How To Repair Interlocking Engineeredwood Fllor

<p>Mahogany stain on this engineered red oak floor from Harris Forest warms up the kitchen of a Winchester, Mass., dwelling house remodeled by TOH Television set.</p> — Mahogany stain on this engineered red oak floor from Harris Wood warms upwardly the kitchen of a Winchester, Mass., home remodeled by TOH Tv.

Why Engineered Flooring?

Take a close await at the wood floor in the photo on the right. A keen eye might conclude that this rich area is made up of solid strips of red oak, one of the most popular American hardwoods. That middle would be incorrect, mostly. Sure, it's oak on top, just that's merely a wood veneer skin. Underneath are more thin wood layers, all glued together to make a plywood sandwich called engineered flooring.

Since their invention in the 1960s, engineered wood floors have improved in appearance and operation, accounting for thirty pct of all the wood flooring sold in America today. Available in dozens of forest species, and with new surface effects, such as paw scraped, for a timeworn patina, these high-tech boards now look but correct in any vintage house, whether it'due south a 1910 square or a '70s raised ranch.

Most boards come up with a factory terminate that'll outlast i practical in your domicile on solid wood, and they'll be ready for footsteps the mean solar day you put them down. Engineered boards are besides problem-solvers, allowing you to utilize them where solid strips often can't go, like in basements or directly over physical slabs. Even ameliorate, budget-minded homeowners tin can lay the boards themselves, saving a parcel on pro installation and getting great-looking results in a weekend.

<p>Engineered forest is a stable stack of wood veneers glued together like plywood and milled into strips that resemble solid boards.</p> — Engineered wood is a stable stack of wood veneers glued together like plywood and milled into strips that resemble solid boards.

Vitals

Is it right for y'all?

DIY-friendly installation; almost boards come prefinished. Big selection of wood species and surface treatments. Suitable for basements, where solid wood often isn't.

What's it cost?

Nearly 20 per centum more than than unfinished solid boards, but y'all compensate that cost so some on installation, staining, and sealing. Figure $3 to $14 per square pes.

Does it concord up?

Warranties on the finish range from 10 to xxx years under "normal article of clothing." That means i or ii dogs per household, not 10. Most companies provide lifetime warranties against veneer delamination.

How to care for information technology?

Mop with a microfiber cloth and wood floor cleaner to remove the clay that scratches the finish and shortens the floor's life.

Where to Install It

Engineered flooring goes anywhere you'd put solid wood—and some places yous couldn't.

In Basements

The moisture that gathers here wreaks havoc on solid wood flooring. Because the veneer layers used for engineered boards crisscross like plywood, the wood's natural trend to expand and contract in boiling areas is reduced. The boards' thinner profile as well helps where headroom is at a premium.

During Remodels

The range of thickness options, starting as low as ¼ inch, allow you lot to finesse transitions between different types of flooring at doorways and stairways that would be awkward or impossible with standard ¾-inch solid flooring. Yous tin can also lay engineered floor over whatsoever flat, stable surface, including ceramic tile, sheet vinyl, and existing wood floors.

Over Radiant Heat

Thinner engineered boards transfer heat better than thick solid wood and are more stable. Floating floors are best because they don't demand staples or nails that might puncture wires or hot-water tubes. Check with the radiant system'southward manufacturer before using a foam underlayment, which interferes with heat menstruum.

Where Not to Use It

While engineered floor handles swings in moisture better than solid flooring, information technology has limitations. The wet anxiety, drips, and soggy towels of a busy bathroom, mixed with steam from a shower, put fifty-fifty stable engineered boards at risk. The same threat hangs over laundry rooms.

<p>Three Common Classes of Engineered Boards</p> — Three Common Classes of Engineered Boards

What to Expect for

Good, better, all-time

Engineered floor runs the gamut from the low end, starting at $3 per square pes, to the high, at $14 and more. To approximate quality, check the thickness of the "article of clothing layer," or top skin of forest; the number of veneers in the cadre; and the number of finish coats—all of which affect price and warranty. Typically, the more layers, the improve. Below, see how the three common classes of engineered boards stack up.

Good: 3-ply construction; 1-2 mm wear layer; 5 cease coats; x- to 15-year warranty; ¼ inch thick; Nearly $3-$five per sq. ft.; Options limited to common species, such as oak or ash, and just a few stains.

Better: 5 plys; ii-3 mm wear layer; 7 end coats; fifteen- to 25-yr warranty; ¼ inch thick; About $6-$9 per sq. ft.; More species, such as cherry, beech, and some exotics; all stains and a few surface effects, such every bit deplorable.

Best: 7-9 plys or more; 3 mm-plus wear layer, which can be sanded ii or more times; 9 finish coats; 25-year-plus warranty; 5/eight to ¾ inch thick; About $10-$fourteen per sq. ft.; Widest selection of species; reclaimed options; and more surface treatments, such as mitt scraped and wire brushed.

Why Hardness Matters

The harder the pinnacle layer, the more than resilient it is to dents and the longer it'll continue its like-new looks. Only hardness isn't the only factor to consider. Dense woods with less grain, like maple, show dings more readily than a slightly softer forest with a bold grain, like red oak. And floors with lilliputian or no gloss are ameliorate at hiding scratches and wear. The chart below compares the hardness of popular wood species.

The Contest

We sort the difference betwixt engineered, laminate, and solid boards

Laminate: It may await real, only that's actually a photograph of wood you lot're continuing on. A newspaper image is embedded in resin, glued to fiberboard, and coated with a protective finish. A surface embossing mimics woods'south texture. Laminate flooring is about as thick as engineered, and then you tin can lay it over existing floors, just once a laminate's top coat wears away, it's toast; it tin can't be refinished.

Solid Wood: Sawn boards interlock with a tongue on one edge and a groove on the other. Because the boards expand and contract so much, they must be fastened to a subfloor and can't be laid directly over physical, like engineered and laminate. A ¾-inch-thick wood strip tin be refinished up to x times, compared with three for the best engineered and none for laminate.

<p>Cost calculator</p> — Price calculator

Four Ways to DIY

Engineered flooring can be attached or glued downward, or left to "bladder," relying on its mass to hold it in place. Use this guide to choose the install method that's best for you

1. Glue information technology together. Utilize a bead of glue to the tongue of each board and tap it into identify with a block. The floor floats, unattached to the subfloor except by strength of gravity.

ii. Spike information technology down. Rent a floor stapler and compressor (nigh $40 per day) and apace secure the boards to the existing flooring without having to wipe up whatever glue.

3. Gum it downward. Lay the boards in a bed of adhesive, every bit you lot would tile. This approach works particularly well over cured concrete, where you lot tin't use staples.

four. Click and lock. This floating floor has specially milled tongues and grooves that lock together without mucilage or fasteners. It's the quickest and cleanest installation method.

Can engineered floors be refinished?

Yes, they can, at least one time. Floors with a habiliment layer less than two millimeters thick can tolerate a light scuff-sanding with a buffer. Thicker top layers tin be sanded simply like solid wood, allowing you to erase deeper scratches and dents. An engineered floor with a three-millimeter top, for case, tin can handle two refinishings. Merely be certain your flooring pro knows your flooring'south specs and refinishing history before he begins.

Cost figurer

To factor how much a new engineered wood floor will prepare you lot back, showtime mensurate the room's square footage. Add 15 percent for cuts and waste, so multiply by the boards' square-foot price. Don't forget to tack on a few extra bucks for door thresholds, which are sold separately.