Engineered wood buying guide

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind floor made from sustainable materials, then engineered wood is the flooring for you. With its real wood veneer top layer, engineered wood brings a natural beauty and warmth to any space that just gets better over time.

Because there are so many engineered wood flooring types - all with different finishes, made from different woods, and stained different colours - you can create a wooden floor tailored to your personal taste and style. The huge amount of choice out there can be overwhelming, but we’ll help you narrow it down to the right one. If you’re unsure how to choose engineered wood flooring for your home, our guide will tell you about the best type for each room, as well as run through all the various finishes, colours, and styles available.

In this guide:

• Why choose engineered wood flooring?
• Engineered wood flooring styles
• Engineered wood flooring colours
• Engineered wood flooring finishes
• Engineered wood flooring planks
• Engineered wood flooring thicknesses
• Engineered wood flooring installation
• How to choose engineered wood by room

Why choose engineered wood flooring?

There are many reasons why you might choose engineered wood flooring over solid wood flooring – it’s much less maintenance for a start! But given the proper TLC, it should last for donkey’s years! Here are just a few reasons why we love it so much:

• Sustainable – The wood used comes from FSC certified forests
• Low maintenance - Unlike some solid wood flooring, engineered wood needs very little on-going maintenance
• Long wear guarantee – With the proper care, some types of engineered wood floor can last up to 40 years!
• Easy to clean – Sweeping away debris and then a wipe with a slightly damp (almost dry) mop is all it needs to look fresh
• Temperature and humidity - Although it still has some sensitivity to heat, humidity, and moisture, engineered wood tends to be much more stable than solid wood
• Cost - It’s a cheaper alternative to solid wood, boasting the same look for less (because less wood is used)
• Variety - There’s a huge selection of grades, styles, widths, wood stains, and finishes to choose from, so you can find a design that suits your home perfectly
• Insulation - It works well with various types of insulation and underlay, as well as underfloor heating
• Installation - It can either be installed as a floating floor, glued down, or secret-nailed

Engineered wood flooring styles

There are lots of types of engineered wood to choose from to create a unique floor for your space.

We talk a bit more about the plank construction in our guide to engineered wood flooring but in this guide, we’re going to focus more about what it looks like so you can determine which one is the right floor for you. Engineered wood is usually made from one of two wood species:

Oak engineered wood

Oak is one of the most common wood types used in engineered wood flooring. It’s naturally hardwearing so it can hold up to lots of footsteps. It’s super versatile as it can easily be stained to look like another wood type, but its gorgeous honey tones work well in modern and traditional schemes.

Walnut engineered wood

Walnut wood has a naturally dark colour and a distinctive grain that’s hard to replicate. It’s much harder to source so tends to be more expensive than oak, and it’s also softer so high heels are likely to mark it. But you can’t beat the depth and extravagance of dark walnut wood if you want to bring a bit of drama to your interiors!

Engineered wood flooring colours

Most people have a good idea of what colour wooden floor they want, which is usually determined by the rest of their house or overall look they want to create. All our engineered wood colour options are very neutral, offering a gradient of subtle tones to blend into a wide range of interiors styles.

Light engineered wood

Modern and minimalist homes should choose light coloured engineered wood. From whitewashed beach comber to pale blonde Scandi vibes, light wood will bring an airy, relaxed feel to your space.

Dark engineered wood

Period properties or more formal rooms might prefer the rich chocolate and coffee tones of dark engineered wood. Smaller rooms also look good with dark wood floors, especially when you colour drench the space with dark walls and a dark ceiling to make it feel like a cosy cocoon.

Brown engineered wood

Mid-toned wood is a good all-rounder. From contemporary apartments to country cottages, brown engineered wood works everywhere to give any space a natural, warm glow.

Grey engineered wood

For something a bit different, go for grey wooden floors. Some styles are stained grey to give a clean, modern look; others have a grey wash applied to the grain, which results in a dark smoky tone for an industrial or aged effect.

Engineered wood flooring finishes

This refers to the types of finish that’s applied to the real wood top layer to give it a specific look, from rustic to glossy to natural. Here are few of the most common ones:

Oiled finish

This is probably the most traditional finish to engineered wood flooring. The boards are pre-oiled and finished to give a classic finish that works very well with traditional-style homes. Oiling brings the grain of the wood out, which looks fantastic but offers less protection than lacquer and will need to be periodically reapplied to rejuvenate the appearance of your floor.

There are a few different types of oiled wood. Invisible oiled gives a natural matt finish, while white oiled offers a whitewashed look. UV oiled refers to the curing method where it penetrates deeper into the wood to give more protection, and many contain additional UV stabilisers in the oil that help resist fading.

Brushed finish

This is a technique that occurs during production where the wood is brushed to reveal more of the natural wood detail, before finishing the top layer with lacquer or oil.

Lacquered finish

A varnish is applied to the top the wood which hardens to give it a bit more protection. The lacquer can be high shine to give a glossy, polished finish, or there’s also satin or matt lacquer if you prefer more of a subtle sheen or natural finish.

Stained finish

A coloured lacquer is used to change the overall colour while still enhancing the natural characteristics and grain. Most engineered wood is either oak or walnut, so a stained finish in a deep brown would change it into a dark wood.

Handscraped finish

This technique is used to make the engineered wood look more rustic, worn, and distressed. It used to be all done by hand but now there is a clever machine that can replicate the same look much quicker and for a fraction of the cost, which saves you money on your flooring.

Engineered wood flooring planks

Different engineered wood planks can give your room a totally different look. Remember to consider the size of your room and the age of your home when you choose your plank style, to make sure it fits with the rest of your interiors style.

Straight plank engineered wood

This is your classic single plank that looks like original floorboards. Each plank is cut from the trunk of a tree so it will include all the knots and imperfections for a very natural and unique look. Choose long, straight planks if you want to make your room seem bigger.

Multi-length plank engineered wood

Multi-length planks come in a variety of lengths to create an interesting and really unique floor. Each pack will include a random mix of long and short planks so no two floors will look alike. You can also get multi-strip planks where multiple smaller strips of wood veneer are stuck to the top of a wider baseboard to create one plank, which makes it slightly cheaper to manufacture. Smaller planks are good for small rooms as they make the space feel larger.

Herringbone engineered wood

One of the most popular styles of parquet engineered wood flooring, herringbone uses straight-edged boards laid at an angle in a zig-zag pattern. Herringbone engineered wood is one of the trickier flooring layouts, so it will cost you a bit more to fit compared to straight planks. The finished look is worth it though!

Chevron engineered wood

Chevron engineered wood flooring is created by cutting the planks at a 45-degree angle, then the pointed ends are placed together to give a fishbone effect or a V-shape. This slanted design feels more modern and minimalist next to more ornate herringbone flooring. You can read about the difference between chevron and herringbone flooring in our style guide.

Engineered wood flooring thicknesses

There are a couple of thicknesses you need to consider when choosing your engineered wood flooring. First of all, you have the real wood top layer thickness. This ranges from 2 to 6mm and the thicker it is, the more times engineered wood can be refinished. The other thickness measurement is the how thick the plank is, which helps dictate the durability, insulation, and subfloor type.

10-12mm thick plank

Anything 12mm thick or under means it’s less likely to need door easing, so your doors will open smoothly and easily. Thinner engineered wood planks are also better for underfloor heating as the heat transfers quicker.

14-15mm thick plank

Not too thick and not too thin, medium thickness planks provide stability and durability. 14mm thick planks usually come with a 3mm top layer, so they can be refinished to prolong the life of the floor.

18-20mm thick plank

Deep planks feel more expensive – and they probably will be due to the amount of wood used. Thick 18mm engineered wood planks retain warmth for longer, so they are good at insulating rooms. 18mm thick planks usually have a 4mm top layer, which means they can be refinished more times than thinner planks.

Engineered wood flooring grades

Wood grades are determined by the amount and sizes of the natural characteristics found in real wood. These are organic features which would appear on the tree like knots, splits, scars, pinholes, odd grain pattern, etc. Here’s a list of the engineered wood grades available:

Prime

The most expensive grade because it’s the cleanest looking with minimal knots or character, and very little colour variation.

Select

A few knots and natural characteristics, with more colour variation between planks.

Natural

A fair number of knots and natural characteristics that lets the natural beauty of the wood shine through. Significant colour variation between planks.

Rustic

The one with the most unique charm and character. A variety of planks - some clean, some knotty, some with sapwood, and more pronounced graining – and greater colour variation from light to dark, is to be expected.

Engineered wood flooring installation

Unlike traditional solid wood flooring that’s nailed or glued to the subfloor, engineered wood is installed like a floating floor. You can choose to nail it down if you wish but it does restrict the natural movement of wood as the temperature changes. There are two easy installation methods for engineered wood:

Tongue & Groove engineered wood

Tongue & Groove is the more traditional method of fitting a wooden floor. The ‘tongue’ edge of the plank has a notch that slots into the ‘groove’ edge of the next plank. To make your flooring even more secure, the planks can be glued together and held in place with nails (known as secret nailing). Tongue & Groove can also be glued down or used as a floating floor and installed over most types of subfloor. However, fitting takes longer than click fit engineered wood and repairs to tongue and groove boards can be pretty tricky.

Click fit engineered wood

Click engineered wood is a DIY flooring favourite. Using a simple click and lock system, each board clicks into the one next to it for hassle-free fitting. Click fit engineered wood is installed as a floating floor so needs underlay to add comfort and reduce noise, as well as a sound and solid subfloor for sufficient support. But it’s very easy to replace a click fit plank - you just click it to remove it.

Subfloor preparation is key to getting the perfect fit for your engineered wood flooring. Our guide highlights the four signs of a good subfloor as well as how to tell if your subfloor needs replacing.

How to choose engineered wood by room

Bringing a natural glow to your space, engineered wood is a great choice for any dry room in the home. Engineered wood in a bathroom is a big no-no because while it is less prone to warping from temperature and humidity than solid wood, it can still be damaged by water and there are much better flooring choices out there that give you the look of real wood plus water resistance, like wood-effect luxury vinyl tiles.

Bedroom engineered wood

Whether you have a country cottage bedroom or a modern apartment, engineered wood looks stunning in a bedroom. Choose warm-toned oak engineered wood flooring to create a cosy look and feel.

Living room engineered wood

Engineered wood flooring in a living room offers a blank canvas to build the rest of your room around. Go for a pale wood for a Scandi, minimalist look, or add a touch of Parisian glamour with timeless and chic herringbone engineered wood flooring.

Dining room engineered wood

Wooden flooring in a dining room looks really elegant, but you just need to take care when moving dining chairs back and forth. Our engineered wood care guide has plenty of tips for preventing scuffs and scratches on your beautiful wooden floor.

Hall engineered wood

A wooden hallway floor really makes an entrance! Herringbone wood is always a popular choice but go for mid to light coloured woods to keep your hallway or landing nice and bright. As this is a busy space in the home, a lacquered finish would offer a bit more durability.

Kitchen engineered wood

Because of its temperature stability, engineered wood can be used in kitchen – just make sure any spills are mopped up right away! If you have a long and thin galley kitchen, having herringbone engineered wood with its zig-zag design will draw the eye and make the space appear much bigger.

Conservatory engineered wood

Conservatories can get pretty warm and also really cold, so we’d say avoid fitting engineered wood here if possible due to the extreme temperature fluctuations. Wood will fade naturally over time, so discolouration is to be expected – and this is likely to happen much faster in a sunny conservatory.

We hope you’re a bit more clued up on engineered wood flooring now! If you’re wondering where to buy engineered wood flooring, we have a huge selection here at Tapi. Just browse the collection online to order samples, or head to one of our nationwide showrooms where our friendly floorologists can show you even bigger samples and talk you through all our different flooring options. We can also come to you if you book a free home visit, and we’ll also measure up at the same time and give you a no-obligation quote.