Solid wood vs engineered wood flooring

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Living in a home with real wooden floors is a dream come true for many people. Offering timeless style, unique beauty, and natural warmth, a wooden floor is definitely an investment, but one that will serve you well for decades with the correct care and maintenance.

There are two types of real wood floors: solid wood (often called hardwood) and engineered wood. They might look similar at first glance, but we’re going to explain the difference between engineered wood and solid wood. We’ll take you through the tech specs for each, as well as the pros and cons, so you can weigh up whether to choose solid wood or engineered wood.

In this guide:

Engineered wood vs solid wood: everything you need to know
About solid wood
About engineered wood
The best wood flooring by room
When to choose

Engineered wood vs solid wood: everything you need to know

When it comes to whether solid vs engineered wood flooring is better, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a real wooden floor that can last over 100 years, then solid wood is the way to go – but it comes with a higher price tag. If you’re happy with a wood veneer floor that’s been engineered to cope better with temperature or moisture changes, then engineered wood flooring is the right one for your home. Once they’re laid in a room, you’ll struggle to tell what is the difference between engineered wood and solid wood, so we’ve broken down the key features of each to help you make your mind up.

About engineered wood

Engineered wood has a plywood or multi-layer core with a wood veneer layer on top. This means you get the beauty of real wood like unique grain markings and natural colouring, but the main body of the plank is engineered to cope better with moisture and temperature changes, making it a more stable and affordable option than solid wood. It’s also more sustainable than solid wood because the lower layers of each board are made of fast-growing, rapidly renewed wood or timber, so less slow-growing hardwood is required.

The thickness of engineered wood can determine how well your floor performs and the thickness of real wood top layer dictates how many times your wooden floor can be sanded down, which is less than a solid wood floor. Engineered wood is available in a traditional tongue and groove installation like solid wood, but also as click installation, making it much quicker and easier to fit.

You can read more about the construction of engineered wood in our ‘What is engineered wood flooring?’ guide.

Pros

Costs less than solid wood
Suitable for underfloor heating (under 15mm thickness)
Click installation makes it easier to fit
20-40+ year lifespan
Every plank is unique
Durable
More sustainable than solid wood
Long-term investment
Adds value to your home

Cons

Shorter lifespan than solid wood
Easily scratched
Requires regular maintenance
Fades in sunlight
Can only be sanded and refinished 1-3 times

Order free engineered wood samples

About solid wood

Solid wood is one of the oldest flooring options. Each plank is made from a single piece of timber, usually from the heart of the tree. From the top to the bottom of the plank, it’s just one chunk of solid wood. When looked after properly, it can last a lifetime! However, moisture or temperature changes or lack of proper care can cause planks to warp. Solid wood planks are nailed or glued down to the floor, which can increase the initial cost.

Pros

Can be sanded and refinished multiple times
50-100+ year lifespan
Every plank is unique
Durable
Sustainable
Long-term investment
Adds value to your home

Cons

More expensive than engineered wood
More movement during moisture and temperature changes
Not suitable for underfloor heating
Easily scratched
Fades in sunlight
Requires regular maintenance
Harder to install

The best wood flooring by room

When you’re weighing up solid wood vs engineered wood flooring, you also need to consider what room it’s being fitted in. They’re very similar but the stability of engineered wood gives it a slight edge and makes it more versatile. In a nutshell, you should avoid using solid wood flooring in rooms where there’s likely to be high humidity levels like bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and basements. Engineered wood is much more stable in spaces where there are moisture and temperature changes, but it still should be avoided for wet rooms like bathrooms.

Living room

Either solid or engineered wood flooring can be used in a living room. Both wooden floors deliver that cosy, rustic feel a living room requires.

Hallway

Hallways deal with lots of foot traffic day in, day out. Both solid wood and engineered wood are a brilliant option for hallways because they’re really durable and a beautiful wooden floor helps set the tone for the rest of your home.

Bedroom

Both engineered wood and solid wood are equally good choices for bedroom flooring. Oak engineered wood is the perfect mid-tone shade to match any bedroom decor.

Kitchen

When ovens are on and pans are bubbling, kitchens can be a hazardous place if you’re a wooden floor. Neither engineered wood or solid wood are water resistant and both can by marked or damaged by spills, so if you want a real wood kitchen floor, you just need to be quick at cleaning up! Try classic herringbone engineered wood flooring for the finishing touch to your high-end kitchen.

Dining Room

Both solid wood and engineered wood are a brilliant flooring option for dining rooms, with dark wood flooring and a long dining table delivering a luxurious touch. Dining chairs moving back and forth across the floor can cause scratches or worn areas over time, but these can be easily sanded out.

Conservatory

Engineered wood can bring a naturally warm look and feel to a conservatory. Because conservatories can experience extreme temperature and humidity changes compared to other rooms, any wooden flooring will perform poorly. If you do go for a wood floor, it needs to be nailed and glued down to the subfloor to prevent movement and regularly oiled for maintenance, so it doesn’t dry out in the heat. Wood will naturally fade in sunny rooms like conservatories, so we’d recommend picking a lighter wood with UV lacquer finish to help slow the discolouration.

Bathroom

Neither solid wood nor engineered wood is the best flooring for bathrooms. There are many water resistant luxury vinyl, vinyl and special water resistant laminate options out there that are much more suitable for splash-prone rooms, which do a great job of looking and feeling like real wood. That said, if you only want to have wooden floors throughout your home, engineered wood is better than solid wood for bathrooms - just make sure you use a bathmat and mop up any splashes!

When to choose solid wood vs engineered wood

If you’re still struggling to tell the difference between solid and engineered wood flooring, here are the key features to compare:

	Solid wood	Engineered Wood
Price	£50-£250+ per m2	£40-£100 per m2
Lifespan	30-100+ years	20-40+ years
Construction	Hardwood plank	Hardwood top layer with plywood core
Durability	Long-lasting but susceptible to scratches and scuffs	Long-lasting but susceptible to scratches and scuffs
Stability	More likely to warp during moisture and temperature changes	Less likely to warp during moisture and temperature changes
Maintenance	Depending on the finish, solid wood needs to be treated regularly with oils	Easy daily care but depending on the finish, needs to be treated regularly with oils
Refinishing	Can be sanded and refinished multiple times	Can be refinished 1-3 three times, depending on the veneer thickness
Installation	Nailed or glued	Depending on whether it’s click fit or tongue & groove, it can be nailed, glued or floated
Underfloor heating	No	Yes (under 15mm)

Choose solid wood if:

You want a traditional hardwood floor
You want the option to sand and refinish your floor multiple times
You want a permanent floor
You want to add value to your home

Choose engineered wood if:

You have underfloor heating
You want flooring that’s less susceptible to temperature and moisture changes
You want a genuine wooden floor, but your budget can’t stretch to solid wood
You want more sustainable wooden flooring

Overall, engineered wood comes out on top for stability, versatility, and affordability, but solid wood is the more premium and longer-lasting wooden flooring option.

If you’re unsure whether engineered wood is right for your home, book a free home visit to talk it through with one of our floorologists. We’ll bring along a selection of engineered flooring samples so you can see them in your own space, lighting, and layout, while we measure up and provide a no-obligation quote. We can also arrange fitting with recommended local fitters or you can read our engineered wood fitting guide if you want to install it yourself. Want the wood look on a budget? Check out our laminate vs engineered wood flooring guide.