Hardwood flooring adds appeal and value to your home. Engineered hardwood flooring can be installed below grade in basements, making it an alternative worth considering. Depending on grade, it may be more expensive or cost the same as regular hardwood flooring.

Real Wood

Engineered flooring is real wood through and through. The top visible layer is often called the wear layer and is made of real wood, rather than a photograph of real wood like laminate flooring.

Glued Layers

Making the core of engineered hardwood flooring from layers of real wood and gluing them together adds stability to the product. This is why it can be installed below grade or in high humidity areas.

Process

The substrate, or core, of the product is manufactured first. Thin layers of hardwood are glued together with one layer having the grain go one way, and the next with the grain across the first.

Surface

Hardwood veneer is glued to the core. The visible surface layer is made of the wood species the flooring is named for. Maple flooring, for example, has a visible surface layer made of maple. The core is made of hardwood, but may be of any species.

Wear Protection

A hallmark of good quality prefinished flooring products is the wear protection they provide. The hard finish put on the surface layer protects from scratches and abrasions.

Refinishing

If the engineered hardwood floor becomes marred or scratched, it may be refinished, often several times before it has to be replaced. The thicker the surface layer, the more times it can be refinished.

Source:

Hoskinghardwood.com: All About Engineered Hardwood Flooring

More Information:

This Old House: Engineered Hardwood Flooring