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The differences between Solid, Engineered, and Laminate flooring
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Solid FlooringSolid hardwood floorings is ALWAYS solid wood through and through. When you choose a solid hardwood in any species you get all wood throughout the entire thickness and width of each floor board. Solid flooring is prized for its authenticity and longevity as it can be re-finished multiple times during the lifetime of the floor.
Can it be installed over concrete or radiant heat? In some very narrow circumstances, it can be installed over concrete, but that is not recommended and typically voids the warranty on the finish if the flooring was pre-finished by the manufacturer. Solid flooring is not recommended for installation over radiant heat. |
Engineered Flooring
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Engineered flooring is a thin layer of real wood that is veneered onto a plywood or similar "core" (base). The veneer process generally involves heat gluing the layer of real wood onto the base. Typically, the base or core is plywood of lesser species than the veneer layer.
Engineered flooring is a good choice for installation over concrete and radiant heat. TIP: How to choose safe Engineered flooring. |
Laminate Flooring |
Laminate flooring is a photograph of wood grain printed onto vinyl. That vinyl is then glued onto a "core" (base). The only real wood in laminate flooring is the "core" which is underneath the vinyl and is not visible after installation.
It is one economical way to achieve a hardwood-floor-look and can be a good choice in tough wear areas where authenticity of wood is not necessarily required. Laminate flooring can generally be installed over concrete and radiant heat. |
Disclaimer |
In all of the above general information, readers should keep in mind that no floor is the same and they need to be guided by the manufacturer's recommendations and their installer's advice.
Australian Cypress .com of Hardwoods USA (LLC) supplies solid and engineered hardwood flooring only - sorry, no laminates or vinyl products. |
