Engineered Oak Flooring - Just Like Hardwood Flooring

Engineered oak flooring is made of real wood by adding several wood layers stuck to each other under high pressure to a base of plywood which will be then milled into tongue and various groove planks.

The dimensions of the planks are the same with the hardwood planks that are needed to install the oak hardwood floors. This is why, even though it is called engineered, it is in fact real wood flooring, 100% natural, since every single piece is actually made of wood. Not only that but it is also stronger and more durable than a wooden floor made of solid material.

The main reason why people would choose to use engineered oak flooring instead of hardwood is because it is much cheaper. The material is cheaper and also the installation procedure is more cost effective. Not only that but once the oak flooring has been installed, there is virtually no difference between this flooring type and the real hardwood flooring in design. They look exactly the same. So of course people prefer the cheaper variety when it comes to it being of the same quality with the other option.

The European oak floor has a very aesthetical appeal in its finish to anyone who enters the room, and it looks expensive and classy. Also it is just as robust, long lasting and sturdy like the flooring made of hard wood. It also has an additional advantage over hardwood: it can be installed above a sub-floor heating application to keep the room extra warm.

The veneer hardwood, which is the upper layer that everyone can see, can range between 0.6mm and 6mm. The wear layer is approximately 4-8mm thick above the groove and tongue. Thus this hardwood is just as strong as any other solid wood flooring type.

The hardwood has more sectional movement and is more subjected to effects of humidity and temperature changes, something that the engineered wood floor is not experiencing to that extent. What it means is that the engineered flooring does not swell or contract depending on the humidity in the air, it stays pretty much at the same level. There is no need for extra gaps in the floor to cater to this variance in size, which means that the material is more forgiving in nature than solid oak. This is an added benefit one should be looking forward when buying European engineered oak.

Refinishing this flooring is possible however most of the layers are not refinished. It all depends really on the thickness of the hardwood.

Here are some of the benefits of using engineered oak flooring for your home floors in comparison with real oak floors:

• It is very stable with less movement between the planks than a solid oak flooring
• It will last just as long under regular wear and tear
• It has the same attractive finish given than the top layer is real oak, so nobody gets to see the lower layer, the plywood
• If you want to install sub-floor heating, this flooring is much more stable than the hardwood counterpart
• As plywood is the strongest timber material one can find, the board for the engineered flooring is much stronger than for the solid oak floor, making it in fact more durable than solid oak
• If you like to protect the environment, engineered oak flooring is eco-friendly and environmentally friendly. Using plywood means that this wood grows faster and there is plenty of it. Regular oak needs many more years to grow once they are cut off from the forest, and the earth suffers more in consequence
• It is much faster and easier to install since the boards are longer and wider and the floating method techniques of installation of easy click are notorious for this type of flooring, something that hardwood does not have. Installing over a concrete is very easy. Also they can be usually installed without the need of a professional carpenter to do the work for you. This in turn saves you additional money as we all know that flooring installation is not cheap
• There are more colors to choose from compared to real oak floor colors offered when you are renovating or building your new home You get a nice even noted floor that you need due to getting untreated boards and you can stain them in any color you choose
• It is much more cost effective, making it a cheap flooring option which is just as beautiful as regular oak and just as sturdy and long lasting

If you do not have the money to buy the solid oak flooring, you can be safe in knowing that the engineered oak flooring will give you the same benefits at a cheaper price and you will get to enjoy it for as many years as you would have the solid oak floor variety as well. Not only that but noone entering your home would notice any difference between what you have and what they expect to see.

If you want to check out what's online available on  engineered oak flooring, click the link.