Is your flooring made of engineered timber or solid timber? Do you know the difference when you see your floors?
What is ‘solid timber’ flooring?
Solid timber flooring is ‘the real deal’. These floors are made from solid timber logs that are milled and smoothed to make flat, robust floorboards. This tried and true option gives you the benefit of having a completely natural floor that ages gracefully, can be sanded multiple times, and lasts for a lifetime if properly maintained.
Solid timber floors come in two types depending on the species of wood used: Hardwood and Non-Hardwood. Hardwood floors have a higher density than non-hardwood, making them more durable but expensive. Non-hardwood is much more affordable and environment-friendly, as they grow much faster than hardwood varieties.
Hardwood includes Spotted Gum, Blackbutt and Ironbark, and non-hardwood includes Cyprus Pine, Birch and Victoria Ash.
Advantages of solid timber flooring
- Premium and authentic look & feel
- Durable
- Unique in appearance
- Lasts a lifetime
- Easy to clean
- Easy installation
What is ‘engineered timber’ flooring?
Engineered timber flooring is an alternative to solid timbers and looks almost identical to ‘the real deal’. But instead of one whole slab of wood, it has multiple layers. The top and bottom layers are 100% natural timber, whilst the middle is a plywood core consisting of 5 to 7 layers crisscrossed in different directions and glued together.
This achieves the same luxurious look and feel of solid timber whilst also making it much more affordable.
Advantages of engineered timber flooring
- Lower costs
- Temperature and moisture resistant
- Durable
- Environmentally conscious
- Lower maintenance
- Easy to install
