Is Engineered Oak Flooring the Right Choice for You?
Engineered oak flooring can be a great choice for a lot of people. It is currently very popular and is likely to remain in demand for a long time to come. The fact is though, that this type of wood is probably not going to work well for everyone and you will want to consider the cons as well as the pros with it. If you spend enough time weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of engineered oak you will be far less likely to later suffer from buyer’s remorse. Hopefully by the end of this article you will have some of the information you need to come to an informed decision.
Good Reasons to Choose Engineered Oak Flooring
There are some good reasons to choose engineered oak flooring. This is such an easy material to work with and the fact that it is prefinished means that it can be easier to install in the home. When we say that engineered oak is prefinished we are referring to the fact that it has already been sanded and sealed. This means that there is less work involved in putting it on your floor; in fact you can sometimes just put this flooring directly over what you currently have there. The other nice thing about the wood being prefinished is that you can walk on it as soon as it is put down – there is no need to wait for the sealant to dry.
The other nice thing about engineered oak flooring is that it can put up with a lot more moisture than other types of wood. It has been processed in such a way that it is more resistant to water and this means that you will be able to use it in most areas of the home. Of course this resistance to water has its limits and you will not want it in any part of the home where it could be subject to flooding. In most rooms though, you should be able to use this wood even if there is occasional water spillage.
Good Reasons Not to Choose Engineered Oak Flooring
If you like to shop green then you may want to avoid engineered oak flooring because it is less environmentally friendly. This is because it needs to be processed quite heavily in order to end up with a material that looks almost flawless and is more resistant to wear and tear. Another reason why you might want to avoid engineered oak is that it doesn’t gain the same type of prestige as proper oak; this could have implications for the ability of this material to add value onto your home.