Engineered Hardwood Flooring Can Save Money Without Sacrificing Style

Hardwood floors are a look that never goes out of style. It is something that adds immediate value and class to your home. Of course, this new rich look is going to cost money, but there are ways to trim some of these costs, especially if you are going to do the installation yourself. One such measure is to use engineered hardwood flooring.

If you are thinking that engineered hardwood flooring is the laminated flooring that you sometimes see in restaurants, you are way off base. These are real wood planks that have already been finished and are ready for installation.

Two things that take up a lot of time when you install a floor are the sanding down and the staining and finish application. These are also the two areas that a lot of DIY'ers can make the most mistakes. Avoid wasting time and money by using the engineered hardwood flooring instead of the standard flooring.

Using this product also eliminates the need to hire a professional. If you have ever laid down flooring before, you should have some basic knowledge and can look on the internet for some quick lessons on the best way to lay down hardwood floors. Something else to consider is that you can use the floor right away instead of having to wait days for the finish to properly dry.

If you have an area of the house that you are going to be installing hardwood floors and it is prone to mild exposure to moisture, engineered hardwood flooring is a much better choice than standard hardwood floors. Because of the way it is treated, it is more likely to hold up to these conditions over say a Maple wood floor that you install and finish yourself.

When you are deciding how to install the floor, you can do it normally where the nails will show but be flush to the floor or you can choose to hide them since the floor is already finished and you do not want to risk harming the finish during installation. To do this, you will need to use a technique called blind nailing or even possibly gluing them down. Either way will allow you to keep the pristine look of the wood.

While this product itself will have a higher price tag on it than unfinished product, you need to take the time and error factors into consideration of the pricing. You are saving a ton of time and run no risk of messing up the finish and having to bur more wood or make costly repairs.

As you look at the small mistakes that can cost significant money in replacement or repair, engineered hardwood flooring starts to make more and more sense. Think about a bubble popping up because you didn't stir the solution properly. A small mistake, but it can cost you a lot of money when you do it. If you have little experience in this type of work you are better off playing it safe and using the prepared product to work with.

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