- Engineered hardwood is real wood. It's a layer of real hardwood on top of a stable plywood or composite core.
- Solid lasts longest and can be sanded the most times, but it only belongs on wood subfloors above ground.
- Engineered is the right call on concrete, in condos, over in-floor heat and for wide planks.
- The number that matters in engineered is the wear layer in millimetres. That decides whether it can ever be refinished.
A lot of people walk into a store believing "engineered" means cheap or fake. It doesn't. A good engineered floor can cost more than solid and outperform it in plenty of homes here. And a bad engineered floor is a thin veneer that can never be sanded. Here's how to tell them apart.
What's the difference?
Solid hardwood is one piece of wood, usually 3/4" thick, nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor. It can be sanded and refinished many times over its life. A well-kept solid oak floor can last 80+ years. We pull up carpet in 1950s Surrey houses and find solid oak that just needs a sand and refinish.
Engineered hardwood is a layer of real hardwood (the "wear layer" or "lamella") glued onto a core made of cross-layered plywood or a dense composite. Because the layers cross each other, it moves far less with humidity. That's why it can go places solid can't.
Where solid wins
- Lifespan. More wood above the tongue means more sandings. If this is your forever home and the subfloor is wood, solid is still the gold standard.
- Refinishing and recolouring. In 15 years when trends change, you can sand it and stain it a different colour.
- Matching older floors. If you're extending existing oak strip into a new room, solid is usually the cleanest match, and we can lace it in so it looks original.
Where engineered wins
- Concrete. Basements, ground-floor slabs, condo towers. Solid hardwood doesn't belong on concrete. Engineered can be glued down or floated, if the slab passes a moisture test.
- In-floor (radiant) heat. Many engineered products are approved for it, usually with a cap on surface temperature. Most solid isn't.
- Wide planks. A 7–9" wide solid plank cups and gaps with the seasons. Wide engineered stays much flatter. If you want that wide, long, modern European-oak look, it's almost always engineered.
- Condos. Strata sound rules usually need a specific underlay, and engineered works with those far more easily.
- Installs in our climate. The Lower Mainland is damp outside and dry inside when the heat's on. Engineered tolerates that swing better. More on that in our climate page.
The wear layer: the number that decides everything
| Wear layer | What it means in real life |
|---|---|
| Under 2 mm | Treat it as a "can't sand" floor. A light screen-and-recoat of the finish maybe, but no full sanding. Fine for a 10–15 year floor. |
| 2–3 mm | Maybe one careful full sanding by a good refinisher. |
| 3–4 mm | Usually one or two full sandings. A solid middle ground. |
| 4–6 mm | Getting close to solid. Multiple refinishes over its life. |
Also look at the core. A multi-ply plywood core is generally the most stable and holds fasteners well. HDF and "stone" cores are thinner and cheaper, and some are fine, but ask. And look at how the top was cut: sawn-face wear layers look more like real boards than rotary-peeled veneer, which can look like plywood grain.
The finish matters as much as the wood
- Aluminum oxide (factory urethane): tough, low-maintenance and what most prefinished floors use. When it scratches you see a white-ish scratch in the finish, and spot repairs are hard.
- UV-cured oil / hardwax oil: a softer, matte, natural look. Scratches blend in and you can spot-repair a scratch with oil. It needs re-oiling every few years. Lots of the European-style oak floors use this, and it's great with dogs if you accept a lived-in look.
- Site-finished (sanded and finished in your house): seamless, custom colour, no bevels for dirt to collect in. More dust, more days and more cost.
Species, quickly
- White oak: the go-to right now. Hard, takes stain well and fits the natural look. Most of the wide-plank stuff is European white oak.
- Red oak: a bit pinker and more open-grained. It's what's in a lot of older homes here, and it can be stained to look more neutral.
- Maple: hard, smooth and light, but it stains blotchy. Usually left natural.
- Hickory: very hard and very busy-looking. It hides dog scratches well.
- Walnut: gorgeous, but soft. It dents. Not for big dogs.
Honest take: any real wood will scratch. If the idea of a scratch from the dog makes you sick, real hardwood isn't your floor. Either embrace the character, pick an oiled or wire-brushed finish that hides it, or go with a good laminate.
What we'd recommend
- House, main floor, wood subfloor, staying forever: solid or thick-wear-layer engineered. You can't go wrong.
- Want wide 7"+ planks: engineered.
- Condo or basement: engineered (glue-down or floating with an approved underlay), or vinyl if moisture is a concern.
- Radiant heat: engineered approved for it, plus a conversation about your thermostat.
- Dogs: oiled or wire-brushed oak, or hickory, in a mid-tone. Skip glossy dark floors.
Common questions
Is engineered hardwood real wood?
Yes. The top layer is real hardwood, usually oak, maple, hickory or walnut, glued to a stable core. You walk on real wood. What differs is how thick that top layer is and what's underneath.
Can engineered hardwood be refinished?
It depends on the wear layer. Under about 2 mm, plan on no full sanding. With 3–4 mm, usually one or two full sandings. With 4–6 mm, several. Ask for the number in millimetres before you buy.
Can you put solid hardwood on concrete?
Generally no. Solid hardwood needs a wood subfloor to be nailed to and is too sensitive to concrete moisture. On concrete, use engineered hardwood (glued or floated with the right underlay) after a moisture test.
Which lasts longer, engineered or solid hardwood?
Solid usually lasts longest because it can be sanded the most times. A thick-wear-layer engineered floor can last decades too, and it's more stable in places like condos and basements where solid shouldn't go at all.
Does engineered hardwood add resale value?
Yes. Buyers and realtors treat good engineered hardwood as hardwood. It's real wood on top and it's what most new high-end homes use.
Who's writing this: Rose and Thorn Flooring is a flooring company in Surrey, BC. We install floors for a living, so yes, we'd love to do yours. But nobody pays us to say nice things about a product, and we don't earn commission from any brand. If something here is wrong or out of date, text us at 604-716-4160 and we'll fix it.