Difference Between Hardwood And Engineered Flooring
In case of engineered floorings as well as hardwood floorings, wood is a very important part but they are not the same things as a lot of differences exist between these two. One of the main differences that exist between the two is that the only component that makes up that hardwood flooring is nothing but pure hard wood without any other additional substances. In contrast plywood is added to pure hard wood and they exist in alternate layers to make up the engineered flooring. In case of engineered flooring we see that the true hard wood is present only in the outer most layer and the remaining layers are composed of wood that are cheaper simulations.
Price as well as quality is another aspect that helps to distinguish between the two floorings. The Hardwood flooring being made of pure hardwood has a much superior quality and as a results costs high. On the other hand, the quality as well as quantity of pure hard wood is very less in case of engineered flooring as it contains maximum quantity of plywood, which is much abundant in the market, and as a result the price of engineered flooring is comparatively lesser.
If we consider the aspect of durability then the difference between the two kinds of flooring is very high. This is because, due to the presence of pure quality of hardwood, the hardwood flooring stays undamaged for ages resisting all types of wear and tear as well as damage. The resistance level to termites as well a pest that ends up damaging all the wooden things that exist in one’s house is very high in case of floorings made of hardwood. These advantages are not seen in case of engineered flooring as plywood is not as durable as hardwood. In addition, another disadvantage with this type of flooring is that sanding cannot be carried out more than a limited number of times as it results in the decrease in the life of the plywood and gets damaged easily.
However, if you like changing the look of your house flooring every now and then, then engineered flooring is the best option for you because due to being layered, only the uppermost layer of it can be removed and replaced with the desired flooring. The same is not possible in case of hardwood flooring as the wood is uniform inside out and replacing it every now and then is quite a costly as well as tiresome affair.
SUMMARY
- Hardwood floorings have one drawback that they get hampered in presence of moisture and water or humidity and due to this reason one cannot install them in the area that have water usage such as bathrooms, kitchens etc. Engineered floorings can however be installed in the above mentioned places as the constituent wood is water resistant.
- The effect that is achieved after installing the hardwood flooring is better than that achieved after engineered flooring.
- The durability as well as life span of Hardwood flooring is much more than the engineered flooring.
- The ease of installation as well as cost effectiveness is much more by installing the engineered flooring.
- The hardwood flooring is made up of completely pure hardwood and no other material whereas the engineered flooring has plywood present in alternate layers with the hardwood.