What is Engineered Wood Flooring? |
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Sunday, 23 November 2008 |
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These floors are constructed from several wood plies that are glued
together. The centre core is generally a softer wood material and is
used to make the tongue and groove. A hardwood finish layer is glued on
top of the centre core and another softer wood ply is attached
underneath the core. This top ply is also called the finish layer and
can be constructed of almost any wood specie.
Wood always wants to expand in a certain direction. In the presence of
moisture solid wood planks will always expand across the width of the
planks, rather than down the length of the boards. To avoid this
problem, manufacturers of engineered planks place each ply in the
opposite direction of each other. This is called cross-ply
construction. Once the wood layers are glued together the plies will
counteract each other which will stop the plank from growing or
shrinking with changes in the humidity. Engineered wood floors are
designed for the floating installation and can be glued together or
some now come with a click system.
The elegant look of a hardwood floor can add warmth and character to
any room in a home. The natural characteristics of wood add depth and a
visual appearance that many other types of floors try to duplicate.
With the demand for hardwood flooring growing manufacturer's are
enhancing their ranges to meet this demand, with better quality
finishes and superior construction techniques.
Hardwood floors come in a wide variety of wood species, colours and
widths. Besides the classic hardwoods (like red oak, white oak, maple
and ash) many manufacturers now offer exotic hardwood species from all
over the World. Exotic hardwoods give homeowners the chance to better
express their own personal decorating tastes with a more unique looking
floor. With so many different types of hardwood flooring now available
it is sometime hard to choose which is best suited to you.
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