Solid Wood

Solid wood floors are generally cut as a solid block directly from harvested timber.  They are then processed with tongue and groove edges, and are either prefinished at the factory or placed into pallets of unfinished planks. Unfinished wood floors are usually of solid construction. Solid wood is more susceptible to moisture than engineered wood, but usually has a higher grain quality than engineered. Solid construction flooring can be installed at or above ground level.  

 

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is manufactured by slicing raw timber into several layers and pressing them together to form a plank.  Most engineered wood flooring is factory finished, which cuts down on installation time.  It is also less susceptible to moisture making it possible to install in nearly every room of a house. Engineered flooring can be installed at, above, or below ground level.

 

Longstrip Wood

Longstrip flooring is a type of engineered wood that was designed to be installed as a floating wood floor. While it can be installed by any traditional method, (e.g. gluing, nailing, or stapling) it is designed so that each plank merely has to be glued to the next plank allowing it to float over any subfloor. Longstrip wood floors can be installed at, above, or below ground level.

 

Distressed Wood

Distressed wood can be either solid or engineered. After the planks are constructed, the surfaces are machined to add character and to give the floor a more reclaimed, antique look.   

Hand-Scraped Wood

Hand-scraped floors are a type of distressed wood. They can be either solid or engineered, and are distressed to add character.  Unlike a plain distressed floor, hand tools are used to score the wood’s surface.  This makes each plank more unique than the last, but it also adds to the cost.