Wilmac Flooring

Engineered Wood vs Solid Wood: Which Is Best?

When kitting your workplace out with new flooring, finding the right type of floor for your business can be a challenge. Wooden floors are often a popular choice due to their attractive, low maintenance and easy-to-clean nature. However, even once you’ve decided to opt for wooden floors, you still need to decide exactly which type is best for you. Here are just two options to consider:

Solid wood
As the name suggests, solid wood floors are made from nothing but hardwood. This type of flooring is incredibly thick and can be sanded down and refinished to suit the environment and the owner’s tastes. Solid wood floors are durable, long lasting and great value for money, making them a popular option with many businesses.

We usually recommend solid hardwood floors for rooms that are on the ground level or above. This is because they tend to expand and contract based on changes in moisture and temperature. As a result, if your workplace is in a room that’s below ground level, this may not be the best option for you.

If you’d like to have a solid wood floor fitted, it’s best to seek the help of experts as they’ll glue, nail or staple the wood to the subfloor, usually with a small gap to allow swelling. They can also install the wooden boards in a way that makes them appear to float above the subfloor.

Engineered wood
Engineered flooring is made up of layers of hardwood sandwiched together with hardwood veneer.

Not only are engineered wood floors just as attractive as solid wood flooring, they tend to have more practical benefits too. They’re more resistant to moisture and heat and as a result can offer more stability than solid hardwood.

Engineered wood is well suited to kitchens, washrooms, utility rooms and rooms with underfloor heating. Since engineered wood is stronger than ordinary solid wood, it doesn’t need to be nailed or screwed to the subfloor. This also means it’s well suited to apartments or upper floors.

Need help choosing the right floor for your business? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Wilmac. Equipped with more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, we’ll help you determine which materials are best suited to your company’s needs.