Robbins Armstrong 9/16 Kempas Natural Engineered hardwood Flooring

Armstrong Robbins 9/16″ Kempas Natural Engineered Hardwood Flooring 7.6′ Length 3 Strip Design Aluminum Oxide Finish

Price:

MINT RAINBOW SE VACUUM TOOLS HARDWOOD FLOOR & WARRANTY

US $359.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday May-21-2012 14:55:35 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Wet & Dry Cleaning Pad 1 ea

US $5.99 End Date: Monday May-21-2012 14:58:38 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $5.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Difference between Engineered Hardwood & Laminate Flooring

Planning a remodeling of house or a new construction; popping on wood flooring is great idea. Wood flooring gives the house a luxurious look with intense sophistication and blend of mystique which is brought by the natural color of the wood. Most importantly, it increases the resale value of your house. Though the concept looks fascinating, there are various notable features of wood flooring, especially when type of wood flooring is concerned.

In market, there are three types of wood flooring are available namely Solid Hardwood Flooring, Engineered Wood Flooring, and Laminate Flooring. Engineered Wood Flooring is the advanced form of Solid Hardwood Flooring which is a like a sandwich of finished wood and plywood. The plywood beneath the surface consists of 80-90% of the floor and the finished wood is what is visible and available for walk on. The laminated wood is also called technical wood that has a flimsy layer of resin infused paper below and top of it is wood chip composite.

]]>

With this knowledge of making, it is still difficult to understand the basic difference and advantages over another as both the flooring are visibly similar. Below, both type of flooring has been measured on certain parameters with the highlights of differences.

Appearance

Engineered Wood Floors look like the top layer of wood from which it is made from whereas Laminate Floors can be designed to resemble any kind of wood or stone. The surface of the laminate wood is slippery that cannot be sanded.

Durability

Both Laminate and Engineered Floors are durable and resistant to moisture. These are ideal for bathroom and basement areas.

Total Life

If properly maintained, Engineered Wood Floors can last up to the lifetime of a house whereas Laminate Floors last up to 15 to 30 years.

Installation

When compared to Engineered Wood Floors, Laminate Wood Floors are easier to install including some that do not need glue. A professional assistance is not required for laminate flooring.

Cost

Laminate Floors cost lesser than Engineered Hardwood Floors because of their synthetic make up. The added value of long life which the Engineered Floors offer can even out the cost in long run.

More Laminate Flooring Articles

Catalina PEFC Engineered, FSC, GBC, Green Hardwood Flooring

Engineered Hardwood: A Better Hardwood Flooring Choice

When engineered wood first came out on the market, there were speculations that this material was not made of real wood. Experts stress that this is simply not true. Engineered wood floors should not be confused with laminate, vinyl and veneer floors, which imitate or replicate the image or the texture of wood using plastic or a composite of other materials.

 

Engineered wood is made of three or more layers of hard plywood or high density fiberboard (HDF) and a bonded quarter-inch top layer of hardwood or lamella. This HDF core and lamella composition makes engineered wood eco-friendly, as the core can be made up of recycled wood and the lamella does not require as much timber as a solid hardwood plank does.

 

And, since they both have exposed surfaces made of hardwood, engineered wood floors can look as attractive as solid hardwood floors. Engineered wood floors can also come in as many hardwood species and colors as solid wood floors.

 

For the experts in hardwood flooring Los Angeles is home to, engineered wood offers a lot of advantages over solid hardwood. Engineered wood even holds up better in extreme weather conditions, which Los Angeles is no stranger to. The engineered wood’s core resists heat and moisture better than solid hardwood can. And HDF layers can actually counter compression brought about by foot traffic and other external factors. This allows for more durability and stability.

 

Moreover, the installation of an engineered hardwood floor Los Angeles flooring companies are proud of is quick and easy. Engineered floors can easily be installed on any kind of original floor surface, without the need to fasten planks to the floor or to each other. And since engineered floors come in a wider range of sizes, they are sure to cover floors perfectly, without the usual gaps of solid hardwood flooring.

 

Engineered wood floors are becoming the hardwood floor Los Angeles favorite because of all these benefits and the fact that the wood itself and the installation costs significantly cheaper. The planks are eco-friendly and very affordable, at almost half the average price of solid hardwood planks. Engineered wood flooring installation is significantly easier and quicker than solid hardwood flooring installation could ever be.

Related Hardwood Flooring Articles

Engineered Wood Flooring – A Great Alternative To Solid Hardwood Floors

Engineered wood flooring has been one of the great innovations in flooring to hit the market. Engineered hardwood is not made from solid wood. It consists of several layers and only the top layer is the actual hardwood that you always dreamed of having for the floors of your home. The layers underneath are specifically designed to give you maximum wear and tear and they give you practical flooring for just about every room of the house. Engineered wood flooring has advantages over solid hardwood that make it very attractive.

For one thing, engineered wood flooring is not as costly as solid hardwood flooring. The other layers of the engineered hardwood flooring are plywood or high density fibreboard. They are molded together under high pressure in a factory setting. Engineered hardwood floors will not expand and contract as solid hardwood does with changes in humidity and temperature. You can install it over just about any type of existing floor and by following special instructions you can install an engineered floor over radiant heat sources.

Engineered wood flooring in one of the most versatile choices that you can make when it comes to flooring in your home. It has many practical applications. You can install it over an existing concrete floor or one made with inferior grade wood. You can glue or nail it down and there are also forms of engineered hardwood floors that are glueless, forming a floating floor. It is an excellent choice in areas where there are drastic changes in temperature and humidity. However, engineered wood does not perform well in rooms of the home where there is an excess of humidity and moisture, such as in bathrooms or mudrooms.

One of the major reasons that many homeowners choose engineered wood flooring is its fantastic price. You have the same look and texture of hardwood, but it seems as if you are getting the hardwood at a wholesale price. Engineered hardwood floors are easy to install and the instructions are clearly printed inside each carton of flooring. You do have to make sure that the subfloor is clean of dust and dirt before you start so that any small pieces of rock won’t work their way up through the flooring.

In the line of engineered wood flooring, you can get various types of wood, stains and finishes. You can also choose prefinished and unfinished hardwood, but if you are looking for an easy project, then it is best to go with prefinished. This way when you have the engineered hardwood flooring installed, you don’t have to bother applying any stain or finish. You can just sit back and enjoy your engineered wood flooring.

Find More Hardwood Flooring Articles