Many people look at other houses to get ideas before starting home improvement. One common denominator that many houses will share is the presence of hardwood flooring. Hardwood floors are a popular choice for virtually all homes because they can go with modern or classic looks, and look beautiful in many areas, with many different styles of décor. When considering hardwood flooring, it is important to be an educated consumer, because this is a floor that is meant to last many years.
Hardwood flooring is manufactured in solid and engineered hardwood. Solid wood flooring comes in both finished and unfinished varieties, and is manufactured with interlocking grooved sides so that the planks fit into each other. Solid hardwood can be resanded many times over the years.
Engineered hardwood flooring is made up of a few planks, each called a ply, of wood. The plies are compressed under intense pressure. Engineered hardwood is said to be stronger than solid hardwood flooring, although this is usually not a factor in choosing flooring. The only time this may come into consideration is when the floor is being laid in an area of extreme traffic and heavy wear, such as a bowling alley or wedding hall.
In most cases, the choice of engineered or solid hardwood flooring is made based on the type of wood chosen. There is a lot more to learn about hardwood flooring, and laminate flooring consumers should try to learn all they can before making a decision that will last for years.