Ready to choose your stunning new timber floors? As it turns out, not all timber flooring is created equal. One of the biggest choices you’ll need to make is whether you want to go with solid timber or engineered timber flooring - but what even is engineered timber flooring? 

Let’s break it down and explore why you might prefer an engineered timber floor over solid, traditional timber flooring.

Timber Flooring

A timeless and classic flooring option, solid timber floors have been around for decades. They are simple in theory, made of solid planks of wood that are then nailed into place. This makes them extremely durable, easy to clean and maintain, and means that they will usually last as you can sand and polish timber floors multiple times throughout their lifespan. The downside is that they need to be carefully manufactured and treated to avoid excessive expanding and contracting, which makes them a more expensive option.

Engineered Timber Flooring

Unlike solid timber, engineered timber flooring only has a thin layer of engineered timber on the surface. This engineered timber is generally a timber veneer or laminate which then sits on a cheaper, sturdy material usually made of pine, ply, or rubberwood. The thin timber layer can be treated easily so that expansion and contraction won’t be a problem, meaning you’ll never end up with cupped or gappy floorboards.