Engineered Flooring With Thickest Wear Layer

Stability and flooring longevity are enhanced by 11 layers of baltic birch backing.

Engineered flooring with thickest wear layer.

In the photo below the top sample carries the trafficmaster allure branding and is 3 8mm thick with a 4mil wear layer. A 3 16 wear layer compared to an industry standard of 1 12 to 1 8 offering the same thickness of sanding available as a solid floor without sacrificing the stability in an engineered platform. An engineered floor with a 3 millimeter top for instance can handle two refinishings. The veneer is a slice of wood usually about a 1 8 inch 3 18 mm thick glued to the plywood base.

The sawn face can be sanded and refinished as many times as a standard 3 4 solid hardwood floor and these planks are built for stability and durability. To put this into context if you imagine a solid wood flooring board that is 2cm thick with a tongue and groove construction. Due to our heavy 5 8 mm veneer or what many call the wear layer this type of engineered can be refinished as many times as a solid hardwood floor. Most vinyl and laminate planks for example are around 4 to 6 feet long.

Examples of engineered flooring with the thickest wear layers vintage hardwood flooring solid sawn offers a sawn face wear layer of 4mm. You may first think that the 14mm product is the better purchase and will save you money but. Thicker top layers can be sanded just like solid wood allowing you to erase deeper scratches and dents. Hardwood should be longer.

Let s say that a 14mm thick engineered oak flooring with 3mm oak wear layer costs 23 00 per m2 whereas a 15mm thick flooring with 4mm wear layer costs 25 00 per m2. A thicker layer is more resistant to scratching and denting. Other thinner veneer products on the market today mention the same but in reality it is rarely possible. Better quality flooring tends to have the highest wear layers but is more expensive.

In the middle is a slice of vinyl plank flooring from the home decorators collection in noble oak. This type of board will have a wear layer of around 8mm. The level of wear on a vinyl plank is measured in mil one thousandth of an inch a mil is not the same as a millimeter as roughly 40 mil equals 1 0 mm 39 4 mil to 1 mm to be exact. Floors with a wear layer less than 2 millimeters thick can tolerate a light scuff sanding with a buffer.

The biggest factor is the top layer called the wear layer which is generally 2mm thick though 3 or 4mm are also popular. The length of the boards are what makes the quality of the entire build. It s slightly thicker at 4mm with an 8mil wear layer while the bottom sample is shaw matrix at 3 2mm thick with a 6mil wear. They make engineered hardwood flooring by laminating a solid hardwood veneer on top of a plywood base or similar material.