How do I tell if my wood floor is solid or engineered?

You love your wood floor but oh deary me it is badly scuffed and would love to get it restored back to its former glory. You might have an older wood floor or a newer wood floor and not sure if you can get it re-sanded anymore because you are not sure if it is engineered or a solid wood floor. Art of Clean can explain:

So, what is difference?

Well, a solid wood floor is a wood that runs from top to bottom and is of the same timber and an engineered wood floor is mainly plywood along with a smaller amount of quality wood on top.

Why do they make an engineered wood floor?

The simple answer for this is stability. When moisture is present in a solid wood floor you will find that gaps will open, and the floor will start to move. An engineered board will be more stable and is perfect if you decide to get underfloor heating.

What is the best wood floor then?

Many people seem to think that a solid wood floor is the best and they only want the best in the home! Plus, it is only natural to think a solid wood floor will last a lot longer than an engineered wood floor. I am here to tell you are wrong, you can not get more life out of a solid wood floor than an engineered wood floor.

Both types of floors are connected by a tongue and groove, so once you have sanded down to the tongue this will just break off.

So how do I tell what type of floor I have?

Most rooms have a threshold, if you remove the threshold, you will see the sideview of the floor and should be able to determine what kind of wood floor you have.

This video will help explain better:

For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please do not hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901547 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio, and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning, and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration. We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Our Dry-Cleaning service is provided by Farthings Cambridge.