Timber Floor Care Tips and Techniques HOME SEARCH Timber Floor Care Tips and Techniques What Is Engineered Flooring? If you are planning on installing timber flooring in your new home or in an old house during a renovation, you may come across engineered flooring or engineered oak flooring. To better understand engineered flooring, you need to first understand timber flooring and what existed before engineered flooring was introduced. Timber Flooring This is a floor that is installed by arranging accurately cut planks of hardwood on your subfloor. A sealant is applied afterwards to protect the floor from scratches or water damage. The planks of wood should come from hardwood trees because they are more durable than planks from softwood trees. Planks from softwood trees wear out quickly under high foot traffic, meaning you need to change them out frequently; this can be costly. Natural/Solid Hardwood Flooring This was the first approach to hardwood flooring; it is still in use. Thick planks of wood are cut from a hardwood tree, treated to protect them from insect attack and various forms of damage and then laid on your subfloor. The most common hardwood tree is an oak tree; this is because it grows in the majority of climates. That is why you mostly come across the phrase "oak flooring" compared to other hardwood trees. Hardwood planks of wood are also expensive; this is mostly attributed to the fact that hardwood trees grow slowly. Engineered Hardwood Flooring After using natural/solid hardwood flooring for some time, it was discovered that high humidity environments affected the flooring. This flooring also needs to be installed, leaving spaces for expansion during hot temperatures. Additionally, the natural/solid hardwood flooring was expensive and still is for the majority of homeowners. The solution to these problems is engineered flooring/engineered hardwood flooring. It was discovered that if a thinner hardwood plank was used and thickened using plywood, it would not only solve expansion and humidity problems, but the flooring would be cheaper and more affordable to a majority. Note that because an engineered hardwood floor is thinner than a natural/solid hardwood floor, it may not have as many sanding opportunities as the latter. Sanding is done to remove the upper surface that is usually damaged by scratches or dents from heavy and pointed furniture. That is why engineered hardwood flooring is installed in low-traffic rooms. An Important Tip Even if you have some handyman skills, hire a professional hardwood floor installer. You don't want to go about anything the wrong way because it may end up costing you much more. This applies to whether you are installing engineered hardwood or natural/ solid hardwood flooring. Share About Me Timber floors are an amazing addition to any home, particularly one that has kids and/or pets in it. They are easy to clean and maintain. I have recently renovated my floors and replaced carpet with timber. This blog is to help you decide whether timber floors are a helpful addition to your place. I want to share tips on the different types of flooring which are available. I will also share information that I found about caring for hard floors, including the best ways to keep them looking cleaning. I am really excited about my new floors, and I hope you will be inspired about changing yours too. Search Categories (17) blog (17) Archive 2018 2021 Latest Posts Reasons To Consider Faux Timber Vinyl Planks in Your Home 12 October 2021 When selecting the flooring for a home, you need to consider various aspects. For instance, you should th What Is Engineered Flooring? 11 January 2021 If you are planning on installing timber flooring in your new home or in an old house during a renovation 4 Reasons Why Restoring an Old Timber Floor Is a Smart Move When Renovating 21 December 2018 If you're restoring an old home, there are multiple separate projects that you'll need to undertake. Each How to choose the perfect carpet for your room 15 November 2018 Are you thinking about purchasing a new carpet? Buying a carpet is a decision that shouldn't be taken lig 4 Fantastic and Effective Ways to Deodorise Your Timber Floors 25 July 2018 Wooden floors can begin to have an off smell especially if proper care is not taken. Since wood is an abs ©2021 • Timber Floor Care Tips and Techniques