Engineered Antique Flooring

Hardwood flooring is one of the leading choices of flooring among homeowners today. Hardwood floors are made from a renewable resource – timber that is harvested from sustainable farms. When harvested from sustainably grown forests, hardwood flooring has a minimal ecological impact. Buyers who wish to further reduce their ecological footprint and save money during the buying process can opt for engineered hardwood flooring.

Another way to reduce your global impact is by buying hardwood floors that are made from restored or reclaimed woods. Antique hardwood flooring is sourced from reclaimed wood that comes from old wooden cabins or old wooden rafters. When it comes to flooring, old wood is really the gold standard of quality. Old wood has a look and feel that is impossible to imitate. Using engineered antique flooring makes it easier and more economical to enjoy the beauty of antique reclaimed wood floors.

What is Engineered Antique Hardwood Flooring?

When you choose engineered antique hardwood flooring you avoid a lot of the hassles involved in finding, repairing, finishing and installing reclaimed hardwood. Engineered Antique hardwood is created by applying a thin veneer of antique wood onto a ply wood base. Because it employs a sandwich construction it is more stable than regular hardwood boards. It is also easier to install and finish. The veneer of hardwood on top varies from 1/16th of an inch to 1/8th of an inch. The ply wood layers are arranged crosswise to the direction of the veneer. Engineered hardwood flooring is therefore stronger than solid hardwood and more stable. By comparison laminate flooring, which is another alternative to solid hardwood flooring, is made of wood chips covered by melamine infused paper.

Advantages of Engineered Antique Hardwood Flooring

• Eco friendly Flooring– Engineered wood floors have a thin veneer of hardwood on top. The rest is made up of ply board. This helps in extending the supply of rare good quality antique wood and conserving forests. The veneer is itself sliced and is not sawn from the block of wood. No saw dust is produced in the process and wastage is minimized. The board is made from woods that grow very rapidly as opposed to hardwood trees that are slow growing.
• Greater stability – The layers of the ply board are designed to be moisture resistant. An engineered floor is more stable and is less affected by moisture or by thermal expansions. Warping and swelling are rare occurrences in an engineered hardwood floor.
• Affordability – Engineered wood uses only a thin veneer of costly wood. It is therefore much less expensive than solid hardwood.
• Easy installation – Engineered flooring is much easier to install. There is very little on-site labor involved in installing an engineered floor. If you choose a prefinished floor the effort in finishing on site is also removed and the installation of the floor can be completed in record time.
• Less maintenance – Engineered floors are water and pest resistant, less susceptible to expansion and can be easily installed. The maintenance of an engineered floor is therefore much easier compared to a solid hardwood floor.

Tips for buying Engineered Antique Hardwood Flooring

The top veneer of the engineered floor must be sufficiently thick to allow sanding and refinishing in the future. The ply board must be made from high quality wood and not from fiber board. Buy only wood products from reputable manufacturers. Fly by night operators will sell you substandard products that can come apart layer by layer after installation. At Contempo Floor Coverings we stock products from the best manufacturers that you can choose from. Another important thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to colors of the floor – seeing is believing. Pictures on the internet and ordering online can be misleading and you may end up with a product whose color and finish is vastly different from what you had in mind. This is especially important if you are planning to replace a section of a hardwood floor.

Engineered antique hardwood floor can add an old world charm to your house that can truly set it apart from the crowd. Well researched purchases and proper installations will ensure that you continue to enjoy your engineered hardwood floor for decades.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.