Floating Engineered Strip Flooring

Wood flooring has a rich warm look that is difficult to imitate. If you are attracted by the idea of owning a wood floor but find the material, installation and maintenance costs prohibitive, engineered strip flooring could be just what the doctor ordered for your floor.

What is Strip Flooring?

A strip floor as the name suggests is made of long strips of the chosen material. Wood floors can be purchased in 1 strip, 2 strip or three strip varieties. These are so named on the basis of the width of the strip. Thus a three strip wood floor consists of 7 7/8″ wide strips while 1 strip and 2 strip floors are made of narrower wood strips. The wider strips are easier to install and provide a more beautiful floor compared to the thinner strip floors.

What is Engineered Wood?

Engineered wood is made of three parts.

• The Base – The base is made of a cheap non ornamental wood chosen for its strength, resilience and rapid growing characteristics and not for its beauty.
• The Top – The top is made up of an ornamental wood like maple, ash, jatoba, hickory or any other species that you may choose. The top may even be made of reclaimed wood. The appearance and the wear characteristics of the top layer are influenced by the kind of finish applied to it.
• The core – Between the functional base and the beautiful top lies the core of the engineered wood strip floor. The core may be made of either thin layers of wood or small pieces of wood that are left over from the sawing of wood planks.
• The three layer of the engineered wood floor are glued together in the factory under pressure and using industrial strength glues. The bonding created at this stage allows all the layers to work together like a single block of wood when it comes to strength, feel and appearance. But when it comes to expansion an engineered wood floor is far superior. Thanks to its construction the engineered wood floor expands evenly if at all and does not show warping and bending so typical of solid wood floors that have been exposed to the water or to excess heat.

Cost of an Engineered Strip Wood Floor

An engineered wood floor costs slightly less than a solid wood floor. If you choose an engineered wood floor with a rare wood veneer on top, the cost difference between an engineered and solid floor would be higher. The real cost savings of an engineered wood floor kick in at the installation and maintenance stage. The click and lock system makes installation fast and hassle free. A vapor barrier on the sub floor and engineered wood strips on top – no gluing, stapling, nailing or screwing is involved. With its rugged construction an engineered wood floor requires much less care and maintenance than a solid wood floor.

An engineered wood strip floor has several advantages over a traditional solid wood floor. However do remember to source your flooring material from a reputed store and go through the warranty conditions carefully. A brick and mortar store lets you see, feel and step on the floor before you buy it. These are important steps in your floor selection process that a purely online retailer cannot match. The feel of a floor under your feet can not be experienced online. Even the color may look different from what you see in pictures. You can walk into any store of Contempo Floor Coverings and choose the flooring of your choice. Our personalized professional installation services help you save in both cost and time while ensuring installation in accordance with warranty conditions.

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