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Which is better, engineered wood flooring or solid wood flooring? Which is more environmentally friendly and economical?
Each has its own advantages. From an environmental perspective, solid wood flooring is better, mainly because it uses less glue. However, Allianz three-layer engineered wood flooring has a higher environmental protection rating and saves more wood resources.
Solid wood flooring:
It is commonly used in home decoration.
advantage
It's made of pure wood, with a warm feel underfoot and a natural, authentic look. The surface coating is smooth and even, and it comes in a variety of sizes, offering a wide range of choices.
shortcoming
The wood flooring is fine-grained and dry, but it is prone to shrinkage when exposed to moisture, resulting in warping and deformation. Installation is relatively troublesome, and maintenance is both difficult and expensive.
engineered wood flooring:
Engineered wood flooring combines the advantages of solid wood flooring-its natural beauty, comfortable feel, and good heat insulation-with the disadvantages of solid wood flooring, such as shrinkage, warping, and cracking. Furthermore, engineered wood flooring is easy to install and generally does not require a subfloor.
Cork flooring
It's made from the bark of oak trees, so it's also a type of engineered wood flooring. Compared to solid wood flooring, cork flooring is more environmentally friendly, has better moisture resistance, and won't rot. With proper installation, it can even be used in bathrooms.
The disadvantages are that it is relatively soft and the wear layer is easily damaged if the quality is poor. Strictly speaking, bamboo flooring is also a type of engineered wood flooring. Bamboo flooring has a beautiful and elegant surface and a comfortable feel underfoot, making it an ideal material for replacing wood with bamboo and reducing wood consumption.
Based on materials, flooring can be divided into pure bamboo flooring and bamboo-wood composite flooring. Pure bamboo flooring is made entirely of bamboo, while bamboo-wood composite flooring typically uses bamboo for the surface layer, while the core and backing are made of wood or plywood. Based on color, flooring can be divided into natural bamboo flooring and carbonized bamboo flooring.
Bamboo flooring is cool to the touch, so families with elderly members should be cautious about installing it. Also, bamboo flooring is highly adaptable, and in northern regions where the seasons change and temperatures and humidity levels fluctuate significantly, it can be a challenge for the bamboo flooring itself.
Key points for choosing solid wood flooring
● Narrow boards are more resistant to deformation than wide boards.
● A dark surface color and thick paint often conceal surface defects.
●It is normal for the color of the six sides of the flooring to be uneven because the logs are sourced from different locations. In fact, it is abnormal for the flooring to have all six sides sealed with heavy paint.
●The required moisture content for wood flooring varies depending on the climate of the location where it is used.
● Solid wood flooring is made from natural wood, and it is normal for the surface to have live knots, color variations, etc. This is precisely what distinguishes solid wood flooring from engineered wood flooring, so there is no need to be overly demanding. If there are defects such as wormholes, cracks, rot, blue stain, or dead knots on the surface, they can be removed during installation by cutting or sawing to take what is usable and discard the defects.
● When selecting paint quality, whether it is glossy or matte lacquer flooring, you should observe whether the surface paint film is uniform, full, and smooth, and whether there are any missing paint, bubbles, or pinholes.
● There are two types of paint: UV and PU. You can ask the salesperson about the type of paint for your flooring. Generally speaking, flooring with a high oil content, such as teak, ipe, and purpleheart, requires PU paint; using UV paint will result in paint peeling and flaking.
PU paint offers true-to-life colors and clear textures, and is easy to repair if damaged. However, PU paint requires a longer drying time, resulting in a longer processing period. Furthermore, PU-painted flooring is slightly more expensive than UV-painted flooring.
2. Key Indicators to Consider When Purchasing Composite Flooring: When purchasing composite wood flooring, the main technical indicators you should understand include:
1. Abrasion resistance; 2. Impact resistance; 3. Stain and colorfastness; 4. Smoke burn resistance; 5. Wear on contact surfaces; 6. Scratches on chair casters; 7. Volume expansion rate after water absorption; 8. Formaldehyde emission. For household use, an abrasion resistance rating of at least 6000 revolutions is sufficient.
3. The pollution from flooring accessories cannot be ignored. It's not enough for the flooring itself to be environmentally friendly; the accessories are equally important. Nowadays, when purchasing laminate flooring, flooring suppliers generally offer free delivery and installation, and the flooring adhesive is usually included as a free gift.
Given the high price of high-quality, environmentally friendly, and moisture-proof floor adhesives, many small workshops often choose cheaper, ordinary adhesives, or even cheaper, inferior adhesives. These substandard adhesives cannot guarantee their quality, yet they can easily enter consumers' homes under the guise of "brand-specific" and "all-inclusive pricing," thus posing environmental risks to households.