Why choose engineered wood flooring?

Timeless styling can be yours with an engineered wood floor. Simple to install and beautiful to look at, it’s no surprise that engineered wood is fast becoming a popular alternative to solid wood flooring by more and more home owners. In short engineered wood flooring is less costly and more practical than real wood flooring planks, yet does not compromise on the stunning high quality finish. Warm and comfortable under your feet, this luxurious flooring is so versatile that the classic finish it has will suit both modern and traditionally styled homes. It can even be re-sanded and refinished if you find the floor has become scratched over the years, or you fancy a change of colour and texture.

Available in a range of wood types and shades with different finishes, you’re sure to find an engineered wood floor to suit your own personal interior design style. Strong and durable, this flooring can easily withstand the coming and going of a busy family home - in fact it’s made for it!

At Alexanders we stock a diverse range of engineered wood flooring to suit every budget, room and interior taste. From realistic finishes and detailing to quality materials and beautiful shades, you’re sure to find wood flooring that suits you needs with us. We also have a great range of underlay and accessories to ensure that you get the best out of your new flooring and achieve the perfect finish.

Room guide to engineered wood flooring

Your heart is set on a wood finish for the floors in your home but you don’t want laminate flooring and real wood takes a lot of on-going maintenance which you don’t have time for. Plus it can be tricky and expensive to fit. With engineered wood floors you can get the look and feel of solid wood flooring with none of the hassle. But can it really be used anywhere in your home? Will it be suitable for yours and your family’s lifestyles? Discover below if wood flooring is the best option for your home, room by room.

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Lounge Your living room will be transformed with the introduction of a beautiful engineered wood floor and is the perfect room to show it off. Hard-wearing and luxurious, why would you not want this flooring in your lounge?

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Dining Room Again this low maintenance wood flooring is a great choice for the dining room. No need to worry about food spills as the surface can easily be cleaned with a mop – as long as it’s been well wrung out. Bring elegance to your dining room with wood flooring.

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Bedroom Where else would you want opulent comfort if not the bedroom? With a wide choice of styles and woods, your only issue will be which one to choose. Engineered wood flooring in your bedroom? Go on, treat yourself!

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Hall & Landing These high traffic areas needs something that will stand the test of time. Hard-wearing engineered wood will do the job just fine – and add a touch of glamour to this well used part of the home.

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Bathroom Some lacquered engineered wood can be used in a bathroom but it’s always best to check the manufacturer’s recommendations before installing in this wet and humid space.

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Kitchen Not as humid or wet as bathrooms, kitchens are ideal rooms for engineered wood flooring. You’ll get a beautiful finish and any spillages can be cleaned up simply with a microfibre or well-wrung mop.

How is engineered wood constructed?

! Engineered wood flooring is constructed from layers of timber boards, topped with a real hardwood veneer, making it more stable than real wood. This top layer of veneer can be made from any one of many different types of wood and is what gives it its look.

The veneer layer needs to be tough to withstand the traffic from a busy residence and it’s the thickness of this layer that denotes its durability. The thickness of this veneer layer can range from 1mm to 5mm in thickness. Underneath the veneer are several more layers of thinner wood which are glued together to create a base which further increases stability, making them less prone to movement caused by humidity, than solid board flooring.

Engineered wood materials With the top layer of engineered wood being made from different types of hardwood like oak, walnut, beech or maple, there are many different colours available. Plus the designs vary with single strip, 2 strip or 3 strip plank detailing which increases your choice even more. Add to that the various plank edging options like groove or bevelled and you begin to see just how wide a selection there is. Then there are the surface finishes; satin, matt or oiled each of which give the engineered flooring a slightly different appearance. With so much choice out there, you are sure to find an engineered wood flooring option that suits.

! Oak Solid oak is one of the most sought after and expensive materials for flooring. With engineered oak flooring you can enjoy the gorgeous opulence of oak without the hefty price tag of solid wood. The classic finish achieved with oak is second to none and there are lots of shades and variations to choose from meaning oak will suit any home. The versatility of Oak means it works in both contemporary and traditional interiors. Invest in an oak engineered floor and you won’t need to change your flooring for years to come.

! Walnut Walnut engineered wood flooring gives a beautifully dark, atmospheric feel to any space and with engineered walnut you get all the beauty and ambience of solid wood without breaking your bank and without the worry of ongoing maintenance. As with most engineered woods, walnut gives such a classic look to your floor that it is complementary to pretty much any colour scheme or interior design style, meaning you could redecorate and restyle your room as many times as you want over the next 25 years and the floor will still look amazing.

! Beech This naturally light coloured engineered wood flooring choice really will give you a floor for life. The light and warm tones of beech go with any colour way and the durable nature of engineered wood means it will last and last, so redecorate at will – no matter how you change the styling or colours of the room, your flooring will always steal the show! With such a long warranty engineered beech flooring is a real investment and will give you peace of mind that it won’t need to be replaced for many years to come.

! Maple Like beech, maple is light in colour and features all the grain and knot detailing that you would normally expect from solid wood. Engineered maple wood flooring will give your home a natural feel and will add a neutral base to any room, meaning you can decorate and restyle with greater ease and freedom regarding colour choice and design. Plus, as with all engineered wood flooring, the durability and long warranty mean you will get years and years of wear without the hassle of too much maintenance.

Engineered wood finishes Once you’ve decided on the best wood material for your home it’s time to consider the look you want to create. There are three main engineered wood surface finishes to choose from which all will give your flooring a unique and characterful appearance. Discover the right finish for your home below.

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Satin lacquer Satin lacquer will give your engineered wood floor a slightly glossy surface that is smooth, low maintenance and stunning to look at. Lacquer makes engineered wood flooring more resistant to splashes and scratches than oil and also slows the natural colour-changing effects from sunlight.

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Matt lacquer Like satin lacquer, matt lacquer offers more resistance to scratches, splashes and sunlight than natural oil but gives engineered wood a very similar finish to oil or wax. For this reason matt lacquer is a very popular choice for creating a beautiful finish on an engineered wood floor.

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Oiled The most traditional way to finish wood flooring, oil gives a classically natural finish. Oil will need to be reapplied more often than lacquer and doesn’t offer the same level of protection. Some people however love this about oil, enjoying the way that flooring slowly changes and ages, in the same way that wood does.