Engineered wood flooring the preferred choice for modern homes
7 Jun 2024
For decades, homeowners have turned to hardwood flooring to add elegance and suit the climate inside their houses. However, in recent years, engineered wood flooring has surged in popularity to become one of the most sought-after options for modern homes. This innovative flooring offers the beauty of natural wood along with advanced stability, durability, and sustainability.
As engineered wood continues its rise to dominance, many predict it will soon overtake solid hardwood as the flooring of choice for most families. So why does engineered flooring seem poised to become the future of flooring? In this article, we’ll explore how engineered wood’s unique blend of aesthetics, versatility, eco-friendliness and durability is making it the standout choice to meet the lifestyle demands of contemporary homes.
What is Engineered Wood Flooring?
We’ve written extensively about what engineered flooring is. But in short, engineered wood flooring is a combination of multiple layers of wood where each layer is placed so that the grain runs perpendicular. Whereas a solid plank is just a single piece of wood. See the below video for a more in depth look at what engineered wood flooring is.
Benefits of Engineered Wood Floors
There are many reasons why engineered wood for flooring or wall panels were designed this way and these were mainly to avoid the key issues with single plank wood flooring, namely, its susceptibility to the weather where it is prone to warping, cupping or bowing. However, there are many other benefits to engineered flooring, these include the following:
1. Ability to install over uneven flooring
Engineered flooring can still be installed on slightly uneven flooring and this is because most engineered planks are designed with a tongue in groove click in system.
2. A wide variety of colors and finishes to choose from
Because Engineered flooring is prefinished (as opposed to solid wood which is done on site) it allows for a bigger range of unified finishes and colors for homeowners and business owners to choose from.
3. Less expensive than solid hardwood flooring
When it comes to your budget, engineered wood floors deliver. Their efficient construction mixes durable base layers with high-quality real wood tops. This lets manufacturers blend premium surfaces like oak or ash with more affordable wood cores, passing the savings to you. Engineered floors cost less per square meter than equivalent solid hardwood.
4. Cozy choice for healthier living
Engineered floors help improve indoor air quality unlike carpets, they do not harbor pet dander, dust mites, or other allergen, making them a good choice for those with allergies or asthma. Engineered wood is less susceptible to moisture damage compared to solid wood, reducing the risk of mold and mildew growth, which can be harmful to health.
5. Eco-friendly and sustainable
Engineered wood unlocks the potential of slow-growing trees. Unlike solid wood flooring which uses only the outer layers of the log, engineered wood utilizes the entire log in its construction. This optimized wood technology enables a single venerable tree to produce up to three times more flooring than milled solid wood.
With engineered floors, we expand the legacy of noble old-growth forests into more homes without increasing tree harvests. We conserve nature’s carbon stores while meeting demand for durable, stable floors. Engineered wood helps meet our passion for aesthetic flooring without costing the earth. By multiplying the yield from protected forests, engineered floors let us pass more wilderness to future generations.
Engineered Wood Suitability for Modern Homes
The modern American home has come a long way from where it was 50 years ago. Today many homes run on ducted air conditioning so the climate is constantly changing, not to mention the preference for underfloor heating and busy family homes that require easy floor maintenance. This is why engineered flooring is the best choice for the modern home because of its ability to stand up to the elements and of course as mentioned above their cost effectiveness which is a huge contributing factor for many homeowners and business owners.
The Future is Engineered
With their unbeatable mix of aesthetics, stability, and sustainability, engineered floors are on track to become the dominant flooring of the future. Industry experts predict engineered floors will continue their rise in popularity over solid hardwood.
We can expect exciting advancements like new digital printing techniques that emulate any stone, tile, or wood grain under the sun. Engineered manufacturers are also pioneering natural water-based finishes free of VOCs. Combined with the material’s inherently eco-friendly production methods, these innovative floors represent a guilt-free way to achieve the modern home look. As engineered floors better suit open floor plans, integrate cleanly with radiant heating, and require less maintenance over decades of use compared to alternatives, they make the ideal long-term flooring investment for contemporary households.
Engineered flooring has rapidly gained popularity over traditional solid hardwood to become the flooring of choice for many modern homes. With their winning combination of beauty, stability, versatility, and eco-conscious production, engineered floors are poised for even greater popularity going forward.
As more homeowners discover these sustainable, high-performing floors, engineered flooring will continue on its skyward trajectory. From technological improvements to the expansion into new room types and home integration systems, the future is bright for engineered flooring.
See it in real life
If you are in the market for engineered wood flooring look no further. We have an extensive range of colors and finishes that will suit any home or commercial premises. Get in touch with us today or visit one of Havwoods showrooms today where one of our friendly experts can help you with any questions you have.