• How is made
  • Installation

Engineered wood floors are constructed in several thin layers of wood that are stacked on top of each other in opposite directions. This causes the layers to counteract with each others movements when humidity changes. This cross-ply construction method creates a floor product that is dimensionally stable and doesn't have the expansion/contraction issues that solid wood flooring has with changes in humidity.

There are some engineered wood flooring manufacturers that allow their flooring to be floated as well as glued down. Their boards generally range in width from 3 to 5 inches and up to 48 inches long.

Unlike solid wood, which must be nailed to a wood sub-floor, engineered wood can be installed in a different number of ways. Depending on the type you buy, it can be either:

Nail-Down FloThis is for the 3/8" thick floor--its thinness requires nailing to or: enhance stability;
Glue-Down Floor: The 1/2" thick floor can be nailed down.
A Floating Floor: The 5/8" planks are thick enough to act as a floating floor.

       
Hardwood Flooring is a natural product and there will be quite variation in color, shading and graining.
These samples image does not show other variation within its type. It might differ from flooring. As well all hard wood flooring that are exposed to light, especially exotics, darken or lighten.