Hardwood

What’s the difference? Solid hardwood is the traditional version of hardwood flooring, with planks each made from a single, solid piece of real wood. Engineered hardwood is a layered wood product, consisting of a thin slice of hardwood layered on top of another piece of high-quality wood composite, such as plywood. Engineered wood is less durable, but much more versatile – it can be installed on any grade, even in basements.

The durability of your hardwood (and therefore, its longevity) is determined largely by the thickness of each plank, in addition to other factors such as the wear layer and finish.

Standard hardwood planks come in a few different thicknesses. A ½-inch or 3/8-inch thickness is common for engineered hardwood planks, for instance. Solid hardwood floors, on the other hand, are much thicker – often ¾-inch with an added wear layer. This extra thickness allows for repeated refinishing, one of the chief benefits of solid hardwood over engineered. Engineered wood can still be sanded down, but only once or twice during its lifetime.