What Is Engineered Wood Flooring? The Complete Guide
What is engineered wood flooring? It is a real wood floor made in layers: a top layer of genuine hardwood, usually oak, bonded to a stable core of plywood or other timber layers laid crossways. Once it is down it looks and feels like solid wood, but it moves far less with heat and humidity, so it can go over underfloor heating, on concrete and in kitchens.
Engineered wood flooring at a glance
| What it is | Real hardwood top layer (wear layer) on a multi-layer timber core |
|---|---|
| Common thicknesses | 10mm to 20mm overall; 14mm suits most homes, 20mm gives the most solid feel |
| Wear layer | Usually 2mm to 6mm of real wood; 3mm or more can typically be sanded one to two times |
| Rooms | Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, dining rooms, kitchens, conservatories; not bathrooms or wet rooms |
| Underfloor heating | Most boards are suitable, with the floor surface kept below 27°C |
| Fitting | Floating (click), glued down, or secret nailed (tongue and groove) |
| Looks | Straight planks, wide planks, herringbone and chevron; lacquered, oiled, brushed, hand-scraped or unfinished |
How engineered wood flooring is made
Every engineered board has two parts.
- The wear layer (also called the lamella or top layer) is a slice of real hardwood, most often oak. It is the part you see and walk on, and it is finished in the factory with lacquer or oil, or left unfinished to be finished on site.
- The core sits underneath. In a multi-ply board it is several thin sheets of plywood glued with the grain of each sheet at right angles to the one above. In a three-layer board it is a middle layer of softwood strips laid crossways, with a thin backing layer underneath.
Wood swells across its grain when it takes in moisture and shrinks when it dries out. In a solid plank every fibre runs the same way, so the whole board moves together, which is what makes solid floors cup, gap and squeak. In an engineered board the cross-laid layers pull against each other and hold the board flat. That one difference is why engineered boards can be made wider and longer, laid over underfloor heating and fitted straight onto concrete.
Engineered wood is not laminate. Laminate is a printed photograph of wood on a fibreboard core; engineered wood has real timber on top that can be sanded and refinished. If you want the full comparison, read real wood vs engineered wood flooring.
Your options: species, grade, finish and format
Two engineered floors can look completely different. These are the choices that make the difference, roughly in the order most people decide them.
Wood species
- Oak is by far the most popular: hard-wearing, with a clear grain that takes stains, smoking and finishes well. Most of our range is oak.
- Walnut is naturally darker and richer, with a softer, flowing grain.
- Ash is pale with a bold grain, a lighter alternative to oak.
- Maple is very light and smooth with a fine grain, for a clean, Scandinavian look.
Grade
Grade describes how the wood looks, not how strong it is. Every grade is the same species and the same construction.
| Grade | What you see | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Prime | Few, small knots and an even colour | Calm, modern rooms |
| Select / natural | Some small knots and gentle colour variation | Most homes: natural but not busy |
| Rustic | Larger knots, filled splits and strong colour variation | Character, cottages, busy family rooms (it hides wear) |
Our guide to wood flooring grades shows each grade in more detail.
Finish
- Lacquered: a protective film on top of the wood, from matt to satin. It is the easiest to keep clean and the best choice for kitchens and busy hallways. Worn areas cannot be patched invisibly; the whole room is re-coated.
- Oiled: oil soaks into the wood for a natural, matt look and feel. It needs an occasional maintenance coat, but scratches and worn patches can be touched up locally.
- Brushed: the surface is brushed to open the grain before finishing, giving texture you can feel and helping to hide small scratches. See brushed and lacquered and brushed and oiled oak.
- Hand-scraped and distressed: shaped by hand for the look of an old reclaimed floor.
- Unfinished: bare wood that is sanded, stained if you like, and finished after fitting, so you choose the exact colour and finish on site.
Not sure which to pick? Our article on oiled vs lacquered engineered wood flooring compares the two in everyday use.
Colour
Colour comes from the species, from stains and from treatments such as smoking or white-washing. Shades run from light and natural oak through grey and mid-brown to dark and nearly black. Light floors make small rooms feel bigger and show less dust; dark floors look dramatic but show dust and scratches more. Colour on screen is never exact, which is why we send free samples.
Plank width, length and pattern
- Wide planks (180mm and wider) give a calm, generous look and suit open-plan rooms. Engineered boards can be made much wider than solid ones because the core keeps them flat.
- Narrower planks look more traditional and suit smaller rooms and hallways.
- Longer boards mean fewer joints and a cleaner floor.
- Herringbone and chevron use short blocks laid in a zig-zag. They are covered in our parquet flooring range and our article on chevron flooring.
Edges
Most boards have a small bevel (a chamfered edge) on the long sides or all four sides, which marks out each plank and hides tiny height differences between boards. Square-edged boards give a seamless, more formal look but show any unevenness in the subfloor.
Thickness and wear layer: which to choose
Engineered boards are described by two numbers, for example 14/3: the whole board is 14mm thick and the real wood on top is 3mm. The overall thickness decides how solid the floor feels and how high it sits; the wear layer decides how many times it can be sanded.
| Thickness | Best for |
|---|---|
| 10mm to 12mm | Where floor height is tight (next to existing floors, under doors); light to normal use |
| 14mm to 15mm | Most homes: very stable, works well with underfloor heating, keeps the floor height down |
| 18mm to 20mm | Busy family homes and long-term durability; the most solid feel; can be nailed to joists where the board is made for it |
| Wear layer | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 2mm | Can be lightly buffed and re-coated, but not fully sanded |
| 3mm | Can typically be sanded one to two times over its life |
| 4mm to 6mm | Can be sanded more times, close to a solid wood floor |
Thicker is not always better: over underfloor heating a 14mm or 15mm board lets heat through more easily. Our article engineered wood flooring thickness: is thicker better? goes into more detail.
Where you can use engineered wood flooring
| Room | Suitable? | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Living room, dining room, bedroom | Yes | Any thickness and finish; felt pads under furniture |
| Hallway | Yes | Lacquered or brushed finish; a good door mat stops grit scratching the surface |
| Kitchen | Yes, with care | Lacquered finish, wipe spills quickly, mats by the sink and cooker. See engineered wood kitchen flooring |
| Conservatory | Yes | Blinds limit fading and heat; a better choice than solid wood |
| Stairs | Yes | Matching stair nosings on every step. See engineered wood stairs |
| Offices and shops | Yes | Thicker boards and a hard-wearing lacquer |
| Bathroom, wet room, utility room with a washing machine | No | Standing water and steam damage real wood; choose luxury vinyl instead |
Engineered wood is water-resistant, not waterproof. Our article is engineered wood flooring waterproof? explains why.
Engineered wood and underfloor heating
Engineered wood is the best kind of real wood floor to put over underfloor heating, because the cross-laid core stops the boards shrinking and gapping as they warm up and cool down. Most of our engineered floors are suitable; the product page says so for each floor, and you can see them all in engineered wood flooring for underfloor heating.
- Keep the floor surface below 27°C.
- Choose a board of around 14mm to 15mm, which lets heat through well.
- Glue the boards down for the best heat transfer, or float them on an underlay made for underfloor heating (a low TOG rating).
- Run a new or newly screeded system to dry the subfloor before fitting, then switch it off or right down while you fit.
- Raise the temperature slowly over several days at the start of each heating season, and avoid sudden changes.
More detail in our engineered wood flooring underfloor heating guide and best underlay for underfloor heating.
How engineered wood flooring is fitted
There are three ways to fit it. The product page shows which methods each floor allows.
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Floating | Click boards lock together and rest on an underlay, not fixed to the subfloor | Quick fitting, DIY, most rooms; easy to lift later |
| Glued down | Boards are bonded to a level screed or plywood with wood floor adhesive | The most solid feel, underfloor heating, herringbone patterns, large open areas |
| Secret nailed | Tongue and groove boards are nailed through the tongue into joists or a timber subfloor | Old houses with joists or floorboards; thicker boards |
Before you start
- Measure and order. Add about 5% for cutting waste on straight planks and 10% for herringbone and chevron, then round up to full packs. Our measuring guide shows how for every room shape.
- Acclimatise. Leave the unopened packs flat in the room for 24 to 72 hours (check the product’s instructions) at normal living temperature, after any plastering or screeding has dried out. See does engineered wood need to acclimate?
- Check the subfloor. It must be clean, dry, sound and level. New screed needs time to dry and should be moisture-tested.
- Stop the damp. On concrete, lay a damp proof membrane, either separately or built into the underlay.
- Choose the underlay for floating floors: our underlay guide explains the types, and you can shop engineered wood flooring underlay.
While you fit
- Leave an expansion gap of usually 10 to 15mm (or as the product states) around every wall, pipe and fixed object, and cover it with skirting or scotia beading. See our expansion gap guide.
- Mix boards from several packs as you go, so the colour and grain spread naturally.
- Stagger the end joints, keeping them well apart from row to row.
- Finish doorways with threshold strips and pipes with radiator pipe covers.
Step-by-step instructions are in our flooring installation guides and in fitting engineered wood flooring: a beginner’s guide. Floating floors have a few pitfalls, explained in floating engineered wood flooring problems to avoid.
Caring for engineered wood flooring
Everyday cleaning
- Sweep or vacuum (with a soft floor head) to remove grit, which is what scratches a floor.
- Clean with a well-wrung microfibre mop and a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner. Avoid soaking the floor, steam mops and harsh or oily household cleaners.
- Wipe up spills straight away.
Our article how to clean engineered wood floors has the details, and can you steam clean engineered wood floors? explains why steam is a risk.
Protecting the surface
- Felt pads under chairs and table legs; castor cups or a rug under office chairs.
- Door mats inside and outside every outside door.
- Blinds or curtains where strong sun falls on the floor, as all real wood changes colour in sunlight.
- Keep the room between about 18 and 24°C with normal humidity; very dry air in winter can open small gaps between boards.
Maintenance and refinishing
Oiled floors need an occasional coat of maintenance oil, more often in busy areas. Lacquered floors can be refreshed with a new top coat when they look tired. Small dents and gaps can be filled with wood floor filler, and a badly damaged board can be replaced (see how to replace a wood floor plank). When the whole floor is worn, a board with a 3mm or thicker wear layer can be sanded back to fresh wood and refinished: see refinish engineered wood flooring.
Engineered wood compared with other floors
| Feature | Engineered wood | Solid wood | Laminate | Luxury vinyl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface | Real wood | Real wood | Printed image of wood | Printed image of wood or stone |
| Can be sanded | Yes, depending on the wear layer | Yes, many times | No | No |
| Stability | Very stable | Moves with heat and humidity | Stable | Very stable |
| Underfloor heating | Most boards | Generally not recommended | Most boards | Most products |
| Water | Water-resistant finish; not for bathrooms | Not for wet areas | Some are water-resistant | Highly water-resistant; suits bathrooms |
| Feel underfoot | Warm, natural | Warm, natural, solid | Harder, can sound hollow | Soft and quiet |
For the head-to-head comparisons, read solid vs engineered wood flooring, engineered wood vs laminate and LVT vs engineered wood.
Pros and cons of engineered wood flooring
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| A real wood surface that looks, feels and ages like solid wood | Can be sanded fewer times than solid wood |
| Stable: works over underfloor heating, on concrete and in kitchens | Not suitable for bathrooms and wet rooms |
| Available in wide and long boards and in herringbone | Softer than laminate or vinyl: can dent and scratch |
| Can be floated, glued or nailed, and click boards are DIY-friendly | Usually costs more than laminate or vinyl |
| Can be refinished, giving the floor a second life | Colour changes over time in strong sunlight |
How to choose your engineered wood floor
- Start with the room: the traffic it gets, whether it has underfloor heating, and the subfloor (concrete, joists or floorboards).
- Pick the thickness and wear layer: 14/3 for most homes; thicker boards and wear layers for the busiest rooms and the longest life.
- Choose the look: species, grade, colour, plank width or pattern.
- Choose the finish for how you live: lacquer for easy cleaning, oil for a natural look and local repairs.
- Choose the fitting method and add the underlay, adhesive and accessories you need.
- Order free samples and look at them in the room, in daylight and lamplight, next to your walls and furniture, before you decide.
Accessories you will need
- Underlay (floating floors) and a damp proof membrane on concrete
- Wood floor adhesive (glued floors)
- Skirting boards or scotia beading to cover the expansion gap
- Threshold strips and other flooring trims for doorways and changes of floor
- Stair nosings for stairs and steps
- Cleaning and maintenance products
Our flooring accessories guide explains what each one does. Still unsure? Request a callback and one of our flooring experts will help you choose.
Frequently asked questions
No. Engineered wood is water-resistant, not waterproof. Its finish protects it from everyday spills if you wipe them up quickly, and its core copes with changes in humidity far better than solid wood, but standing water and steam will damage it. For bathrooms and wet rooms, choose luxury vinyl.
Yes. Concrete is one of the most common subfloors for engineered wood. The concrete must be dry and level, with a damp proof membrane (separate or built into the underlay) if you float the floor, or a suitable moisture barrier and adhesive if you glue it. See laying engineered wood flooring on concrete.
Usually, yes. Over sound, level floorboards you can float the floor on an underlay or secret nail suitable boards; lay new boards across the old ones. Over firmly fixed, level tiles you can float or glue the floor. Loose, damaged or uneven floors must be repaired or levelled first. See installing engineered wood flooring on a wood subfloor.
A floating floor does: the underlay evens out small bumps, reduces noise, adds comfort and, on concrete, can include the damp proof membrane. A glued-down floor does not use an underlay. Our underlay guide explains which type to choose.
Typically 24 to 72 hours, flat and unopened in the room where it will be laid, at normal living temperature. Always follow the instructions for your floor, and make sure any new plaster or screed has dried out first.
Usually 10 to 15mm around every wall, pipe and fixed object, or as the product states. Larger rooms may need more. The gap is hidden under skirting boards or scotia beading.
It is best not to. Steam forces heat and moisture into the joints and can damage the finish and the boards. Use a well-wrung microfibre mop with a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner instead. See can you steam clean engineered wood floors?
It is real wood, so it can scratch and dent, like any wood floor. A brushed surface, a matt lacquer, a rustic grade or a mid-tone colour hides marks best. Door mats, felt pads under furniture and regular sweeping prevent most scratches, and worn floors can be refinished.
It can be. Claws will mark any real wood floor over time, so choose a hard-wearing lacquered, brushed or rustic floor that hides marks, keep claws trimmed and wipe up accidents quickly. If you want a floor that shrugs off scratches and water completely, luxury vinyl is the more practical choice.
Yes. Each tread and riser is cut from boards and fitted with a matching stair nosing on the front edge for safety and a neat finish. See engineered wood stairs: a complete guide.
The first number is the total thickness of the board and the second is the thickness of the real wood wear layer, both in millimetres. A 14/3 board is 14mm thick with 3mm of real wood on top; a 20/6 board is 20mm thick with 6mm of real wood, so it can be sanded more times.
Yes, if the wear layer is thick enough to sand. Sanding removes the old finish, and the bare wood can then be stained or treated and finished again. Oiled floors can also be refreshed with a coloured maintenance oil without full sanding.
