The question should be, “Which construction is right for me?” The fact is, they’re all good – but perhaps one could technically work, or fit, better than another in your home or office.
The success or failure of a wood floor is not so much dependent upon the thickness of the wood, or the thickness of the wear-layer, but of the quality of the product and finish – as well as the specific characteristics of the species you are choosing. Of course, there are exceptions to that statement.
Take a look at the picture above – can you tell how it’s made? Solid ¾”? Multi-ply “Engineered”? Exactly! No one can. So if the product you choose (A) looks great to you, and (B) will last as long as or longer than you need it, which is information that might require professional assistance – then it doesn’t matter what type of construction it is.
Style of Construction
Solid: 5/16" thru 3/4" thick by random lengths and a variety of widths
Attributes
Engineered: Multiple cross-grain layers of wood veneers, usually 3/8", 1/2", or 5/8" thick by random lengths and a variety of widths
Attributes
Engineered Longstrip: Cross-grain layers as above. Short veneer-boards, called fillets, are resin-adhered to a wider (usually about 7" wide) and longer board (usually about 7' long). When each "Longstrip" board is installed in random fashion, the end result is a natural look. Below is a diagram of the "3-strip", and some manufacturers also have a "2-strip" style, where the fillets are wider.
Attributes
The success or failure of a wood floor is not so much dependent upon the thickness of the wood, or the thickness of the wear-layer, but of the quality of the product and finish – as well as the specific characteristics of the species you are choosing. Of course, there are exceptions to that statement.
Take a look at the picture above – can you tell how it’s made? Solid ¾”? Multi-ply “Engineered”? Exactly! No one can. So if the product you choose (A) looks great to you, and (B) will last as long as or longer than you need it, which is information that might require professional assistance – then it doesn’t matter what type of construction it is.
Style of Construction
Solid: 5/16" thru 3/4" thick by random lengths and a variety of widths
Attributes
- Intended to be nailed to a wood subfloor
- Can be resanded but only down to the level of the tongue - 2/3 of the board is wasted
- Very susceptible to changes in humidity, and known to shrink and squeak during dry seasons
- Available pre-finished, or unfinished to sand onsite
- Not environmentally sensitive, i.e. uses more of the slow-growth trees
- Gluing some solid woods directly to the subfloor is now an approved method in some instances.
Engineered: Multiple cross-grain layers of wood veneers, usually 3/8", 1/2", or 5/8" thick by random lengths and a variety of widths
Attributes
- Can be glued directly to most subfloors, nailed, stapled, and in some cases also floated*
- Cross-grain layering is far stronger than solid wood, i.e. resists warping, shrinking, or buckling
- Can be sanded and refinished (see note)
- Most typically available pre-finished
- Environmentally friendly, uses about 1/2 the amount of slow-growth trees
Engineered Longstrip: Cross-grain layers as above. Short veneer-boards, called fillets, are resin-adhered to a wider (usually about 7" wide) and longer board (usually about 7' long). When each "Longstrip" board is installed in random fashion, the end result is a natural look. Below is a diagram of the "3-strip", and some manufacturers also have a "2-strip" style, where the fillets are wider.
Attributes
- Tongue & Groove boards are most often locked together and floated* over a special cushion (see note)
- Cross-grain layering is far stronger than solid wood, i.e. resists warping, shrinking, or buckling
- Can be sanded and refinished (see note)
- Most typically available pre-finished
- Very easy to replace
- Environmentally friendly, uses about 1/2 the amount of slow-growth trees
- Screening & Refinishing: The top coat of the existing finish (NOT the actual wood) are abraded with a fine sanding disk, and then the new coating (s) is applied.
- Sand & Refinish: When the wood surface is severely damaged in a large area the finish and part of the wood top layer is sanded and new coatings are applied. You should never have to sand into your wood layer with normal traffic. If only a few boards are severely scratched or gouged, they can be replaced with new boards rather than re-sanding the entire floor.
