Stability Comparison: Engineered Hardwood & Solid Wood Flooring
When choosing a new hardwood floor, stability is a major factor to consider. Engineered hardwood and solid wood floors each have their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to dimensional stability.
Understanding how temperature, moisture, and humidity fluctuations impact both flooring types will help homeowners make the best choice for their needs.
This guide examines the structural differences between engineered and solid hardwood, along with stability factors like acclimation, expansion and contraction, moisture protection, and more.
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Discover what makes each flooring construction unique, and learn tips to maintain long-lasting beauty and performance no matter which hardwood you select. With the right information, you can install wood floors with confidence they’ll endure for years to come.
What is Engineered Hardwood?
Engineered hardwood flooring features multiple layers of wood pressed together in a cross-grain configuration. The top layer shows the face species you see on the floor’s surface, usually oak, hickory, cherry, maple, or exotic woods.
Engineered wood floors comprise 3 to 11 stacked sheets of wood, with a top layer of quality hardwood material measuring 1/10” thick or less. Below the surface layer lie core layers of moisture-resistant plywood or high-density fiberboard (HDF).
Advanced adhesives bind the layers together to form a dimensional stable floor that resists expansion and contraction. Many engineered floors feature a precision-milled tongue and groove system around the perimeter for easy connecting and floating installation.
Benefits of Engineered Hardwood Floors
Engineered floors provide benefits over solid wood in certain applications:
Superior Stability – Multi-layer cross-grain construction minimizes the natural expansion and contraction of solid wood. Engineered floors hold up well to moisture and humidity changes.
Durable Structure – The layered structure makes engineered floors highly resistant to structural problems like warping or cupping.
Long Planks – Engineered’s stable layered core allows longer and wider planks up to 9 feet long. Solid wood planks max out around 3 to 5 feet.
Thinner Profile – A thin engineered wear layer allows installation over substrates where thicker solid wood flooring may not work.
Lower Cost – Advanced engineering creates substantial cost savings over solid hardwood. You gain affordable access to rare and exotic species.
Easy Installation – Engineered wood floors can be nailed or stapled down, floated over foam or cork, and some types allow direct glue-down over concrete. Water-resistant cores expand installation options.
What is Solid Hardwood Flooring?
Solid hardwood flooring milled from a single piece of timber. Quality solid wood floors feature planks of oak, maple, hickory, cherry, exotic species, and more. These boards measure 3/4” thick and derive from the heartwood center of the log. The planks retain natural graining, color, and characteristics of the wood species.
Solid wood flooring undergoes precision milling and sanding to create tongue and groove sides for connecting planks during installation. Higher grades have few defects and knots. While some moisture resistance treatments are available, solid wood remains more vulnerable to environmental moisture and humidity compared to engineered products.
Benefits of Solid Hardwood Floors
Solid wood brings unique benefits that make it a top choice for many homeowners:
Can Be Refinished – Solid floors can be refinished and restored multiple times through sanding and refinishing. This allows renewal for decades.
All Natural Material – Solid wood comes from single timber logs. Materials and construction feel all natural compared to engineered composites.
Improves With Age – Solid floors develop a coveted patina over time. There’s an aged charm and legacy not found in engineered products.
High Value – Solid wood adds considerable resale value to homes. This natural material offers a premium feel.
Environmentally Friendly – Sourced from sustainable forests, solid wood is an eco-friendly flooring choice as an all-natural renewable resource.
Rich Variety – Solid wood floors present wider plank size and thickness options along with abundant exotic species to match any decor.
How Moisture Affects Wood Floor Stability
Understanding wood’s relationship with moisture sets the foundation for comparing the stability of solid and engineered floors.
Wood naturally expands and contracts as interior humidity levels change seasonally. Solid wood and the surface veneer of engineered flooring feature wood grains running lengthwise down the planks. Fluctuating moisture causes the most noticeable expansion and contraction along the grains.
Wood gains moisture and swells in width during periods of high humidity. Losing moisture causes shrinking in periods of low humidity. This shrinking and swelling repeats annually as moisture levels cycle.
Gaps appear as planks shrink in winter months. Cupping and crowning problems happen when edges swell during summer. Poor moisture resistance leads to structural damage over time.
Multi-layer engineered wood achieves added stability through its cross-grain core layers. These resist shrinkage and swelling forces better than solid wood. However, the surface layer still reacts to moisture changes.
Understanding these fundamentals, let’s compare the stability of engineered and solid wood flooring across several factors:
Acclimation
Acclimation refers to adjusting wood flooring to interior conditions before installation. This equalizes moisture and reaches equilibrium between the flooring and the home environment. Proper acclimation is the first step toward stable floors that will avoid future expansion or contraction issues.
Engineered wood flooring requires less acclimation time than solid wood. Its layered structure inhibits moisture absorption. However, you should still follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for acclimation. Typically engineered floors need 2-3 days to acclimate prior to installation in the home.
Solid wood’s more moisture-sensitive composition means it requires double the acclimation time, around 5-7 days in the house before installing begins. For wide-plank solid floors, extend acclimation to 10-14 days to stabilize moisture levels. Skipping this step frequently causes gapping or buckling later on.
Tips: Unpack boxes of flooring inside the home, not the garage. Break open boxes and spread out boards allowing air circulation on all sides during acclimation. Use a hygrometer to monitor relative humidity staying between 30-50% before installation. Extend acclimation timeframes for solid wood as needed until equilibrium is reached.
Expansion & Contraction
The natural expansion and contraction of wood presents one of the largest stability differences between engineered and solid hardwood floors.
Engineered wood shows 50-75% less expansion and contraction than solid wood. Multi-layer construction stabilizes the wood and inhibits moisture absorption. This allows engineered floors to endure higher levels of humidity and moisture without compromised performance or structure.
However, the visible surface layer of engineered flooring still reacts to seasonal humidity changes. Expect to see some expansion and contraction across the grains as engineered wood releases or absorbs moisture. This may lead to some gapping between boards during winter months when humidity drops below 30%.
Solid wood expands and contracts more dramatically as humidity fluctuates through the year. This leads to very noticeable gapping and shrinkage in winter. In summer, planks expand and may cup or buckle at the edges due to higher humidity.
Tips: Maintain indoor relative humidity levels between 30-50% year-round. This helps minimize expansion and contraction for both flooring types.
Run humidifiers in winter and dehumidifiers during summer months. Leave 1/2” expansion gaps between floor perimeter and walls when installing either engineered or solid wood.
Moisture Protection
Preventing excess moisture from reaching wood flooring provides important protection from structural damage and stability issues.
Engineered wood wins again for moisture resistance. Water-resistant coatings on the composite core layers block moisture from penetrating to the surface veneer. This keeps the face layer dimensional stable.
Solid wood lacks any inherent moisture barriers. Water and liquids that reach solid wood cause irreversible swelling, warping, discoloration and staining. Homeowners must take extra precautions to protect solid wood from moisture.
Tips: Add peel-and-stick waterproof underlayment beneath both flooring types. Use water-resistant barriers and vapor retarders when installing over concrete. Protect floors from water leaks, pets, cleaning mishaps. Refinish solid floors annually to maintain the protective coatings.
Climate Differences
Engineered wood floors perform better than solid wood in humid and wet climates. The layered construction and moisture-resistant core prevent humidity from deforming planks. This provides added climate stability for homes in damp regions.
Solid wood floors work well for dry climates with lower humidity. While you’ll see seasonal gapping as moisture levels change, solid wood avoids major climate-related stability issues in arid environments. The floors retain shape and structure without moisture-related crowning or cupping.
Tips: In humid climates, opt for engineered over solid wood. Use dehumidifiers and run A/C to control moisture. Choose solid wood with caution and understand refinishing and gap repairs may be needed more frequently. In arid regions, solid wood makes a great choice though maintain 30-50% indoor humidity.
Preventing Other Stability Problems
Outside of moisture factors, both engineered and solid wood floors carry additional risks to long-term stability. However, engineered wood sees fewer issues overall thanks to its sturdy structure and durability.
Sunlight – Direct sun exposure causes color fading and drying for both flooring types. Use curtains and blinds in rooms with wood floors.
Dents – Solid wood shows dents and impressions more easily from dropped objects, pets, furniture legs, heels. Engineered wood better withstands daily wear and tear.
Scratches – Surface scratches can penetrate and damage solid wood over time with refinishing needed. Engineered wood resists scratches due to thicker top layers.
Insects – Powderpost beetles sometimes damage solid wood. The layered cores of engineered flooring don’t provide a food source for pests.
Fire – Both solid and engineered woods will burn under extreme heat and flame exposure. Top or bottom fire-resistant treatments are recommended.
Tips: Add area rugs in high traffic zones. Install scratch-resistant wood species like hickory, maple. Use furniture pads and office mats for chairs. Keep pet nails trimmed. Apply polyurethane finishes to protect wood.
Maintenance Impact on Stability
Ongoing maintenance makes a big difference for longevity and stability of any wood flooring. We’ll compare key maintenance factors:
Sanding and Refinishing – Solid wood can refinish 5-7 times via sanding/staining to renew worn surfaces. This improves stability by revealing fresh wood. Engineered has a 1-2 time refinish limit before the thin veneer is removed.
Edging – Solid wood shows more visible edge cracks as boards shrink and expand. Fill cracks during refinishing to prevent debris catching. Engineered resists edge cracking.
Gapping – Seasonal gapping as wood shrinks is more pronounced with solid floors. This allows dirt and spills seeping underneath. Minimize gaps around perimeter and between boards.
Buckling – Solid wood endures more crowning and edge-cupping from moisture. Smooth buckled areas and control indoor humidity. Engineered better resists these problems.
Dents – Solid wood dents must be steamed and lifted via specialist repairs. Protect floors to avoid damage. Engineered withstands normal dents with less impact.
Tips: Establish maintenance routines to enhance stability and longevity of wood floors. Address gapping right away before underlying damage occurs. Control humidity levels year-round.
Cost Differences
Engineered wood flooring costs 50-75% less than premium solid wood flooring.
Engineered wood – $4 – $12 per square foot installed
The advanced engineering and manufacturing processes reduce costs while creating very durable floors. Using less valuable lower wood layers and thin veneers controls material expenses. Most engineered wood floors fall between $6 – $10 per square foot installed.
Solid wood – $8 – $20 per square foot installed
Solid wood’s all-natural single-layer plank construction requires more intensive sourcing, milling, and craftsmanship during manufacturing. This drives up the costs. But solid wood offers a premium floor look and feel that engineered cannot fully duplicate. Expect to pay $10 – $16 per square foot for installed premium-grade solid hardwood.
Engineered vs Solid Wood: Which is More Stable?
Engineered wood flooring takes the prize for superior stability. Key advantages include:
- Multi-layer construction resists shrinkage, swelling, warping
- Enhanced moisture, humidity, and climate resistance
- Fewer gaps, less contraction and crowning issues
- Added dent, scratch, and wear resistance
- Longer lifespans from reinforced stability
However, solid wood offers unique benefits like refinishing potential, all-natural construction, and premium resale value.
Tips: Choose engineered wood for below-grade or moisture-prone installation sites. Use engineered in humid, damp climates for maximum stability. Select solid wood for dry regions or residential-grade floors in climate-controlled homes.