Engineered Timber Flooring: A Superior Choice to Traditional Hardwood Floors

Selecting a new flooring type might seem like a daunting choice with the sea of options available today. One option that has consistently remained a go-to for countless homeowners is the exceptional and timeless hardwood. However, an innovative alternative has made its way into the spotlight, making people reconsider: Engineered Timber Flooring.

 

Compared to a traditional solid timber floor, an engineered timber floor is a multilayered flooring solution that offers something quite different. It merges the many advantages of hardwood flooring with additional strengths that make it a truly excellent choice. Its contemporary design, which involves several layers of wood being bonded together, impacts both the aesthetic appeal and the quality of the engineered timber floor.

Compared to traditional hardwood, you might be wondering how engineered timber floor holds its own, and perhaps even outdoes hardwood. Here are a few solid reasons:

  1. Enhanced Stability: Due to their unique multilayered construction, engineered timber floors hold a distinct edge over hardwood because of their structural stability. They’re less likely to buckle under changes in temperature or humidity, making them an ideal pick in moist areas and for underfloor heating systems.
  2. Eco-Friendly: Notably, fewer primary resources go into the production of engineered timber flooring than traditional hardwood flooring. The underlayers of engineered timber can be composed from recycled wood or less costly, rapidly-regenerating species, aiding the preservation of older or endangered tree species.
  3. High Durability: Engineered timber floors are designed with resilience in mind. Being able to take a good deal of foot traffic, scratches from pets, or even boisterous play from children, these floors can handle the demands of everyday life seamlessly, without visible wear.
  4. Wide Range of Options: There’s an extensive variety of choices when it comes to styles, sizes, and finishes with engineered timber floorings. Such diversity means you can customize your floor to precisely match your home’s aesthetic style.
  5. Ease of Installation and Maintenance: Engineered timber floors are simpler to install than hardwood and require fewer resources and time for the installation process. Its tongue-and-groove design can be glued down, nailed in, or floated, providing flexibility during installation. Moreover, these floors are easy to clean and maintain, thanks to the latest finishes.

 

In essence, a switch to engineered timber floors potentially offers more bang for your buck, answering all your flooring objectives without needing to compromise on either style or functionality. It equips your home with the ageless allure of traditional hardwood, but without the related drawbacks and with numerous additional benefits.

 

When making renovations or building your dream home, selecting the right flooring is a critical decision that significantly affects the overall appeal of your rooms. Engineered timber flooring is becoming an increasingly popular choice for homeowners seeking a unique blend of aesthetics, durability, and value for money. However, like any material, engineered timber flooring has its share of pros and cons. Understanding them thoroughly will ensure you make an informed decision that aligns with your specific needs.

 

Pros of Engineered Timber Flooring:

  1. Durability: Engineered timber flooring is constructed with multiple layers of wood that are adhered together, creating a structure that is not only durable but also highly resistant to wear and tear. Its multi-layer construction provides strength and stability that can withstand heavy foot traffic beautifully.
  2. Versatility: One of the significant advantages of engineered timber floors is their vast range of styles, sizes, and finishes. This variety allows homeowners to customize their flooring to match their specific style and decor.
  3. Environmentally Friendly: Engineered timber flooring requires less solid wood than traditional hardwood flooring. The lower layers can be composed of less costly, fast-growing trees or recycled wood. This composition helps to preserve rarer and older trees, contributing positively to the environment.
  4. Easy Installation and Maintenance: Engineered timber floors are fairly easy to install, making it a popular choice for both DIY enthusiasts and professionals alike. Plus, they demand less in terms of maintenance and modern finishes ensure cleaning is a breeze.

 

Cons of Engineered Timber Flooring:

  1. Limited Refinishing: Just like solid hardwood, engineered timber flooring cannot be sanded and refinished multiple times. The thin top layer of real wood can only undergo a limited number of refinishes before the layer is worn out.
  2. Potential for Damage: While engineered timber floors are sturdy, they can still be scratched by pets or furniture, stained by spills if not cleaned up quickly, and faded due to prolonged exposure to the sun.
  3. Price: Although less expensive than solid hardwood, engineered timber flooring costs more than other flooring options like laminate or vinyl. However, considering its lifespan and aesthetic appeal, many homeowners find it a worthy investment.
  4. Limited Lifetime: While highly durable, the lifetime of engineered timber flooring is not quite as long as that of solid hardwood. This is mostly because of the limited number of times it can be refinished.

 

In conclusion, engineered timber flooring offers a sleek and modern alternative to traditional hardwood, providing numerous benefits including durability, versatility and ease of installation. However, it’s important to consider factors such as the refinishing limitations and price before making a decision.

 

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Guide To Polish And Varnish Your Wooden Floor In 5 Easy Steps.

 

Wooden floors are a complement full of charm, luxury and warmth for any home, and their maintenance represents only a simple step (and not so frequent or necessary) in its existence… However, when the time comes to beautify it, do it yourself, or pay someone else to do such a basic job? We bet on the first option, and we explain how!

In 5 simple steps and achievable even by inexperienced people, this guide is for you to polish and varnish your wooden floor impeccably without overcomplicating it… Let us start now!

1. Preparing the place

Before starting to work on the floor, it must be impeccable and without a single particle of dust, so in addition to cleaning it, we must remove all furniture and items that may accumulate it. Next, cover all the doors and windows with plastic to create a filter before the exterior entrances. Remember to warn all the house inhabitants that the space will be unavailable for at least 48 to 72 hours until the work is finished. 

PHU Bortnowski ‘s work 

2. What materials do I need?

Of course, before working on the floor, we must have the necessary materials, not the traditional ones from the toolbox. The most vital are:

– Vacuum cleaner (for ideal cleaning beforehand)

– Industrial scraper or Special brush for paints and residues (to perfect the surface and edges)

– Smooth plastic spatula and special varnish brushes (for the time of coverage)

– Special polisher for floors and edges (for the perfect seal)

– Special varnish for wooden interiors, generally urethane acrylic (with an approximate price in hardware stores of 34,900 pesos)

3. Get to work!

After carefully vacuuming and cleaning the surface, it levelled out each of its imperfections by covering any holes and gluing down any boards that may be slightly loose. Remember that this step is as important as applying the final varnish since the floor’s neatness will guarantee that the result is truly satisfactory. 

4. Just before varnishing

Most polishers have a roller to which you can adjust the sandpaper that best suits you according to the work. Depending on how fine or penetrating you want the polish to be, you should go between the 80 to 120 grit diameters, usually in this order, several times until the vision pleases you. An important point to consider is to pass the polisher linearly and continuously, without stopping, so as not to generate unevenness that can play against us in the varnishing process. 

5. The final shine

To apply the varnish, you must properly vacuum and clean the surface again, removing any debris or improper edges. Then, continue to apply the first layer of varnish with brushes and special applicators, let it dry for 24 hours and after this period has passed, polish the floor again and this time with 400 sandpaper. 

The next step is to dilute the polyurethane varnish in 10% of its volume of mineral spirits and apply two coats of this mixture on the surface, with the same period of 24 hours between coats and with the sanding of 400 with the vacuum cleaner when dry.

As a final secret for better results, leaving three more days without placing furniture or items that could scratch the floor would be ideal. After this, you cannot stop contemplating your brilliant wooden environment!

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Flight Timber

Established in 1992, Flight Timber has established itself as a leading independent that designs, manufactures, delivers and erects Timber Frame Structures, Roof Trusses, Staircases and Bespoke Joinery throughout the UK.

The nature of the companies activities places particular emphasis on the experience and proficiency of its personnel, as well as the quality, durability and flexibility of its products and the service it offers.

Using state of the art sophisticated design software Flight Timber has the capability of designing Timber Frame Structures and Trussed Roofs in house, we work closely with Structural Engineer practises giving us unrivalled flexibility and design experience.

The professional standing of Flight Timber products Ltd is emphasised with its membership of the most proactive trade associations connected to its activities:-…

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