Engineered wood flooring

What this covers

Engineered wood has a layer of real hardwood bonded to a plywood or composite core. The core resists the expansion and shrinking that solid wood suffers, so engineered floors can be glued or floated over concrete, installed in basements and slab-on-grade homes, and laid in wider planks. Installation follows a subfloor moisture and flatness check, and the floor can be refinished as many times as its wear layer allows.

When to call

• A concrete slab or a basement where solid wood is not an option.
• Wide planks or a home with big humidity swings.
• Replacing flooring after a loss where the subfloor is concrete.

What to expect

1. Check the subfloorMoisture and flatness are tested; concrete slabs get a moisture barrier where required.
2. Choose the methodGlue-down, nail-down or floating, depending on the subfloor and the product.
3. InstallPlanks are laid with staggered joints and the expansion gap the product requires.
4. TrimBaseboards, transitions and a walk-through.