Introduction

Similar to laminate flooring, engineered wood is made from layers of material. However instead of a photograph of wood, a thin layer of solid wood is cross-laid onto a softwood backing. As the grains of these two layers run perpendicular to one another, and because the softwood core is quite flexible, this makes this type of flooring the most resistant to dimensional changes - be they caused by heat or humidity. This property makes engineered wood ideal for kitchens and bathrooms, and allows it to be fitted with confidence above underfloor heating pipes.

As with laminated boards, engineered floors are usually produced in the form of tongue-and-groove planks which interlock into one another to form a glueless and often highly water-resistant joint.

Additional accessories

Most commonly engineered wood boards are laid as a 'floating floor' on top of an existing surface. With this is mind various accessories are required to disguise where the wood boards meet the skirting boards in order to produce a good finish.

• Insulating underlay
• Edging trim
• Pipe covers
• Door bars

The underlay is very important as it not only insulates for noise and heat (critical if not laid on the ground floor), but it also protects the wood planks from small undulations in the sub-floor surface.

At a glance

• Usually suitable for humidity of kitchens
• Suitable for underfloor heating
• Minor damage can usually be lightly sanded and refinished
• Forms a floating floor

• Significant surface damage cannot be repaired
• Edges may require finishing
• Colour may change in sunlight

Tools required to fit engineered flooring

To fit engineered flooring you will require the following tools;

Fitting engineered wood flooring

• Allow boards to acclimatise to the temperature of the room (which should be at least 15 degrees) for 24 hours prior to fitting.
• Ensure the sub-floor surface is flat, clean, firm and damp-proof. Ensure any nail heads are flush with the surface to avoid damaging the engineered boards.
• Level out any uneven surfaces by either;
  Screeding a concrete surface (check there is a damp-proof membrane).
  Nailing down hardboard panels, smooth side up, over floorboards. The panels should be brushed with water 24 hours before installation to allow them to be laid flat, and they should be pinned to the floor with a annular ring nail every 150mm (6in) round the edge and through the centre of each board. Board joints should be staggered to create an even surface.
  Smoothing a self-levelling compound over ceramic tiles to hide grouted joints.
• Lay underlay over whole sub-floor surface to insulate noise and heat and cover any small undulations.
• Begin by laying boards against the longest straight wall, trimming them if necessary to maintain straight lines. If your walls are not parallel, start against the wall that is seen first on entry to the room. Use wedges to keep a 10mm (⅜in) gap between the planks and the wall or skirting board.
• Offset the joints between rows by beginning with a whole plank, then start the next row with a ⅔ plank, and the third row with a ⅓ plank. Repeat this pattern over subsequent rows.
• Cut planks that meet the edges of the room such that there is a 10mm (⅜in) gap that will allow the floor to expand with changes in humidity and temperature, without becoming buckled.
• Create a cardboard template that fits around tricky shapes and corners. Draw around this template on the plank and jigsaw this line.
• To accommodate a moulded architrave of a doorframe, use a handsaw to cut a thin layer of the doorframe off from the bottom, which will allow the flooring to slide beneath it.
• Having cut and fitted all planks, cover the 10mm gap at the walls with matching edge moulding which should be fixed to the skirting board, not the engineered boards, with adhesive. Use mitred corners at joints of moulding.
• Alternatively, to avoid using edge moulding simply remove skirting boards before laying the engineered boards and then replace them after the floor is laid.
• A damaged plank can be replaced by dismantling the floor and rebuilding from the replaced board.

• Be sure to check that any doors opening over the newly laid floor can still swing freely. If not, take them off their hinges and plane the bottom of the doors, repainting and re-hanging them afterwards.

Further information and useful links

• Stripped floorboards
• Laminate flooring
• Hardwood flooring
• Parquet flooring
• Measuring up for a wooden floor
• More floors topics

• Find a Wood Floor supplier near you
• Find a Wood Floor Fitter near you