Engineered timber floors can be refinished once or twice before the surface hardwood is done later. A solid timber floor takes the win for durability and maintenance since it’s in a pre-finished form with a hard factory-applied finish that will hold up well. Notably, solid and engineered timber flooring will benefit from a varnish coat on their surface every three to five years.

Lifespan

A solid hardwood floor will give you anywhere between 30 and 100 years of service, more than the 50 years you will get from a well-maintained engineered timber floor. In addition, since it’s solid all the way through, solid timber flooring can be sanded and refinished severally and will give a new life every time, giving a longer lifespan. However, an engineered floor can only be refinished once, shortening its longevity.For lifespan, the ideal choice is solid timber floors because they can be sanded and refinished severally, giving longevity.

Budget

Pre-finished solid timber flooring averages $8 per square foot in the range of $4 to $12 per square foot. However, engineered flooring is slightly less costly, with a range of $2.50 to $10 per square foot. Most types fall between the $4 to $7 per square foot range.For the cost, engineered timber flooring is cheaper, but it’s not a huge difference.

Environmental Impact

Both engineered, and solid timber flooring are environmentally friendly options since wood is a renewable resource that can be replanted. An engineered timber floor has one layer of hardwood on its top, making it more environmentally friendly than a solid timber floor where the entire floorboard is solid timber.