Floorboards or Engineered Timber

Hello. We are trying to decide on whether to invest in timber floorboards or engineered timber for our flooring throughout our new build. The exceptions are kitchens and bathrooms where we will use tiles. I've only ever used timber floorboards so the engineered product is new to me. TIA.

Personally I'm going with timber flooring the fact that you can sand and polish floorboards multiple times and their classic look gives them the edge imo.

Do the floors post handover and save on the ridiculous markup from the builder.

The advice that was given to me was to shop around and don't be afriad to go to smaller flooring suppliers. You'll be able to negotiate on the price.


Cheers

many engineered boards also allow for sanding and polishing to the same depth as timber because they are still timber. The engineered portion of it is what the timber is attached to. The wood portion is not fake or man made. Its still timber flooring. The engineered core provides several benefits, greater stability in various environments and can be more cost effective and is more sustainable. Less timber used, prefinished so no additional smell and work in the house once laid, can be cheaper in many instances.

My advice to the OP is go and speak to a few flooring places and have them show you the products and explain them to you. These days having a solid hardwood floor is more a status thing than anything to do with functionality or aesthetics. I can guarantee you a good flooring place will have several options laid on the floor to walk on and feel, you wont be able to tell the difference.

Structurally both are sound. If anything Engineered flooring is better (per your use case) because of it composition. Hardwood timber flloorboards will naturally move and swell with moisture etc but they always return back.

Engineered don't or at least not to the same extent thanks to their plywood core. Plus they're both usually laid on a concrete slab these days with a moisture resistant underlay and plywood? I've only lived in older homes though.

However re sanding are you sure? The hardwood timber is a thin top layer. Once you sand it you sand into that layer you can reveal the core. Hardwood floors can be sanded and polished many times over in their lifetime.

We went with bamboo. Looks great and is hard wearing. Only suggestion I'll make is don't go with a high gloss finish. 5 minutes after you clean it, if you don't wear shoes inside - footprints all over

positive. The thickness of the hardwood layer is variable, and you get what you pay for. The thicker boards have in the vicinity of 6-7mm of timber (there may be even thicker). Many hardwood tongue and groove boards have about the same before they hit the tongue and groove. SO even a real hardwood board may be say 15-20mm thick, you dont have 15-20mm "sandability" in it.

If it was a cheap veneer or timber look laminate - there is no refinishing potential.


refinishing a floor can be done without taking much off and you'll find most people who live in a home arent goingt o be refinishing it regularly enough for it to matter. Maybe for the subsequent owners if they wish to live on the floor for another 20 years after you've lived on it for 20 years, but who cares about them?

Good to know

I think the prevailing wisdom for the OP will be go with what you like best, what's in budget and is quality. If you shop around you'll be able to hopefully get all 3

Thank you everyone for a very helpful discussion.

I would suggest to go with engineered timber due to better stability to moisture conditions and better maintainability.
And, with the right supplier, you pay 2-3 times less for the same look and feel.

They can be be re-sanded few times too.