What Is Engineered Wood Flooring and Is It Real Wood?

What is Engineered Timber?

The term "engineered" simply refers to the construction of the plank which is different to your traditional solid timber plank. Rather than one single plank of wood, with engineered you have multiple layers of material, bonded together with the grain running in different directions. The top layer being genuine timber. This "engineered construction gives the wood much more stability which is particularly handy in the volatile Australian climate which can cause a multitude of problems with solid timber flooring.

Check out the video below to gain an understanding of what engineered timber actually is and for reassurance that it is in fact, real wood.

Is Engineered Wood Flooring Real Wood?

There can be some confusion and misconceptions around what engineered timber flooring is. The most common misconception is that engineered timber flooring is not real timber and this is simply not the case. "Engineered" refers to the method of construction of the timber flooring plank.

What is the difference between Engineered and Solid wood flooring?

An engineered timber plank consists of more than one layer as opposed to solid timber which is one single layer or one single solid plank of wood.

Engineered planks are also more stable than solid timber planks. The stability of an engineered plank is provided by each layer being placed so that the grain runs perpendicular. This gives it more strength and stability than a traditional solid plank.

As engineered and solid planks are both real, genuine timber, both are susceptible to changes in atmospheric conditions and moisture. However, due to the construction of engineered planks, with he grain of each layer running in perpendicular to the next, the expansion or contraction of the timber is much more minimal than that of solid timber.

This makes engineered wood flooring highly suitable to Australian projects, given our volatile climate.

Yes! Engineered Wood Flooring is real wood.

The short answer to the question “Is engineered timber flooring real wood?” is: Yes, engineered timber flooring is real wood, just like solid timber, only it is constructed in a way that enables increased stability, decreasing the issues traditionally faced with a solid timber floor.

Ready to explore the wonderful world of engineered wood flooring?

If you would like further help or have any questions about engineered wood flooring, book a complimentary interior design consultation with Simone, jump on our LiveChat on our website, or get in touch and we can assist you.

Check out our latest Wood Book for help with incorporating an engineered timber floor into your home or office space, or to use the Havwoods Floor Visualiser tool to visualise any Havwoods flooring product in your space.