OnFlooring | Floor Decor Made Easy

To avoid any confusion, it is important to understand the difference between "laminate wood flooring" and "laminated hardwood." Laminate flooring is not made of wood and is instead a high-quality picture of flooring (often wood) printed in high-definition. On the other hand, "laminated hardwood" or engineered hardwood flooring is made by fusing multiple layers of wood together. It is important to use the correct terminology to ensure you get the type of flooring you want.

Engineered hardwood flooring is comprised of layers, called plys, which are bonded together.

The visible layer of engineered hardwood flooring is the top layer, which is made of a specific hardwood species such as Oak, Maple or Walnut. The middle and back layers are made of different wood species that are selected for their dimensional stability, which ensures that the entire structure remains stable and less susceptible to damage from moisture, humidity or arid conditions. Engineered hardwood floors typically consist of 5-7 layers, although they can have as few as 3 or as many as 10 layers. According to the National Wood Flooring Association, engineered wood floors are defined as:

Engineered wood floors are real wood floors that are manufactured using three to nine layers of different wood veneers. The sub layers can be of the same species, or of different species. The grain of each layer runs in different directions, which makes it very stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature. The top layer of engineered wood flooring consists of high-quality wood. While this type of flooring can be sanded and finished, it cannot be done as many times as solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring can be installed above, on or below grade. 

In comparison to engineered hardwood, solid hardwood is made of a continuous piece of wood that has a tongue and groove milled onto its edges.

Solid Hardwood

Engineered Hardwood: 10-ply, 3mm Face Layer

Enhanced Engineered Hardwood (EEC) by Mohawk: 3-ply, 2mm Face Layer

So why do engineered floors exist?

There are several reasons why engineered hardwood floors are a popular choice for flooring projects. Firstly, they can be installed over a variety of subfloors, including concrete, and can be installed using different methods such as glued down, stapled, and floating with glued or click-together joints. Additionally, they can be a more cost-effective option depending on the wood species used for the top layer. Another benefit is that engineered floors use softer wood species for the middle and back layers, helping to conserve the cherished hardwood on top.