During the construction of an engineered wood floor each of the individual alternating plies will be stacked in the opposite direction. Through natural forces the plies pull against one another keeping them dimensionally stable and far less effected by moisture than a 3/4″ solid wood floor. This greater dimensional stability and resistance to moisture enables engineered wood floors to be installed over concrete slabs and below ground level as long as the concrete slab is dry and clean.
Engineered wood floors commonly consist of 2, 3 or even 5 thin layers. The top layer is a laminated unit with a thickness between ¼ – 9/16 inch. Available as both strip and plank flooring, the width will usually range between 2- ¼ and 7 inches wide. It is often found in random lengths of 12 – 60 inches. Any number of species, domestic or exotic can be used as the top or finish layer. While oak is the common species found in engineered planks, many different species are used. The top ply may be a totally different wood species than that of the other plies.
