Hardwood

What you should know

There are two kinds of hardwood flooring: solid and engineered. Both are genuine wood, have the same appearance, the same assortment of colors and species, but it’s the construction that’s different.

Solid hardwood is as it sounds, a solid wood slab all though the plank. Engineered hardwood, however, is layered, with a slab of wood (from the forest) on top, with at least three layers combining real wood and various materials, all placed in a crisscross position.

That construction gives the engineered version more stability and it’s better able to handle water and moisture. Unlike solid, it has a little more versatility as to where it can be installed; for example, below-grade rooms, such as the basement, are fine whereas solid is never recommended for installation there. Note that it’s still not completely waterproof, so wipe spills immediately and never submerge it in water