Engineered flooring is an excellent option for flooring. There are many horror stories in the world about people who have tried to install their own hardwood floors. Between tearing up old flooring, installing a subfloor, and then going through the process of nailing, sanding, and finishing the floor, people feel like they’ve been in a war. Two options that you can use instead of going through all this is to use laminate flooring or engineered flooring.
While laminate flooring is a viable and affordable option, it won’t give you the same true hardwood look as engineered flooring. This is because engineered flooring is real hardwood flooring that has already been prepared for you. Instead of having what is essentially paper and wood flakes, you’ll have a real hardwood floor.
Engineered flooring is hardwood flooring without all the work. It’s the most expensive of the three options you have for hardwood flooring, but it’s real hardwood flooring and doesn’t require as much work as a standard hardwood floor. It is also more durable than a hardwood laminate floor and can be repaired after scratches and dings, whereas a laminate floor would be ruined if that happened.
The convenience and ease of installing this type of flooring over regular hardwood flooring is well worth the price for many DIYers. Instead of having to break up your old flooring and lay down a subfloor to secure the flooring, you can lay this type of flooring right on top of your existing floor. This saves you a ton of work.
Not only that, but you also don’t have to go through the hassle of sanding and finishing the floor. Since it’s already done, you don’t risk destroying your unevenly finished floor or worry about the family pet running across the floor before the finish is dry. These are some pretty attractive benefits that more than justify the price.
If you choose the thicker pieces, they will cost you a little more, but you can avoid having to do all the manual work of nailing down the flooring. ½” pieces can be glued down and 5/8″ pieces can be glued down or installed as a floating floor. Either way, it’s faster and easier than spending the day on your knees with a hammer.
If you want the look of hardwood floors without all the work, engineered hardwood floors are your best bet. While laminate flooring is good for certain areas that will see a lot of moisture, there’s really no need to install it anywhere else.
Engineered flooring will give you both the look of hardwood flooring and the ease of installation that laminate flooring offers. While it will cost a few extra bucks, you’ll realize it’s money well spent once the flooring is installed…
