For most people, the home is usually their most valuable asset. One sure way to increase the value of your home is to invest in flooring. Installing engineered wood floors is a great way to add the durability and aesthetic elegance that home buyers look for, raising the value of your home in the property market.
So, what exactly is Engineered Wood Flooring? Engineered wood flooring is a type of hardwood made from combining layers of plywood and hardwood. The different layers are pressed together, with hardwood on top and plywood underneath, attaining the same elegant look like solid wood but with increased durability and better value for money.
Since the hardwood is the one on top, engineered wood flooring can achieve the same natural look like solid wood flooring. The hardwood allows an array of styles that can be designed to suit your creative needs.
You will, therefore, have the option of either etching your designs onto the floor or applying common tried and tested designs. The plank style is an arrangement of square planks to attain a beautiful traditional look. Chevron flooring is made up of zigzag patterns which give them a certain complexity and sophistication. Herringbone flooring is like Chevron but with a more staggered zigzag design which adds to its visual appeal. Lastly, Versailles features a variety of patterns in square design as per an individual’s taste.
Various surface effects such as the worn-out effect, achieved through hand scraping and the rusting effect from distressing can be used to add more visual effects. Engineered hardwood flooring from Wood Flooring Ireland provides an array of styling options, with 800 plus colours that can be mixed as required to handle all customer tastes. The experts will listen and advise you accordingly to ensure you get exactly what you are after.
The floor sets the tone and backdrop for the rest of the interior design. Therefore, it is preferable to go with a flexible type of flooring that marries well with various décor options and does not tie you to specific aesthetics or colour schemes. The hardwood of engineered wood flooring gives it a natural look able to accommodate the various design options a home buyer could have in mind.
Whether they want to add a bold colourful carpet in the living room, or a grey couch in the patio, the engineered flooring gives them the creative liberty to do that. As a result, more property buyers will be attracted to your home, hence increasing its value in the housing market.
Compared to other flooring types, engineered wood flooring has a wider scope of practicality. Unlike carpets which could easily absorb spillages or ceramic-tiled floors that stain easily, engineered wood floors are easy to mop or dust up as they do not absorb or retain any spillages.
The use of multiple layers running perpendicular to each other in engineered wood flooring makes it easier to fit underfloor heating and other installations that make homes more accommodating. Engineered wood floors come in uniform dimensions which fit into each other in a manner that is easy on the eye.
In practicality, engineered wood flooring beats solid wood flooring as it is more accommodative to changes in temperature and humidity. Since the plywood underneath the hardwood reacts more to changes in elements, it acts as a cushion of sorts, absorbing most of the ill effects before they manifest on the upper surface in the form of cracks and rot. This feature makes them usable in sensitive environments such as underground units which tend to have higher room temperatures. The structural stability of wood in high temperatures also makes engineered wood flooring great for underfloor heating.
The upper layer of engineering wood flooring is hardwood, giving it a high level of resistance to elements. With just a simple lacquer coating, the floor will be resistant to moisture, scratching, and fluctuating temperatures. This makes them ideal for use in tough conditions where other floorings cannot endure such as kitchens where there are different temperature and moisture levels, hallways where there is heavy foot traffic, living rooms where there is constant friction from furniture and commercial environments with heavy usage.
Wood Flooring Ireland outsources its hardwood from the best European forests, handled by professional saw millers and treated with a lacquer layer to ensure they are of the highest quality. Engineered wood floor from Wood Flooring Ireland will, therefore, survive for long under massive pressure without requiring any major renovations.
Probably the biggest advantage of engineered wood flooring is the ability to quickly and cheaply refurbish it to appear new. When the floor starts wearing out, it can be scrapped or sandblasted to achieve a fresh new finish that will last for several years. A well-maintained engineered wood floor could last for centuries without requiring replacement.
In a nutshell, replacing your current floor with engineered wood flooring will not only improve the aesthetics of your home but will also make it more valuable. These floors provide the perfect balance between budget and quality where they are more durable than laminate floors but less costly than solid wood floors. Seeking the services of professionals will ensure it is professionally installed to enable you to reap the full benefits of engineered wood flooring.
Wood Flooring Ireland are wood flooring experts known for crafting some of the most exquisite handmade timber floors. They have a range of styles, colours, plank width and other features from which to choose, giving you the flexibility to engineer your floor as you see it fit. The bespoke nature of their floors ensures that your floor will be made to the last detail and specification by you, making you the designer of your unique floor. If you are looking at how to clean engineered wood floors, check out our article.
If you are in Ireland and wish to get engineered wood flooring to add value to your home, you should consider Wood Flooring Ireland for your flooring needs to enjoy the highest standard of wood flooring available. Visit our head office and showroom in Cork.
