Engineered Wood
Engineered wood goes through a process of ‘engineering’ to create a more durable and rigid board than achieved with standard solid wood.
Engineered wood is created from different layers of timber. The top layer is real wood, the same that creates solid wood flooring, but this is fused with layers of softer wood or HDF under high intensity conditions.
This process of layering means the engineered wood floorboard has more durability. The layers allow the floorboard to adapt to changes in heat and moisture conditions without permanently shrinking or warping.
Solid wood
Solid wood is exactly what is says on the tin. The wood is not ‘engineered’ beyond cutting to size, sanding and finishing.
This means it is a more ‘natural’ product, but this come with some disadvantages, such as being more susceptible to environmental changes. Heat and moisture can affect solid wood in ways that do not affect engineered wood. This can cause shrinkage and warping.