Engineered Hardwood

brockmiera · 01-15-2013, 12:41 PM

I've been doing some research on engineered hardwood. It seems some of them are thin layers of actual wood that are laid perpendicular with a finished layer on top.

Others are some type of fiber board with a wood veneer on top.

Which are the best for a basement application?

joecaption · 01-15-2013, 12:51 PM

Any real engineered wood I've ever seen is real wood venner on top and plywood under it.
The other type your talking about sounds more like laminite flooring.
Two totally differant products.
Engineered would be the only one I'd use in a basement.

brockmiera · 01-15-2013, 12:59 PM

Yeah that was kinda my thinking too. I put laminate in my rental and it was veneer on mdf. Here is what lumber liquidators says.

Schön Quick Clic engineered flooring is constructed with a real hardwood veneer atop a moisture-resistant HDF core (high density fiberboard) which is made from real wood fibers that are compressed into a dense, impact-resistant format. In addition to providing extra protection against denting, the HDF enables the most precise milling of the locking profile to enhance ease of use and long-term durability.

Thoughts?

Seattle2k · 01-15-2013, 01:04 PM

HDF and MDF are basically the same thing. MDF will swell when it gets wet. I'd expect HDF to do the same.

zakany · 01-15-2013, 01:22 PM

The best way to educate yourself on the differences between products is to order samples from someplace like builddirect.com. There is a large discrepancy between the quality of different engineered floors.

Personally, I'd look for an engineered floor with at least five plys, no voids in the plys, a 3mm wear layer or better, etc.

brockmiera · 01-15-2013, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zakany

The best way to educate yourself on the differences between products is to order samples from someplace like builddirect.com. There is a large discrepancy between the quality of different engineered floors.

Personally, I'd look for an engineered floor with at least five plys, no voids in the plys, a 3mm wear layer or better, etc.

This is a product from Floor and Decor that I was looking at mainly because it closely matches the circa mid 60's oak that I have on the main floor.

Warranty: 15 Year Residential/ Lifetime Structural
Color: Red Oak
Finish: Medium Gloss
Texture: Smooth
Size: 5/16in. x 2 5/8in.
Product Type: Engineered Hardwood
Thickness: 5/16in.
Venner Thickness: 2.0mm
Length: Varies
Width: 2 5/8in.
Grade: Below/ On/ Above
Janka Rating: 1290

Additional Information
These engineered planks are created using five layers of natural hardwood laminated "cross-grained" to each other. This base is then topped with a premium layer of your chosen hardwood species and multiple coats of our protective polyurethane finish. This construction counters wood's natural tendency to expand and contract with seasonal temperature changes. It also gives our floors unusual resistance to warping and buckling. Engineered flooring is your best choice for any area at risk for moisture, particularly installations over concrete or "below grade" (ground level). Engineered floors are also generally thinner than solid. This has little impact on floor life, but it can minimize the height differential between your new floor and the other floors around it

Canarywood1 · 01-15-2013, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockmiera

This is a product from Floor and Decor that I was looking at mainly because it closely matches the circa mid 60's oak that I have on the main floor.

Warranty: 15 Year Residential/ Lifetime Structural
Color: Red Oak
Finish: Medium Gloss
Texture: Smooth
Size: 5/16in. x 2 5/8in.
Product Type: Engineered Hardwood
Thickness: 5/16in.
Venner Thickness: 2.0mm
Length: Varies
Width: 2 5/8in.
Grade: Below/ On/ Above
Janka Rating: 1290

Additional Information
These engineered planks are created using five layers of natural hardwood laminated "cross-grained" to each other. This base is then topped with a premium layer of your chosen hardwood species and multiple coats of our protective polyurethane finish. This construction counters wood's natural tendency to expand and contract with seasonal temperature changes. It also gives our floors unusual resistance to warping and buckling. Engineered flooring is your best choice for any area at risk for moisture, particularly installations over concrete or "below grade" (ground level). Engineered floors are also generally thinner than solid. This has little impact on floor life, but it can minimize the height differential between your new floor and the other floors around it

This is what you would want to install below grade,stay away from that HDF and MDf.

brockmiera · 01-15-2013, 04:03 PM

Thats kind of what I thought but was trying to figure out why the HDF stuff was twice as expensive as the real wood layers stuff.

Canarywood1 · 01-15-2013, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockmiera

Thats kind of what I thought but was trying to figure out why the HDF stuff was twice as expensive as the real wood layers stuff.

Might be because of who it's being sold by,they have been known to do that,personally wouldn't buy anything from them.

zakany · 01-15-2013, 04:34 PM

The HDF stuff is more expensive because people will buy it thinking that it's easier to install.

I'm paying less than $5/sq ft for locally milled, prefinished solid hickory flooring. Sometimes, quality and price become decoupled.

brockmiera · 01-15-2013, 04:42 PM

I have bought all of my flooring at F&D and have been pretty happy with it. Looks like I'll be going back there again. thanks for the information everyone.

brockmiera · 01-16-2013, 03:22 PM

So if the flooring is supposed to be either glue down or nail down, would it be terrible if I let it float? It still has the tongue and groove system.

Canarywood1 · 01-16-2013, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockmiera

So if the flooring is supposed to be either glue down or nail down, would it be terrible if I let it float? It still has the tongue and groove system.

Most of the engineered stuff out there today can be installed any of the three ways,but always best to follow manufacturers instructions.

Awoodfloorguy · 01-16-2013, 04:19 PM

Any engineered wood flooring is suitable for installation over a basement floor if you have a dry basement. Some of the better places to get engineered flooring are; real wood floors, shamrock, stang-lund, homerwood, armstrong etc. Hope this helps.

brockmiera · 01-16-2013, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Awoodfloorguy

Any engineered wood flooring is suitable for installation over a basement floor if you have a dry basement. Some of the better places to get engineered flooring are; real wood floors, shamrock, stang-lund, homerwood, armstrong etc. Hope this helps.

I've never heard of those places with the exception of Armstrong. I'll search to see if they have showrooms in Denver. Thanks for the info.