In the flooring market satiated with choices, knowing the difference of one product from another will help you make the right decision for your needs. For the wood flooring category alone, you already have two options that are very similar in some ways, yet very different in other ways. Solid hardwood and engineered wood floors are often clumped together as one category; the line that separates one from the other no longer exists. The unique characteristics of each flooring type have become so vague and nondescript. This article aims to clarify these lines once again and to highlight each product's strength and weakness.

So what exactly is the difference between these two? First and foremost, it is critical for you to understand that they're both hardwood. Solid hardwood floor, typically ? inch thick, is composed of one material all throughout the piece. For instance, for a solid oak hardwood, what you get is solid oak from top to bottom. Engineered, on the other hand, is made up of multiple layers. The first ply is the prime part of the material, a piece of real wood that is the species you are buying like oak or maple. The other layers are made up of different species different from the first layer -- a lot like a plywood floor. The layers are typically constructed with a method called cross-ply lamination to enhance the strength of the floor.

The principal reason to select one over the other is the type of usage in your project. For any cementitious material -- anything made of cement, whether lightweight cement or a concrete slab ? most often, the best choice would be engineered. It can be installed by floating or glue-down method, which means pre-existing subfloors such as vinyl, parquet, plywood, concrete and even ceramic tile can be easily covered. Solid hardwood floors are most commonly installed by nailing or stapling it through the face or blind-nailing it through the tongue. The subfloor must be able to hold the nail or staple. For that reason, concrete won't work.

The secondary reason to choose a flooring type is the look of the product. If you want a wide plank or a longstrip floor, it is most commonly available as engineered wood. These floors are offered in widths ranging from 3 to 8 inches in a single strip, dual strip and three strip looks. The wider single strip looks are very attractive and represent a great value in engineered flooring. As a comparison, an 8-inch wide piece of maple in a single strip would be extraordinarily expensive in a solid construction.

Price-wise, a 2 ?" solid floor is typically a little less expensive than similar width engineered floor. The costs of putting the engineered floor together push the entry level a bit higher than a similar solid floor at this range. However, the general rule is that the wider the board is the more economically advantageous engineered floors are.

Durability

In the area of durability, most prefinished floors have comparable durability. Any floor's ability to withstand the test of time (and other factors such as children and pets) is based on the finish used. Remember: the main difference between the two is construction; finish is virtually the same and is manufacturer-dependent. To find out more about finishes available, read the Hardwood Basics article.

Another factor that determines the durability of a particular floor is the thickness of the top layer. A very very thin layer is not going to be as durable as a floor with a surface layer measuring an eighth of an inch thick. The quality in which the layer and plies are put together is also critical for a good floor.

As with any wood product, both solid hardwood and engineered floors are not designed for heavily wet areas like bathroom floors or laundry room flooring. All wooden floors can suffer from water damage. Cupping (edges are raised) and crowning (center is swollen, edges sloped down) are just a couple side effects of a water-related disaster. Kitchens, in general, are an okay place to install both flooring types as long as the floors are well-maintained and are free from constant moisture.

A note about wood: no matter how well it is maintained, there's no chance that expansion or contraction will not occur. With solid hardwood, it happens with each individual plank. The lighter the floor the more the gaps will be visible. These will look like black lines on a light-colored lightly grained floor. In the summer time, these gaps will typically swell back up. The whole expansion-contraction issue is reduced in a floating engineered floor. For engineered, it swells and contracts as one unit making the gaps less significant in floating floors. In addition, since some engineered wood floors are glued together in a cross-ply lamination that makes it very resistant to expansion and contraction from changes in interior humidity. As a result, engineered wood has a superior dimensional stability benefit as compared to solid hardwood floors.

Installation

As mentioned earlier, for a concrete situation, a floating engineered floor is probably your best bet, although you can glue down many engineered floors as an alternative. The old-world appeal of solid hardwood is undeniable, but it's also important to set aside any biases against engineered. Though this is not a well-known fact, engineered floors can outperform hardwood in some areas. When choosing between the two, there is one thing you should always remember: use the right product for the right setting. As always there are exceptions to the general rule and two collections called Bruce Natural Reflections and Westhollow 5/16" Solid offer a solid hardwood which can be glued down over concrete. These 5/16" thick floors require a very good adhesive to prevent moisture problems with the new hardwood. Solid bamboo can also be glued over concrete in most situations.

For radiant heat flooring, floating engineered floors are the best option. Consider using one measuring at least 3 ? inches wide with 5 plies minimum. In general, solid hardwood floors and radiant heat flooring simply don't match.

The cost of having engineered floors professionally installed is approximately in the same league as the cost of prefinished hardwood installation.