Manufactured hardwood, often referred to as engineered hardwood, is a popular type of flooring material designed with multiple layers for enhanced stability and performance.
Understanding Manufactured Hardwood Flooring
Unlike solid hardwood flooring, which is a single piece of wood from top to bottom, manufactured hardwood is constructed from several layers bonded together. This layered structure provides greater resistance to moisture and temperature changes, reducing the likelihood of warping or gapping compared to solid wood.
What is Engineered Hardwood?
Engineered hardwood consists of two main parts:
- The Top Layer: This is a veneer (a thin sheet) of actual hardwood (like oak, maple, cherry, etc.). This visible layer is what gives the floor its natural hardwood look and feel.
- The Core Layers: These layers make up the bulk of the board beneath the veneer. They are constructed from various materials, often including types of manufactured wood.
The Role of Manufactured Wood in Engineered Hardwood
The core layers are critical to the stability of engineered hardwood. They are typically laid in alternating directions, a technique that adds strength and dimensional stability. These core layers can be made from materials like plywood, High-Density Fiberboard (HDF), or particleboard.
These core materials fall under the umbrella of manufactured wood. Based on the provided reference:
Manufactured wood, commonly referred to as MDF is made through the process of heating, gluing, and compressing wood chips and sawdust together to create a wood-like composite.
Materials like HDF and particleboard, often used in engineered hardwood cores, are similar composites created from wood fibers or particles bonded with adhesive under heat and pressure. Thus, while the top layer is real hardwood, the structural core often utilizes manufactured wood products.
Common Core Materials
- Plywood: Layers of wood veneer glued together with alternating grain direction.
- HDF (High-Density Fiberboard): A dense composite board made from compressed wood fibers, similar to MDF but stronger and denser.
- Particleboard: Made from larger wood particles than MDF/HDF, bonded with adhesive.
Why Choose Manufactured Hardwood?
Manufactured hardwood offers several advantages due to its construction:
- Stability: Less prone to expansion and contraction from humidity changes.
- Versatility: Can be installed in areas where solid hardwood might not be suitable, such as basements (depending on subfloor and specific product).
- Sustainability: Uses the desired hardwood species more efficiently as only the top layer is solid hardwood.
Solid vs. Manufactured (Engineered) Hardwood
Here's a quick comparison:
| Feature | Solid Hardwood | Manufactured (Engineered) Hardwood |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Single piece of hardwood | Multiple layers (hardwood veneer top, manufactured core) |
| Stability | More susceptible to moisture/temp | More stable, less prone to warping |
| Core Material | Solid wood | Plywood, HDF, Particleboard (Manufactured Wood) |
| Refinishing | Can be refinished multiple times | Refinishing depends on the thickness of the veneer |
In summary, while the term "manufactured hardwood" often refers to the entire engineered hardwood plank, the "manufactured" part accurately describes the composite wood materials frequently used in its stable core layers.
