Homeowners and contractors choose engineered hardwood flooring for its affordability, durability, and better moisture resistance. These qualities come from engineered hardwood’s core. Different manufacturers use a variety of core materials, including plywood or medium-density fiberboard. However, high-density fiberboard (HDF) cores are rising in popularity due to their superior quality. Discover the advantages of an HDF core in wood flooring with this rundown.
What Is an HDF Core?
Manufacturers like From the Forest create high-density fiberboard cores out of recycled wood materials, such as excess hardwood veneers or other defective hardwood parts. After grinding these materials into sawdust, manufacturers mix the particles with resin and compress the mixture into an ultra-dense core. This process creates an engineered wood flooring core with a higher Janka rating, making it harder and more durable than traditional plywood or medium-density fiber cores.
Harder Core for More Durability
The manufacturing process for HDF cores creates a stronger material than the traditional plywood core, which consists of thin layers of wood pressed together in a crisscross pattern. Furthermore, high-quality manufacturers use harder woods like hickory or oak to create an even more durable core material. The strength and hardness of the HDF core make the entire piece of engineered flooring more durable. This means more resistance to dents and other forms of wear and tear, making it one of the greatest advantages of an HDF core in wood flooring.
HDF Offers Better Moisture Resistance
One of the biggest challenges of wood flooring is its susceptibility to moisture. Standing water, leaks from plumbing, or even humidity changes can cause wood flooring to expand and warp. All engineered wood flooring offers better moisture resistance than solid hardwood, but floors with an HDF core go above and beyond the rest. The harder, denser core holds up better against moisture, making your floors less likely to expand or contract with water damage or changes in humidity. While this is useful in all building projects, it’s particularly valuable in moisture-prone rooms like the kitchen or bathroom.
At From the Forest, we strive to provide only the highest quality engineered hardwood flooring. From the elegant beauty of our grey engineered wood flooring to the long-lasting durability of our HDF core, you won’t regret outfitting your building with our products. Explore our collections, and learn more about how we put quality and integrity into every step of our manufacturing process.