Have you ever ordered something online only for it to look different once it arrives? More often than not, people’s expectations vary drastically from reality. After facing numerous disappointments, it’s only natural for you to end up erring on the side of skepticism—setting lower standards often leads to fewer letdowns.
Floors set the groundwork for any space. When you’re designing a new home or revamping a room, you want to make sure you choose the best foundation. A popular flooring choice that has risen through the ranks is engineered hardwood flooring. However, you may have a list of uncertainties, especially if you’ve never used engineered floors before. Here’s a guide to engineered flooring and expectations versus reality to ease any doubts or low expectations you might have for engineered floors.
Looks
For people who want authentic-looking wood floors, hearing the term “engineered” can be a little unsettling: to some, “engineered” implies human interference lowering the floors’ natural design. Therefore, many people expect engineered wood floorings to look fake, like many types of wood-printed vinyl. However, in reality, engineered floors still provide a natural aesthetic.
Engineered wood consists of a surface layer made from natural hardwood, while the rest of its makeup includes multiple layers of wood parts compressed and bonded together. Since the top layer features natural hardwood, all you see is that pure wood layer, so your floors will look like they’re made 100 percent organic wood. Plus, specific engineered planks feature beautiful raw wood textures, depending on the type of hardwood used as the top layer. For example, American black walnut engineered wood flooring consists of gorgeous, vivid, natural-looking wood burls.
Durability
On the other end of the spectrum, some people may hear “wood flooring” and assume that engineered floors possess the same disadvantages as solid wood floors. In truth, engineered wood offers more durability than various other flooring selections. This is due to its manufactured core and layered build. The center of engineered boards is built in a criss-cross pattern, ensuring a strong, dense structure that can withstand heavy weights, dents, and scratches. The density of the wood layers also makes it harder for moisture and water to seep into the planks and morph their shape. Engineered wood takes a lot longer to succumb to water and foot traffic damage.
Variety
If you’re looking to make a statement in your home, the last thing you want is to have the same interior features that a majority of the population has. Most people expect a lot of the engineered floors to lack uniqueness and to look the same in every household because many highly consumed products on the market are design copies. In reality, each plank of engineered wood is unique. Since the surface layers of engineered wood consist of natural wood, no two engineered planks look exactly alike.
Organic wood textures vary. Even pieces of wood cut from the same tree have differences; the patterns featured per piece of wood differ ever so slightly. As an extra cherry on top, engineered wood comes in various colors and more options than other flooring types for a lower price.
Falling into the trap of skepticism is easy, but engineered wood flooring is popular for many reasons. Hopefully, with this guide to engineered flooring and expectations versus reality, your doubts have decreased and you’re ready to explore the joys and benefits of engineered wood floors.