Engineered Wood Flooring From Flooring365

Our Top 10 Engineered Wood Floors

Engineered Wood Flooring Samples

Find Your Perfect Engineered Wood Flooring With Our Free Samples

At Flooring365 we offer free samples on our entire range of Engineered Wood Flooring. No matter which styles you like, whether you have your heart set on a classic oak, or you're unsure which would look best between two or three different finishes, our free samples can help. Simply order as many free wood flooring samples as you'd like and get them delivered, free of charge, direct to your door, usually within a few days; what better way to see which flooring suits your home the best, than trying it in your room before you buy?

What's more, our samples are delivered through your letterbox, for added convenience, so you don't even need to worry about delivery.

How To Order Your Free Engineered Wood Flooring Samples

Ordering your free samples couldn't be easier. Simply find the flooring style you like (or a few, we have no limit on samples) and click the 'Order FREE Sample' button on your desired floor, either within the category or individual product page. When you've finished browsing, visit your cart where your samples will be available to order totally free of charge. We even include free shipping!

Quick & Easy Delivery

Considering ordering free wood flooring samples, but unsure about delivery? Don't worry! Our samples are delivered using Royal Mail, straight through your letter box, so you don't need to wait in your home.

Engineered Wood Flooring FAQ's

What Is Engineered Wood Flooring?

Engineered wood flooring is a composite wood floor, made up of a solid hardwood top layer and a base of between 3-12 layers of structural sublayers, usually plywood.

This construction offers a floor that’s identical in looks to solid wood flooring, as well as enhanced strength, stability, and durability, as well as being extremely good value for money.

Engineered wood flooring is available in a wide range of finishes and colours, as well as different styles such as Parquet and Herringbone Flooring.

How Is Engineered Wood Flooring Made?

Engineered wood flooring is made by taking 3 to 12 layers of plywood (although other wood types are used) and gluing them together, finished with a top layer of real wood (also known as the ‘Wear Layer). This hybrid construction gives an identical finish to solid wood flooring, whilst being incredibly stable and cost-effective.

Is Engineered Wood Flooring Waterproof?

Although engineered wood flooring can withstand small spillages, it’s not 100% waterproof, which is why we don’t recommend it for bathrooms, where lasting water damage could occur. It can be used in kitchens, with care.

Spillages should be cleaned within 2-3 hours to reduce staining and keep your floor looking its best.

Is Engineered Wood Flooring Suitable For Kitchens?

Although it's not 100% waterproof, engineered flooring can work well in kitchens, withstanding most daily spillages and general wear and tear.

We recommend using a lacquered floor in kitchens, which provides an impermeable top layer (usually providing up to 7 extra layers) and offers greater protection. Be sure to clean up small spillages as soon as possible and your engineered wood flooring will look great in your kitchen for years to come.

Is Engineered Wood Flooring Suitable for Bathrooms?

As engineered wood flooring isn’t waterproof, we don’t recommend it for use in high water areas such as bathrooms and wetrooms.

If you’re looking for flooring that is suitable for bathrooms, we recommend LVT or some waterproof laminate options, which offer a wood effect, whilst still being able to withstand higher levels of moisture and humidity.

How Do I Keep My Engineered Wood Flooring in Top Condition?

Engineered wood flooring is highly durable and will withstand the pressures of any busy household. That said, there are a few things you can do to keep your flooring in peak condition and looking as good as when it was first laid:

• A daily sweep or clean with a damp mop
• Mopping up spillages as soon as possible to avoid staining
• Reapplying oils on a regular basis, ensuring your floor has maximum protection

Does Engineered Wood Flooring Need Underlay?

Technically, engineered wood flooring is dense enough to be laid without an underlay. However, for a professional finish and the best possible results, we always recommend using an underlay.

Underlay will help level your subfloor, which is key, as well as providing extra cushioning and comfort underfoot. As well as this, underlay can improve sound absorption and insulation, making rooms warmer, improving efficiency, and reducing noise levels (especially important when your engineered floor is laid in a room that sits above another, such as bedrooms, or in apartments).

Is Engineered Wood Flooring Suitable For Underfloor Heating?

Thanks to its composition, with structural sub-layers allowing for expanding and contracting without warping, engineered wood flooring is well suited for use with water-based underfloor heating. Keep in mind that electric underfloor heating isn’t recommended for use with most wood floors, including engineered as it creates ‘heat spikes’ which can damage your flooring.

At Flooring365 we recommend using Underfloor Heating Underlay, which allows for greater heat dissipation and more efficient heating.

If you’re considering engineered wood flooring with an underfloor heating system but are still unsure which option to choose, contact our team for help and advice.

Can Engineered Wood Flooring Be Installed Over Ceramic Tile?

Yes, it can be installed over ceramic tile and other flat floors using a ‘floating floor’ installation method. However, you need to ensure that the tile is level and in good condition before installing your new floor. If the tile is damaged or uneven it could cause problems such as creaking, hollowness, and uneven planks.

Does Engineered Wood Flooring Scratch Easily?

Like any wood floor, engineered wood flooring can be susceptible to scratches, but will withstand the usual pressures of daily use, even in busy family households.

The solid wood top layer, or wear layer, can be sanded and refinished if it does become heavily scratched, meaning your engineered wood floor can look stunning for years without worry.

What’s more, finishing such as oiling or lacquering can further protect your floor from scratches, spillages, and staining, for ultimate peace of mind.

Can Engineered Wood Floors Be Sanded And Refinished?

Yes, engineered floors can be sanded and refinished. The number of times you can sand and refinish your flooring depends on the thickness of the top layer.

Is Engineered Wood Flooring Hard Wearing?

Yes, engineered wood flooring is incredibly hard-wearing and suitable for most rooms in the house, regardless of footfall.

How Long Does Engineered Wood Flooring Last?

Thanks to the durability and stability of engineered wood floors they can last for decades. If looked after properly, engineered wood floors can last up to 30 years.

Remember, engineered wood flooring top layers, or ‘Wear Layers’ mean they can also be sanded and refinished, offering a floor as beautiful as the day it’s first laid.

Visit our maintenance centre for more information on how to properly care for and refinish your engineered wood floors. 

Does Engineered Wood Need To Acclimate?

We recommend acclimating engineered hardwood floors so that they can become used to the conditions of your home before it is installed. Even though it is more stable than solid wood flooring, engineered wood floors will still move slightly so it’s best to let them acclimate before installation. We recommend a minimum of two days between receiving your floor and installing it.

Engineered Wood Flooring Finishes & Treatments

Unfinished

Unfinished flooring is just that, essentially, wood has been cut and shaped into planks with no other finishing process such as oiling or lacquer. Whilst unfinished flooring does require treatment or protection after fitting and before use, it does offer the benefit of a wider range of styles available, thanks to the availability of oils, waxes, or stains.

Brushed

Brushed flooring is finished using steel wire wool during production, removing the upper layer of wood grain, leaving a textured finish. Brushed floors offer a textured surface with enhanced grain and pattern. Depth of texture varies, depending upon the level of brushing and wood type.

Handscraped

Handscraped flooring involves individually scraping each engineered wood flooring plank wear layer, prior to finishing. Thanks to each plank being scraped individually, no two are finished identically, giving a more rustic, textured aesthetic. In a similar way to brushed flooring, handscraped flooring offers a textured finish, which varies, depending on the level of scraping applied.

Aged

Aged flooring is created by adding light wear to the surface of engineered wood planks, such as bumps and scrapes, to create an established, worn look that creates the illusion of flooring that has been laid for years. Varying levels of ageing are available, depending upon your style preference, giving an impression of short and longer-term wear.

Distressed

Distressed engineered flooring is made in a similar method to aged floors, adding texture to the surface, including bumps and scrapes, during production to give a worn feel but usually involves using more rustic boards; meaning a greater depth of grain, knots, and pattern. Distressed flooring is ideal if you’re looking for the stability of a new, engineered board, with the appearance of an antique, reclaimed floorboard.

Lacquered

Lacquer is a protective finish applied to flooring to reduce the damage caused by spillages, effectively creating a thin surface layer that prevents liquids from seeping into wood grains. Often considered the modern varnish equivalent, lacquered flooring is ideal for heavier traffic areas that need a higher protection level.

Oiled

Oil provides deeper protection than lacquer, by seeping into the wood grain, enhancing the aesthetic of wood flooring, however, as there is no surface layer created, oiled flooring usually requires greater maintenance and care over spillages. Oiled flooring is preferred by those looking for a natural, ‘untreated’ look, whilst still offering some level of protection and longevity.

Wood Species

Oak

Oak is often the most popular choice of wood flooring, and our oak engineered wood flooring offers the ultimate durable alternative. Offering the exact appearance of a hardwood oak floor, thanks to the veneer layer of solid wood. Our oak engineered flooring can cope with heat, humidity, and heavy foot traffic much better than your average oak floor. Available in red and white varieties, oak flooring is one of the most versatile choices, with a wide range of products in varied finishes. Oak floors also have a much tighter grain variation, which means there will be less difference in grains and texture from board to board. If this is something that appeals to you, then you should consider looking at our prime-grade oak flooring options too.

Walnut

Walnut is the less popular option of the two and this is mostly because it's a rarer product that is harder to source and therefore more expensive to buy. That said, it's often still pretty high in demand due to the vibrant colours and wider grains. Walnut engineered flooring is ideal for grand entrances and large living rooms thanks to its rich and elegant appearance. However, walnut floors do tend to have more variation from plank to plank, so if you're looking for a more uniform appearance, then walnut floors may not be for you.

Engineered Wood Flooring Thickness

Board Thickness

Generally speaking, board thickness is a case of personal preference, however, thicker boards, whilst usually more expensive do tend to be more hard-wearing and provide a slightly improved sound reduction performance, which should be considered in upstairs apartments or bedrooms, for example. As well as this, thicker boards are usually more suited to higher traffic areas, where they can withstand greater use.

Engineered Wood Flooring & Underfloor Heating

If you're using a water-based underfloor heating system it's important that your flooring isn't too thick to prevent the transfer of heat into the room. We recommend using flooring with a maximum board thickness of 15MM with 4/4.5MM Underfloor Heating Suitable Underlay.

Wear Layer

The wear layer refers to the top, aesthetic surface layer of real wood, which gives the engineered flooring its look. Thicker wear layers, whilst usually more expensive, offer greater durability and the option to sand more frequently, meaning flooring can be refreshed more times before replacing.

Most engineered wood floors, regardless of the thickness of the wear layer, will provide years of use, maintaining their impressive appearance.

Sanding Guide

In most cases, sanding the top layer of engineered wood flooring will remove up to 1MM of surface, with a minimum of 1MM leftover for protection. As a rough guide, here’s the number of times a floor can be sanded, based on the initial wear layer thickness:

• 3mm: 1-2 times
• 4mm: 2-3 times
• 5mm: 3-4 times
• 6mm: 4-5 times

(Please note: Sanding times is a guide only, the number of times a floor can be sanded will vary on an individual basis.)

Engineered Wood Flooring Installation Methods

Click Lok System

Click Lok flooring has a profiled edge which creates a glue-free, interlocking fitting system, meaning it can be laid more easily, and relatively hassle-free.

The Click Lok system used predominantly in engineered and laminate flooring is intended to make laying flooring easier for any DIY enthusiast, by simply pushing, dropping, or clicking boards into place.

If you’re considering Click Lok it’s important to think about the underlying surface on which your new engineered flooring will be laid. Uneven surfaces make Click Lok much more difficult to fit and keep in place, which often means the need for levelling underlay.

Tongue & Groove

A traditional method of fitting flooring, Tongue & Groove is a tried and tested installation type that involves tesselating profiled edges together using glue, such as PVA.

Whilst it can be slower to fit than Click Lok, some customers prefer the peace of mind a glued, tongue and groove flooring provides.