So, you’ve had your carpet for years and aside from the fact it’s had mud trodden into it, wine spilt on it and various other atrocities forced upon it, it has simply seen better days. Ultimately, despite the discoloration, it has been worn thin from use.
Replacing one carpet with another is one solution, but it’s a solution that will result in the same series of events (and you just know that as soon as it’s laid something will be spilt on it). A far more modern approach to replacing carpet these days is wooden flooring.
Why Wooden Flooring?
As a nation raised on home comforts, we’re quite in love with our carpets. Why should we trade them in for cold, hard, wooden flooring?
Well, one of the major misconceptions about wooden flooring is that it creates a cold feeling, both in the room and on the feet. On the contrary, one of the main appeals of wooden flooring is the aesthetic – it provides a room with a minimalistic, modern and warm feeling.
And it isn’t simply for show. Wooden flooring is also very practical – solid wood flooring is generally warm to the touch, and engineered wooden flooring is perfect for under-floor heating. Additionally, if there is ever a spill, it is easy to wipe up and, unlike carpets, if certain areas of the flooring see more use, it is easier to repair or replace, without a need to redo the entire floor.
Engineered VS Solid Wood Floors
Unless you’ve dealt with wooden flooring before, chances are you will have next to no idea what the difference is between engineered wooden flooring and solid wood flooring. And depending on what sort of area you intend to fit, the difference between engineered and solid wood flooring is crucial.
The main difference between the two is how they are manufactured. Solid wood is shaped into flooring panels from a single piece of wood cut from a tree whilst engineered wooden flooring consists of several layers of wood glued together and cut into the desired size.
Both solid wood flooring and engineered wooden flooring provide a space with a beautiful aesthetic, but which is most practical?
How Much Will Your Wooden Flooring Be Used?
Whilst both solid and engineered wooden flooring look good, the choice between them ultimately comes down to the space you intend to use them in. Both have varying costs – the solid wood choice is cheaper to buy, but costlier to install, while the engineered flooring costs more to buy but is cheaper to install – so it really comes down to how much traffic your floor gets.
Solid wood flooring tends to be thick. This alone makes it an excellent choice for high traffic areas – not only will the floor boards gain character over time, but should you desire to recreate the original, new look of your flooring, it is possible to sand down the panels.
Engineered wooden flooring provides a room with a realistic wood look and just as much (if not more) protection against wear and tear and is often the most practical choice for home-owners. The downside of using engineered wooden flooring is, whilst well-protected, once the floorboards succumb to years of wear and tear, the panels yield less depth for re-sanding.
Which Wooden Flooring Should I Choose?
If you are looking to create a beautiful space with wooden flooring, both options are perfectly reasonable and will offer you greater resilience than any carpet. The key to deciding which style of wooden flooring suits you is dependent on the amount of traffic that passes through. If you’re fitting flooring into a home, engineered wooden flooring will likely be the best choice for you, whilst solid wood flooring will be the most practical option for commercial spaces.
At the end of the day, it all depends on what matters to you and how your floor gets used. If you’re still unsure about which choice to make, there are experts at hand to help you make the right call.
Stephen MacVicar is the Director for the quality solid wood flooring specialists- Mojo Flooring. Stephen finds that both engineered and solid wood flooring have their benefits and that it all depends on the practicalities for each customer.