Engineered hardwood
Real wood on top, stability underneath. Engineered boards open up rooms that solid hardwood cannot safely live in, and the good ones wear and finish exactly like the solid floors next to them.
How a board is built
An engineered board is a sandwich. The top layer is genuine hardwood, sawn thick enough to behave like a floor should. Under it, cross-layered wood glued in opposing directions: each layer holds the next one from expanding or shrinking.
That construction is the whole point. A solid board moves with the season; an engineered board barely moves at all. Over a basement, a concrete slab, or a below-grade room, that's the difference between a floor that lies flat for decades and one that cups and gaps.
We carry engineered lines from Mirage, Kahrs, Somerset, and Appalachian: the same mills whose solid floors we have installed for decades.
Solid versus engineered, honestly
| Solid hardwood | Engineered hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | One piece of wood, all the way through | Real-wood top layer over a stable core |
| Where it wins | Main-floor rooms over wood framing | Basements, slabs, below grade, moisture-prone rooms |
| Refinishing life | Sands and refinishes many times across decades | Depends on wear-layer thickness; we check before you buy |
| Look underfoot | Identical | Identical: same wood, same finish |
| Install methods | Nail or staple to wood subfloor | Glue, nail, or float |
Both are real hardwood. The construction decides where each belongs.
Ask the refinisher before you buy
Most flooring stores only sell. We sell, install, and refinish, so we can tell you at the estimate whether the engineered floor you like has a wear layer worth living with for 20 years or one you'll replace instead of resand.
That question, asked before purchase, is the one engineered buyers most regret not asking. We answer it in writing, on the estimate.
See our refinishing work →Engineered hardwood questions
Is engineered hardwood real wood?
Yes. The top layer is real hardwood: the same oak, maple, or walnut you would get solid, sawn and finished the same way. What differs is underneath: a stable plywood-style core that keeps the board from moving with moisture.
Can engineered hardwood be refinished?
Sometimes. It depends on the thickness of the wood layer on top. Thick wear layers can be sanded and refinished at least once; thin ones cannot. We’ll tell you, before you buy, whether the floor you are choosing can be refinished later. No surprises after installation.
Which is better, solid or engineered?
Neither, on its own. Solid wins for sandable decades of life on a wood-framed floor. Engineered wins over basements, concrete slabs, and rooms with moisture below. The honest answer is about your house, which is why the estimate is free and in person.
How is engineered hardwood installed?
Three ways, and we do all of them: glued down, nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor, or floated over an underlayment. The method follows the subfloor and the room, and it gets decided at the estimate, not on install day.
Ready for a free in-home estimate?
Accurate, professional, and at your house. Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.