The flooring of a building plays a pivotal role in imbibing a whole new look to the structure. There are different types of flooring in Australia with varieties in styles, cost and effect. Some of them include carpet flooring, tile flooring and engineered flooring. Out of the others, engineered floors are the best option against the harsh climatic conditions of Australia.
Solid timber flooring is a traditional hardwood floor which is just a solid piece of wood throughout. However, they can expand and cause crowing of the wood during the humid weather and contract during the dry weather, which causes further flooring problems. Engineered timber flooring, hence, provides a suitable alternative.
It is a multilayer floor which consists of a timber veneer in the upper layer, below which sits a more inexpensive substitute like pine or rubberwood. To be more precise, it consists of a 0.6 to 6 mm hardwood and multi plywood or different combinations. It reduces the expansion and contraction in woods during the seasonal changes and comes with stable features.
In this article, let us look at some of the reasons why one must replace their traditional timber flooring with engineered flooring.
- Varieties: The engineered flooring consists of a combination of hardwood and plywood. The several layers of coating ensure the protection of the hardwood layer. A lot of colour combinations and patterns are also available and add an extra layer to protect the natural layer of hardwood in engineered flooring.
- Stability: The bottom layer of multi plywood provides more structural strength to the flooring. Engineered flooring achieves this by making each layer sit at 90 degrees to the upper layer. There is also security in the condition of the flooring during seasonal shifts; it does not expand or contract like traditional hardwood floors.
- Installation Period: Engineered flooring is a tested and proven flooring method in Europe. It comes pre-finished from the company and leads to a reduction in the time needed for installation; another advantage over solid timber flooring.
Floating or direct stick methods are two easy installation techniques in engineered flooring. It makes it easier to be used in a residential building also.
- Maintenance: An engineered floor is easier to maintain than a hardwood floor, as extra care is necessary for traditional timber flooring according to the change in weather conditions.
Some of the things to follow for the maintenance of engineered flooring are:
- Clean it every day to remove loose dirt and dust from the floors. You can use a dusting pad, soft broom or a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush.
- Never leave liquid products on the timbered floors for a long time. If it is a cleaning product, wipe it off as soon as possible.
- Use a mat to the entrances of the rooms with engineered flooring. It will protect the top wear layer of the floors.
- Never use steel wool, wax-based cleaners or strong detergents while cleaning.
Conclusion
Engineered flooring is available in various types of woods such as – imperial oak, Australian oak and grand oak. They are very cost-effective in comparison to timber flooring as it does not involve any extra cost for maintenance. However, it is crucial to take care of engineering flooring to maintain their elegance and prolong their quality.
