Types of Engineered Wood Flooring Guide
There are many different factors you need to consider when buying engineered wood flooring to ensure you find a style that perfectly fits your space. In this guide, we will explain the different types of engineered hardwood in our range to give you a deeper understanding of the following...
- Engineered Wood Floor Species Options - species reflects the tree that it is from
- Engineered Flooring Grain Options - the grain refers to the lines that naturally appear in the wood, species can influence the grain
- Engineered Flooring Colour Options - wood can be stained to lighten or deepen the shade, in addition to the colour variance from the species of wood you choose
- Engineered Surface Texture Options - this represents how the wood feels
- Engineered Flooring Style Options - refers to the size and layout of the planks
Engineered Wood Floor Species Options
There are a variety of different wood species available - species defines the tree it has come from for example oak or walnut. Grain pattern, colour, and tone are all different properties of different wood species and as wood is a natural material, there may be colour and pattern variances even within the same species. Here we explain the benefits and characteristics of each species in our range.
Engineered Oak Flooring
Engineered Oak floors are by far the most popular choice of wood species and come in a large range of colours. Oak is distinctive for its straight and swirling graining patterns which can have a silvery texture. Rays and knotting give that traditional and classic appearance. Over time it will grow slightly darker in direct sunlight.
Engineered Walnut Flooring
Engineered Walnut flooring is recognised as a luxurious dark timber. With its distinctive knots, attractive burrs, and unique grain patterns it can make a real design statement to any home. Walnut has both straight and irregular graining patterns that offer an exciting variation to other woods. In sunlight, it lightens over time.
Engineered Ash Flooring
Engineered Ash flooring is a beautiful, light-coloured, strong, and flexible option. Best described as a pale creamy wood, Ash has a bold, straight, moderately open grain and distinctive patterns and markings. In sunlight, it darkens over time.
Engineered Beech Flooring
Engineered Beech flooring is pale with slight undertones of pink and a softly speckled surface. These light flecks within the graining add character and diversity to the flooring. Beech is great at resisting dents as it has a similar hardness to Oak but a straighter, more regular grain. In sunlight, it darkens over time.
Engineered Jatoba Flooring
Thanks to its inherent beauty, rich colours, and exceptional hardness Jatoba engineered floors are one of the most popular exotic wooden floors available. Boasting a deep, dark, reddish hue, Jatoba is certainly an unusual floor. It's also one of the hardest woods available for flooring.
Engineered Maple Flooring
Engineered Maple floors are generally best described as being light or pale timber with darker soft figuring and graining which gives the room a clean airy feel. Maple is a very durable wood. It has a warm and light colour which suits most rooms and styles.
Engineered Cherry Flooring
With a fine, frequently wavy but uniform texture, engineered cherry flooring has distinctive and unique characteristics. The colours range from reddish-brown to blond, with deep, rich colours throughout. It's a fairly soft wood which darkens with age. Cherry has a warm homely tone and individually stylish hue.
Engineered Jarrah Flooring
Engineered Jarrah floors (also known as Australian Eucalyptus) are uniformly pinkish to dark red with rich dark mahogany tones. The wood often has a smooth surface and straight grain that continues to turn deep reddish-brown and reddish-purple hues with age and exposure over the years.
Engineered Flooring Grain Options
As you select your engineered floor you will notice that there are a variety of different grains (also called grades) available. The grain is based upon the type, location and number of defects found in a board. The grain of the wood you choose for your floor can make a big difference to the feel of a room. Let's explore the different types of engineered grain options...
Prime Grade
Prime grade engineered flooring has a steady, regular grain without much colour variation. It only has a few, tiny knots, and no checks (cracks across the growth rings). This grade is mostly clear resulting in a consistent appearance on the floor.
Natural Grade
Natural grade engineered flooring is a bit more relaxed, with a few knots and some colour variation. There may be a couple of checks or rays (ribbons extending vertically through the tree) in the boards and swirling patterns in the grain. This floor suits a wide range of homes. Any holes are filled with coloured wood filler to keep the floor surface smooth and flat.
Rustic Grade
Knots, streaks, colour variations, wormholes and grooves are left in rustic grade engineered floors which makes them laid back and natural. This is the most popular grain available and is great for a cosy country home. Any holes are filled with coloured wood filler to keep the floor surface smooth and flat.
Character Grade
Character grade engineered floors contains all the lively wood characteristics that occur in any hardwood floor, such as large colour variation, frequent knots, heavy mineral streaks, checks, worm holes, large grain burls and figuring.
Engineered Flooring Colour Options
If you're after even more control over how your floor looks, you're in luck! As well as the variation in colour from the species of the wood you choose, floors can be stained to lighten or darken the shade. Within our collection, you'll find a huge variety of colour and tones including white, grey, light, natural, dark, and black.
Dark Stained
Using a dark stain can give your engineered floor a deep black, brown, or golden colour. Dark stained floors are perfect for creating a cosy country home as they tend to have a vintage or antique appearance. We find that dark engineered floors have the ability to hide dirt and dust better than lighter floors.
Light Stained
Using a light stain, can give your engineered floor a whitewashed effect. Light engineered floors as well as white and grey are fantastic for modern homes and work great in dark rooms to help bounce the light around. We find that lighter floors are better at hiding light scratches and dents.
Engineered Surface Texture Options
There are a variety of surface textures in our engineered collection that can all add character to a space. Here we will explain the differences between a distressed, smooth, or textured surface of engineered floor.
Textured Engineered Floors
A wonderful textured effect can be created by treating each board with a wire brush. The brushed finish gives it a deeper, more pronounced grain and makes the wood a little more resistant to scratches. This finish is often combined with a Matt Lacquer or a Natural Oil.
Distressed Engineered Floors
A distressed texture offers a unique, aged appearance. The process is labour intensive and time consuming, involving carefully scraping and bashing the floor but it's worth it for the beautiful, aged effect at the end. This unique finish gives a real depth of character.
Smooth Engineered Floors
A smooth surface adds an element of uniformity across each plank. These boards are sanded until they're completely smooth and then finished. Each board is completely smooth yet still unique because of the grain.
Engineered Flooring Style Options
The way in which engineered flooring boards are constructed can create entirely different effects in the room it's laid. The size and layout of the planks react differently with the size and shape of a room, so consider where it's being laid before you choose your floor!
Single Strip Engineered Floors
One strip or single strip engineered floors are the most popular style of engineered flooring. This is a traditonal method of taking a single piece of wood from the tree and cutting it into a board. This design really gives you a true reflection of the beautiful grain and structure of the wood. These floors are a good way to create the appearance of a larger room.
Multi Strip Engineered Floors
Multi-strip engineered floors are made by taking smaller cuts wood from a tree and combining them into a single board. Because those smaller pieces are easier to find than big single pieces, multi-strip floors are the more affordable option. They can also give the illusion of space in small rooms.
Engineered Parquet
Parquet flooring is made from lots of small, identical blocks laid in a geometrical pattern across the floor. Parquet has a uniquely classic, sophisticated look, associated with large country houses and official buildings. There really is no better way to make a statement with your floor. The most common designs are variations on the Herringbone pattern, although many, many more patterns exist.
If you would like to learn more about installation, read our how to install engineered flooring guide.
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