A buying guide to engineered wood

Why "engineered" rather than solid wood

Engineered wood bonds a real timber top layer onto layers of plywood or board beneath it. That cross-layered construction resists the expansion and contraction that solid wood suffers from in a centrally heated home, while still giving a genuine wood surface underfoot, not a printed image of one.

Packs, not rolls

Engineered wood is boxed into fixed-size packs in the same way as LVT and laminate. The pack-area rule rounds your floor area plus waste up to the next whole pack, and every range page shows exactly how many packs your room needs.

Lacquered or oiled

A lacquered finish is more resistant to everyday spills and easier to clean, while an oiled finish shows scuffs less and can be spot-repaired more easily over time, though it needs re-oiling periodically. Both are genuine choices rather than one being simply better.

What the home measure adds

Engineered wood usually needs to acclimatise in the room for a period before fitting. The home measure confirms that timing along with the subfloor check and the exact price.