Types of Wood Flooring

There are a couple of different types of wood flooring, each suited for different rooms and households. Some are more durable, others are more comfortable, and some are more suited for wet environments. If you’re interested in buying some wood flooring and want more information, check out our wood flooring buyers guide.

Check out the different types of wood flooring below, along with some pros and cons of each type.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring comes as floorboards, with each board consisting of a base layer of plywood and 2 to 3 layers of wood above, finished and sealed to ensure durability and longevity, perfect for heavy traffic rooms. These come in packs of fixed length boards, with various fitting systems including click for easy installation. Tongue and groove installation system is slightly more complicated to install, but is still fairly simple if you follow our how to lay wood flooring guide and consult a professional.

Engineered wood floors are constructed to be more stable than traditional solid wood flooring, which means it’s less likely to buckle over time. Also coming in at a cheaper price than solid wood flooring, engineered wood is a great option for many homes. Due to its flexibility and construction made up of multiple layers, engineered wood flooring is also suitable for rooms that differ in humidity and temperature, particularly in rooms that have underfloor heating or kitchens. This flooring is also slightly moisture resistant, although all spills should immediately be cleaned up.

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is the other most common type of wood flooring. Although it’s very similar to engineered wood in some ways, it definitely has its differences. Unlike engineered wood, solid hardwood flooring is made from a single piece of wood instead of several pieces in layers. It’s generally slightly thicker than engineered wood, at about 18mm thick as opposed to about 15mm of engineered wood.

Due to its single layered structure, it's only suitable in spaces where the humidity and temperature doesn’t vary much. Despite this, it can even outlast engineered wood flooring, and has an aesthetic advantage over its competitors. Another great benefit of this type of wood flooring is it can be repeatedly sanded and refinished when it accumulates years of stain, grime and scratches. If you’re interested, take a look at our guide on how to sand wood floors.

Unfortunately, despite these benefits, solid wood flooring tends to be more expensive than engineered wood and is more difficult to install, normally needing to be glued or nailed down.

What is the difference between engineered and solid wood flooring?

It’s clear that these two different types of flooring are suitable for different purposes, rooms and environments. Here are the important points you need to consider if you’re trying to choose between engineered wood and solid wood flooring!

Whatever you decide to go for, check out our ranges and see what takes your fancy! You can also go to your local flooring store to take a look at these types of flooring in person.