What is engineered wood flooring?

Wood is hygroscopic. This means that it absorbs moisture. So, when the surrounding humidity changes, either due to changes in the climate or using heating or air conditioning, wood can swell or shrink. This can result in the planks cupping or warping, or gaps opening between them.

When we say wood is ‘engineered’ we simply mean that it is made up of multiple layers.

The top layer, known as the wear layer or lamella, is a hardwood oak.

The base layers are usually softwood made up of plywood and in this instance the construction is Poplar and Eucalyptus mixed plywood,

All the layers are then bonded together so that the grain of each one runs perpendicularly to that of the layer on either side, making it virtually impossible for the wood to swell or shrink.

Why choose oak?

Oak flooring is by far the most popular of all the wood species.

For centuries this hardwood has been a vitally important building material because of its strength and hardness, its high tannin content which makes it exceptionally resistant to insect and fungal attack, and because of its particularly beautiful grain markings. And all these attributes make the species especially suitable for flooring too.

At grain natural wood floors, we use it for all our options, for its stunningly beautiful planks and parquet/herringbone staves, because we believe that nothing can compete with oak wood flooring.