Reasons to Choose Engineered Oak Flooring in Your Home
If you love the look of timber flooring, solid planks are not the only solution. An alternative is engineered oak flooring. Here are several reasons to go with this option instead.
Easy to Install
Engineered oak flooring is easier to install than unfinished hardwood flooring. Because engineered planks are prefinished at the factory, no sealants that release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air are required, so your home won't be filled with unpleasant substances during installation.
Additionally, engineered planks can be fitted as a floating floor by your contractors. During this process, the boards are snapped together and put on top of the subfloor rather than being hammered or bonded in place. This method is simple since it doesn't necessitate the use of glue or nails. As a result, you'll save on installation costs.
Stable Flooring
One issue with solid wood flooring is that it shrinks and expands as the temperature changes. This movement might pose issues with the flooring, which needs to be perfectly aligned. Engineered planks are made to solve this problem. They consist of a resilient plywood core, which is more stable than solid timber. Plywood is made out of thinly sliced wood layers that are bonded together with their grains crisscrossing. Because engineered planks are steady, you can install them in high-humidity areas like kitchens without fear of the floor buckling as humidity levels change.
Design Options
With oak engineered floors, you'll have plenty of selections in colours and finishes. The topmost layer of these planks is an oak veneer slice that gives them their colour and grain patterns. Oak comes in a variety of tones that you can match to your decor. Additionally, the flooring can be stained in different tones to provide more diversity.
The veneer layer can also use different hardwood grades or quality. The best A-grade wood is smoother and has fewer veins and spirals than D-grade wood, which has more flaws. You might prefer flooring with more patterns and imperfections rather than a more perfect-looking one.
Additionally, different finishes give the flooring a variety of appearances, and you can pick your favourite. Choose from gloss, semi-gloss, and matte finishes. Shinier floors reflect light throughout the room, but they tend to display dust and scratches more prominently. Matte flooring gives a natural aesthetic.
Refinishing
Engineered oak planks can be sanded in the future, just as solid timber flooring can be. However, the number of times you can sand engineered planks depends on the thickness of the veneer layer. A thick veneer layer will allow you to sand the floor more times than a thin veneer layer.