Engineered wood Archives - Page 3 of 3

Despite being one of the popular materials, there are still some disadvantages of engineered wood flooring, which we will reveal here in this blog post. Other than these problems, it’s true these woods have become one of the most demanding materials. For increased structural stability, engineered wood usually consists of multi- or three-ply constructions. The number of layers indicates the overall strength of the floor. Aside from these coats, they always have a top coat either of natural wood or any other material to give them a natural look. It is possible to use a variety of engineered wood boards for flooring. And It seems like many homeowners are now opting for these new man-made woods because of their lower price than natural wood. With the right choice of material, engineered wood floors can last for years. For flooring in engineered woods, to be honest, there are strong and durable options available in engineered woods, which last for years, have sufficient stiffness to withstand heavyweight, to overcome their inability to resist water, an additional coat is given to them that also give them shiny and grainy appearance like natural wood, also soften the top layer which is without the coat, is not. HDF high-density fiber is one the strongest wood out there which is the closest to natural wood. This is one of the top types of engineered wood, compared to others it’s really durable but also is expensive. 9 Disadvantages of engineered wood flooring The mentioned below are some of the major downsides of every engineered flooring material. We take it very important that everybody should be aware of them. 1. Breakable Engineered wood has the disadvantage that when exposed to heavy particle drops they break apart. As opposed to solid wood, they are not able to handle sudden direct impact, as such in the following case: the material completely cracked resulting in serious damage. In addition, they are much harder to repair than solid wood; in most cases, replacing an entire board is the only option. 2. Flammable One of the biggest disadvantages of engineered wood floors, they are at high risk of fading. Direct sunlight can cause them to look bad as they are in that particular situation becoming prone to discoloration. With prolonged exposure to sunlight rays, engineered wood is susceptible to fading. The good thing, however, is that you can reduce the likelihood of fading by using drapes and blinds to protect your engineered hardwood from direct sunlight exposure. 3. Easily scratched and dented Compared to solid wood or hardwood flooring, engineered wood flooring is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting scratches and dents if you have pets around in your home and are willing to set up engineered wood floors. You should think twice about it because a scratched floor would not give a pleasant appeal. 4. Unstable resistance to moisture Another major problem with engineered wood is the inability to resist water. They easily soak up water drops and become damp, which over time causes them to be mold from areas, and fungi could start growing, the risk associated with bacteria also increases. In general, due to this behavior, using this material for flooring in areas where the use of water is high, is not recommended. If you want a floor that will last so long, it's not recommended to install engineered wood floors in kitchens or bathrooms. 5. Low-quality than solid wood. With the same name, there are many brands making engineered wood, to reduce pricing to win more buyers, the quality is decreasing from the basic level. Several brands make MDF, so if you don't know the quality, it's possible you will be snared by a poor quality MDF that will not last very long. Similarly, if you can find MDF boards made of top quality, at that moment, the quality will still be lower than what most solid wood offers- compared with some high durable woods. Whereas it’s obvious that there are cheap types of natural woods also, so in that case, there may not be any big difference between them. With that said, the quality largely depends on the price. 6. High cost of living Engineered wood is not the cheapest option for flooring. If you could search a little more, ask your carpenter to tell you some even cheaper options for flooring aside from wood engineered, the most common are linoleum and vinyl plank flooring. More into that, as MDF is an expensive and suitable investment if you one to invest in your home, and know you can benefit from your investment for years to come. Otherwise, living in a rent-house it’s no wise choice to put in extra money, you can go for a cheaper option like chipboard which is also known as a low-density fiberboard. 7. Repairs and maintenance Even though engineered hardwood requires significantly less maintenance than solid hardwood, it has numerous requirements nonetheless. Keeping the surface neat requires regular cleaning that includes sweeping or vacuuming to eliminate visible dust and debris. If you want to wash your engineered wood floors with water, watch how much you use, since too much moisture can rot the wood and invite mold and fungi. To remove excess water from your engineered hardwood, use a damp, microfiber mop prior to cleaning. 8. Scuff-prone This is the most crucial problem with some engineered wood, you will find many kinds of wood with a thin coat of hardwood. Since it’s a cheaper way for manufacturers to use less amount of solid wood for coating, eventually this saves them money to reduce the sale price. Nonetheless, poor wear resistance has disadvantages such that you can’t refine them with sandpaper and over time the top’s shine will fade out. Moreover, poor wear resistance on a wood-engineered wood also leads to soak up more water than due to easy penetration. 9. Presence of Toxic Chemicals Another disadvantage of engineered wood floors is, they emit chemicals like formaldehyde for instance. And considered one of the most VOC emission materials. With this in mind, they are unhealthy; can cause some health issues like asthma, and can damage other immune systems when they enter the human body. Mostly when exposed to high temperature, the gases build up and start spreading all over in a room, the tragedy then becomes serious. Which is better: solid hardwood or engineered wood for flooring? As with any question, there is no right answer, since the best choice depends on whether you enjoy that topic or not. Solid woods for flooring:- You might choose solid hardwood flooring over engineered hardwood if, for instance, you want flooring that you can refinish after prolonged use. Since plywood has a thinner design, it can only be sanded limited times because the thin top layer is not able to be scratched multiple times, if it does, you see the shining fading out. And thanks to their homogeneous structure, they are stronger structurally than engineered wood. Engineered wood for flooring- Layered engineering hardwoods have less strength than solid hardwoods. In spite of this, engineered hardwood makes up for this with greater durability due to its layer-by-layer construction. Engineered woods have upside as well, for a start, they are thinner in size that’s ideal when you want to lay your hardwood floor prone to the ground. Furthermore, high-quality engineered hardwood tends to contract and expand less than many natural wood types.