Three important factors to note with engineered flooring are:

1. Veneer thickness – This determines the longevity of your floor by how many times it can be re sanded. Each sanding will remove about 2mm of wood.
2. Quality of cross ply backing boards (hard or softwood) – Quality affects the price, but an inferior and cheap cross ply will not last.
3. How the veneer is bonded to the backing board (hot or cold pressed) – Not so easy to find out but cold pressed is a slower process and the bonding last longer than hot press. The last thing you want is delamination of the surface layer from its backing board.

Engineered flooring is now available in almost any wood type and colour, pre finished or unfinished.
Good quality Engineered flooring (often determined by price) is really an excellent choice for most situations and depending on the type, can look absolutely no different to a real solid wood floor.

Some Advantages of Engineered Flooring Over Solid Wood flooring include:

• Engineered boards are very stable
• Engineered boards are suitable for areas with moisture content like kitchens and bathrooms
• Engineered boards are suitable for under floor heating
• Engineered boards can be floated on surfaces that are not perfectly level.
• Engineered boards are floated and are easier to fit than gluing or nailing