What is the difference between laminate, engineered and solid wood flooring?
Laminate: pressed particle board with a photograph of wood applied to the surface. Laminate flooring contains NO actual wood. It can be installed almost anywhere, using a click together or glue installation. Solid: Generally a 3/4″ thick solid piece of wood. It can be installed on or above grade by a staple or nail down application. Engineered: Flooring made up of layers of real wood veneers. The graining of each layer runs in the opposite direction of the layer above and below it, thus acting as a check and balance system, keeping the wood from expanding or shrinking too far in one direction. Engineered floors are ideal for areas of high humidity or dramatic temperature changes. It can be installed above, on or below grade using glue, nail, staple or floating applications.
