Wood and Wood-like Flooring

Hardwood, Softwood flooring see here.

Engineered wood

is also called composite wood or man- made wood. It includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers or boards of wood, together with adhesives, or other methods of fixation to form composite materials. It can be easily confused with laminate. The main difference between this type of wood and laminate flooring is that laminate flooring contains no actual wood.

Top surface of engineered wood is usually made of hardwood which gives the look and a feel of a solid wood+ resistant to scratches and decloloration. The middle layer is made of softwood ( can also be plywood or HDF) it helps the flooring to be more flexible and keep its shape. The bottom layer (supporting layer) is the most important layer of the whole construction because it provides stability to the whole board. The Supporting layer.

Since engineered wood is made from natural cellulose fibers, it expands and contracts with changes in the humidity level. It requires no nailing or finishing. It can be installed over concrete, vinyl, stone or tile and can be laid in various patterns — planks, herringbone, brick

Laminate

Laminate flooring is a multi-layer synthetic flooring product fused together with a lamination process. Laminate flooring simulates wood (or sometimes stone) with a photographic appliqué layer under a clear protective layer. Laminate flooring has grown significantly in popularity, perhaps because it may be easier to install and maintain than more traditional surfaces such as hardwood. It is cheaper then flooring with real wood, as well as it requires less skill to install than alternative flooring materials. It can be laid over virtually any sub-flooring surface, including wood and concrete. It can also be applied on top of an existing wood floor, ceramic or vinyl tile, as well as vinyl or other sheet flooring. It can even be installed over certain types of carpeting. Prolonged exposure to moisture will damage some laminate products, but many can now be used in wet areas.

Reclaimed wood

Is wood that has been recovered or found from flooring of condemned houses, schools or hospitals or even found in landfills. Often it is wood that has been pulled out of a river or lake, conceder as trash or waste. Reclaimed hardwood flooring has a smoother texture (then of new hardwood flooring) and a unique look. Often the colours are richer and the markings more pronounced. It looks more ‘organic’ and ‘aged’. Reclaimed hardwood flooring gives a room a distinctive and classic look that is hard to beat.

This type of flooring is considered to be a green option because hardwood is an expensive and valuable commodity in the world — it takes between 50 and 120 years for a hardwood tree to reach maturity. By using the reclaimed wood we are preserving the earth from deforestification.