Over the last two decades, the floor covering industry is being inundated by more new technology and styling trends than ever. Products, construction, styling and installation technologies are changing so fast that it is difficult to keep up with the changes. Of all building materials, floor coverings of all kinds are changing most, and attitudes about floor coverings are changing, as well. 

After many years of extensive research and development, homeowners now have more choice when it comes to choosing a hard floor for their home. In fact, due to these technological advances in hard flooring, you can barely tell the difference between solid timber floors and engineered timber flooring .

Twenty years ago, if you wanted to install hard flooring in your home, you could choose between solid wood or sheet vinyl. Nowadays, engineered timber give homeowners more options, greater performance, and more flexibility within their budget. 

Engineered timber flooring is a layered product  made of 100% wood that looks and feels like solid flooring. The difference? It can be easier to install and less prone to seasonal movement, cracking, and warping than its solid counterparts. 

When you buy a product from the Godfrey Hirst Timber collection, you’re buying an engineered timber floor straight out of the box. The product has beautiful knots and grains in it, and it has a lovely variation of colours in each plank, just like you’d get with solid timber. It is a completely finished product down to the many layers of polyurethane, and it can be installed in a day compared with solid timber which can take months.
 
Some people are surprised to learn that engineered timber really is timber. The top layer is real European oak which has been sustainably forested and harvested. Every plank is covered in Wearguard®, a hardy seven-coat polyurethane system that protects it from everyday wear and tear. Choosing engineered timber flooring over solid timber isn’t a compromise; in fact, in many ways it’s a better option.

For more information, view our range of Engineered Timber flooring.