For many, new hardwood floors are a once in a lifetime decision. It may also be one of the largest single investments many of your customers may make in their lifetime. Making the decision can be daunting, and there are a lot of different factors to consider.

There is something special, unique and timeless about a wood floor. People have been using wood as their primary flooring material since the 1600’s. 

But for more than most flooring options, the choices and options of wood flooring are many. The various types of wood, length and width of the planks, finishes, construction, the choice between solid wood and “engineered” wood all make this category the most expansive and diverse segment of all flooring options.

Hardwood flooring is commonly grouped into categories by two attributes. The first attribute refers to the construction with the two options being either “solid” or “engineered”. The second defining attribute is whether your customer decide to go with a “prefinished” or unfinished option. Below we discuss the differences and relative pros and cons of each.

Solid vs. Engineered

“Engineered” refers to the floors being constructed of multiple layers of real wood as opposed to a single “solid” piece of wood. Engineered floors have a “wear layer” which is the top layer of hardwood (the wood you see and stand on) and a “base layer” which can be a single or multilayer of different wood.

Engineered floors are more stable (they expand and shrink less then solid floors due to humidity changes) making them the primary choice for flooring that exceeds 5” in plank width. The lifespan of both types of floors, including how many times the floor can be sanded down and refinished is defined by the floors overall thickness.

Pre-finished vs. Unfinished

All hardwood floors have a finish applied to the top surface of the wood to both protect the floor and give it a desired appearance. In “prefinished” flooring,  the finish is applied when the floor is manufactured, requiring no additional finishing once installed.

“Unfinished Floors” are manufactured without the finish. Once they are installed, the installer will sand and then “finish” the floors. With prefinished floors you can see exactly what you are getting while unfinished flooring are a blank canvas from which the installer can create a custom finish.