You love hardwood flooring; in fact, the very phrase conjures up images of stylish, elegant homes, but you’re confused because you keep hearing about the wonderful characteristics of engineered hardwood flooring and you wonder if it’s for you.
You ask yourself questions, such as: “Is it sturdy?” “Is it real wood?” “I’m remodeling my basement, can I install it there?”
The experts at Wholesale Flooring & Granite are going to answer these questions and more, but feel free to come into our Baton Rouge, LA showroom, so we can tell you more. We have--drumroll please--the best engineered hardwood flooring in Baton Rouge and surrounds; after all, we’ve been around for 18 years, and have the largest stock inventory in the South, so no matter what your budget is, we have something for you.
Wholesale Flooring & Granite is also the recipient of several awards, notably one from the National Wood Flooring Association.
Okay, so now let’s get to it. When shopping for engineered hardwood floors in Baton Rouge, know that:
1. Yes, it is real wood. In fact, you can see it for yourself. You might look at a floor and just think it’s walnut, red oak or some other species. You’d be right, because that’s exactly what you’d see. What you don’t see, however, is the underside, which consists of multiple layers of other wood products. The specific types depend upon the manufacturer.
When you buy engineered hardwood flooring, know that even real estate professionals are legally allowed to advertise it as real wood in their marketing materials, a big point, because home buyers will sometimes pay as much as 10 percent more for a home with wood floors.
2. Yes, it is stable. It’s those layers that make it so. While solid is solid all the way through, making the fibers run parallel to each other, the layering makes these fibers cross each other. That means it can stand up to weather conditions, like the heat, humidity and tropical storm-prone area of Louisiana. It also means that…see number 3...
3. Yes, you can install it in your basement. Solid is never recommended for installation in sub-grade levels, like basements. Just be sure you tell the pros in advance if it’s to be installed on concrete, or another subflooring, and if it’s concrete, be sure that it’s dry.
4. Does thickness matter? Yes, thickness determines appearance, quality and how many times you can have it refinished. You can get it in different thicknesses and multi or 3-ply.
