ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING
If you are looking for a product which offers the natural beauty and warmth of solid wood in a hard-wearing and cost-effective flooring surface, we recommend that you consider engineered wood flooring. Engineered floors are a great alternative to real wood, as they are designed to be tough and durable enough to withstand many years of use without warping or shrinking.
Engineered wood flooring is timber which consists of more than one layer. By placing each layer so that the grain runs at 90° it becomes virtually impossible for the wood to swell or shrink with changes in humidity and so dramatically increases its stability. The top layer of an engineered board (the lamella) is solid wood, usually hardwood, and may be anything from 2 to 6mm thick; obviously the thicker the surface layer the more times it can be sanded and refinished to remove signs of wear; the thickest wear layers are equivalent to those on solid timber boards. The lamella is securely bonded to one or two further layers – this may be a multi-layered plywood or a sandwich with either a softwood or hardwood core.
Engineered timber is now the most common type of wood flooring used globally and the technology has enabled the production of much wider boards, as well as the application of an enormous variety of really interesting finishes. Our in-store flooring section has a wide range of engineered wooden floors to choose from, including engineered oak flooring and many other popular species. Come in to see for yourself what we can offer.