Look for the thickest, solid hardwood you can find if you want your floor to last more than a lifetime. pinholes and knots. Most of them have factories near the source of naturally growing hardwoods from eastern Canada to the central and eastern parts of the U.S. Other sources include Eastern Europe and China. Youll need at least a 1/4 inch (5 mm) wear layer of wood veneer on engineered to wear like a 3/4 inch (19 mm) solid floor. What are the benefits of using Prefinished flooring rather than Unfinished flooring? Look for a minimum basement floor thickness of at least 3.5 inches (8.9 cm). It is important to remember that all manufacturers recommend adding 5-10% to your actual square footage. Wood is a natural product subject to expansion and contraction. Where people have the most issues with floors is below grade, also known as your basement. This oil finish penetrates the wood, nourishing it as it protects, unlike polyurethanes that stay on top. Some brands of engineered flooring have a thin .6 mm wear layer that can only be re-coated and cannot be sanded and refinished new again once they get worn, they have an average lifespan of between 20-30 years depending on traffic. Some of the best engineered floors can be sanded and refinished if ever needed. The most significant drawback, at least with some brands, is outgassing. These are toxic fumes that can emanate from the stains, adhesives, and finishes from some of the engineered floors.

The best and most common thickness of solid hardwood is 3/4 inch (19 mm). Because all Easiklip floors come prefinished, you can easily install them now and walk on them right away. Heres why you can trust us. Well explain what this means in a moment. Can I glue down an Engineered wood floor over my concrete slab that is on grade? Wipe the floor with dry towels. Great DIY help. As an Amazon Associate, Easiklip Floors earns from qualifying purchases. Above Grade, On Grade, and Below Grade. For you and me, thats either above the ground, at ground level or below it. Engineered wood floors are more dimensionally stable than solid wood floors. In the dry winter heating months, moisture leaves the wood causing the floor to contract, which can leave unsightly gaps between each plank. I speak from experience on this. A standard 3/4 inch solid wood floor board has roughly 3/8 inch of wood before you start seeing the tongue. Matt lacquers leave boards looking very natural, almost untreated, whilst oils bring out the grain of the wood, but will require a little more care and maintenance than lacquers. A wider board (over 4 inches wide), will give you a more Country look and feel. Satin lacquers add a sheen and tend to increase the durability of the wood. If theyre too tight, your floor will buckle. Can engineered flooring be laid over engineered flooring? So a floor in a small-sized room of 15ft x 15ft would weigh about 650 lbs. A.

This helps us provide more great blog content. This ranges in thickness depending on the quality of the flooring, but is typically between 3-7mm, although thicknesses of up to 15mm are available. I just refinished them. It merely lays on top or floats.

Unfinished, Japandi Style - What It Is and How to Create One at Home. Please submit your request below and our staff will send you a quote asap! Quality Engineered Hardwood flooring has the same resale value as 3/4" solid wood flooring, if you ever decide to sell your home. Yes, installing prefinished wood flooring is not any more difficult than any other DIY project. Does it matter what size width board or color to use? As a result, youll find that most pre-finished floors have high UV protection and warranties up to 25 years compared to 3 or less for onsite finishes. They will be the ones who will generally stand behind their flooring if something should go wrong. There are four common finish coats to protect wood floors. Engineered hardwood reduces the amount of expansion and shrinking due to the layers bonded with adhesive under heat and high pressure. Engineered hardwood flooring can be used on wood subfloors or dry concrete slabs. Most manufacturers offer shorter warranties, typically 20 or less and only 15 years or less for 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) thick boards. The clip has silicone beads that allow for natural movement of the floor without buckling. Prefinished white oak flooring is some of the most durable, beautiful and least expensive flooring options you can buy. Installing below grade will also void the warranty on most flooring if you proceed. Easiklip devised a patented clip to join the boards instead of glue and nails. Very good article and guidance on engineered wood floors.

The better protection makes the wood more resistant to stains, spills, and other discolorations than on-site finished floors. If you sand down a solid floor below this depth, you will start to expose the nails that were used to install it.

However, most of them make only unfinished hardwood floors, and very few make pre-finished flooring. Can I use a Engineered wood floor in my basement? If you can measure a board, cut and direct glue it down to a concrete subfloor or in the case of a floating floor installation glue the boards edges together over a foam pad or if you have a wood subfloor staple it down, then you can install our engineered hardwood flooring. have special tongue and groove systems that simply lock together, How Do Floating Floors Stay In One Place? I just ordered a Somerset engineered floor. What is The Cost of a Two Storey Extension? All About Installing Hardwood Flooring Over Radiant Heat Therefore, the maximum wear thickness on a 3/4" solid floor is going to be 5/16 IN. Contractor says it will be heck to get up, splintering etc. I did save a lot of money with the 3/8" which I installed and finished myself, but I will eventually have to replace or go over these floors down the road. - Daniel M Martin, Architect LLC, Houzz Forum. You will receive a verification email shortly. An experienced journalist and renovation expert, she has written for a number of homes titles. Timbers such as beech and maple work well in more country-style interiors. UV-cured also requires high intensity UV light and multiple coats. All Rights Reserved.

The veneer is a slice of wood, usually about a 1/8-inch (3.18 mm) thick, glued to the plywood base. The most significant advantage with these floors is their ability to expand and contract evenly. I am sure I will be on this website when I begin installation.

They can use stronger chemical sealers than on-site contractors can use. Generally plank or one-strip designs are more expensive than two-strip, or three-strip wood floors as the surface layer is sawn from a single log. Wear layers on engineered flooring can range anywhere from .6mm to 6mm.

All About Floating Engineered Wood Floors All flooring is 3/4 thick solid white oak (not laminate or engineered), In-stock items are delivered to your curbside in 7-14 days (continental USA only), Easily install yourself, or hire an expert. That doesnt mean you cant do it. With engineered flooring, wear layer thicknesses can vary greatly. They can be refinished more times than engineered due to their solid nature. Mike also says about engineered flooring, It can also be sanded and refinished not as much as hardwood, but a few times over a couple of decades is fine, depending on the quality.. By It is recommended to use a floating engineered wood floor which allows the use of a 4-6-mil plastic vapor barrier in any areas where there is a slightly higher moisture conditions.

At the other end of the price point spectrum, you will find very high end engineered floors that have an incredibly thick real wood wear layer that can, later on if ever needed, be sanded and refinished. Durability of Pre-finished White Oak Hardwood Flooring, 5 Reasons to Choose Pre-Finished Versus On-Site Finishing, Pre-finished Hardwood Flooring Manufacturers, choose between hardwood, engineered or laminate flooring, toxic fumes that can emanate from the stains, adhesives, and finishes, http://www.sawmillflooring.com/engineered.html, DIY hardwood installation with costs, timeline and list of materials, Wood flooring sitting in lots of moisture, below grade installations take special precautions, Your Easiest Hardwood Flooring To Install With No Experience, Installing pre-finished white oak flooring, remove it altogether and use it elsewhere, Replacing Hardwood Floor vs. Hardwood Floor Refinishing, Prefinished Hardwood Floors vs. Adding Stain?

The average lifespan of an engineered floor with this 4mm wear layer is approximately 60-80 years. You must choose between hardwood, engineered or laminate flooring, the color, the wood, the installation method, and the thickness of the material. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Engineered wood floors are manufactured two ways. If you dont mind staying out of the room, or the entire home for about a week, go for it. If the area is not going to be heavily trafficked and will be maintained properly then you may not need as thick a wear layer. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Our flooring comes with easy to follow instructions. Home Depot and Lowe's Rely on Hosking Hardwood for Answers, I can refer you to one of our articles "All about Subfloors", All personal consumer information submitted through this web site will be held confidential within the company.

The biggest problem with below grade installations is the moisture that seeps up from the ground and through basement walls.

Volatile organic compounds and harmful substances like formaldehyde have been known to accumulate from these products. Oak is a timber which can work equally well in traditional settings as it can in modern rooms, depending on the finish and tone it has been given, for example brushed.

Typically, any hardwood floor is not suitable for basement applications, solid or engineered. Most take at least 48 hours to dry and may need additional layers which require light sanding in between each coat. Hardwood flooring does not cause allergies, recommended to use by allergists. Remember too that the surface of the floor is smooth and hard to grip. Generally, a professional sanding will remove around 0.5mm of the surface layer. Some may recommend sanding no more than three times for thicknesses of 15mm. I would suggest using whatever width board you prefer aesthetically. Another advantage with solid prefinished white oak flooring is there isno outgassing because there are no adhesives.