Wood floors are a great addition to your home, which will add beauty and value. With proper installation, it can be nearly impossible to distinguish an engineered floor from a true solid hardwood floor.
Because engineered flooring was originally designed to go directly over concrete. Most types of engineered flooring can be glued or floated (as well as nailed), making installation below grade or on top of concrete a breeze. Engineered floors are also be the best option when going over radiant in floor heat. Again, this is because the floors do not have to be nailed directly to the subfloor.
A good engineered flooring should last just as long as a traditional solid wood floor. Engineered flooring that has a thicker wear layer of at least 2mm, can be refinished multiple times, despite popular belief. There are manufacturers that make a thinner wear layer that is not able to be refinished. The thickness of the wear layer is definitely something you want to pay attention to before purchasing an engineered flooring.
Engineered floors are also more stable than a solid wood floor, and therefore tend to have more options in a wide plank profile. The key to the stability is the makeup of the base layer, a series of plies and unfinished white woods pressed together. The layers are often cross plied to make them even more structurally sound. If you prefer the look of wide plank flooring, engineered is definitely the way to go.
