Although many people assume that solid wood flooring is the best you can buy, that may or may not be true, depending on a number of factors.

First of all, let’s explain what engineered wood flooring is. It’s made by sandwiching together several layers, usually a veneer, a core, and a base. The veneer or top layer is the one you see and it can vary in thickness. Generally speaking, the thicker, the better.

One of the advantages of engineered wood flooring is that it’s easier to install than solid wood flooring. It can be glued down – which is essential if you have concrete sub floors – stapled, or floated. And it’s easier to saw and nail than many solid woods. If you want to install your floors yourself, they’re your best bet.

It can even be installed over tile or vinyl, as long as it’s clean and level. Check to make sure the moisture level is less than 4% first.

Because the grain of the core is perpendicular to the grain of the veneer, it’s actually more stable than solid hardwood. It warps less and is better suited to homes in high-humidity zones or for summer homes that are unheated in winter.

The best thing about solid wood is that if it gets worn, it can be sanded down and refinished. But people forget that even though the wood is ¾” thick, it can only be sanded down to the bottom of the tongue on the side of the plank. In most cases, that’s only about 5/16” thick.

An engineered wood floor with a veneer of 3/16” can usually be sanded three or four times. It should have a lifespan of 60 to 80 years.

Most engineered flooring comes pre-finished, which eliminates all the hassle of sanding and finishing your floors after they’re installed. With 3 -10 layers of urethane already applied, they’ll look good for years with proper care.

These days, you can find engineered wood flooring in virtually every wood, color, and finish. Even hand-scraped and distressed styles are available.

As a rule, engineered wood floors are less expensive than solid wood floors. But if you sell your home, prospective buyers will pay the same price. This is not true for laminate floors which don’t look like real wood.

Another benefit is that they’re environmentally responsible. The wood required to produce one square foot of solid wood flooring will yield approximately four times as much engineered product.

Read about other kinds of wood flooring.

Wood flooring isn’t hard to install.  It’s a project most homeowners can tackle with good results.   But since sanding is tricky, and produces a huge amount of dust, it’s probably best to use pre-finished flooring.

Make sure you have the right sub floor for your wood flooring.

Before you decide which kind of wood floors to install, you’ll need to evaluate your sub flooring.  If you have a concrete slab, solid hardwood floors are not an option.  You’ll need to go with an engineered floor.

Solid wood flooring should only be installed over a clean, smooth, level base.  A plywood sub floor will provide insulation and sound proofing for your wood floors.  And give your floors added stability.

Because wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity, it’s a good idea to store the boards in the room where they’re going for a few days so they can adjust to the new environment.

You should buy about 30% more wood than your measurements indicate because there will likely be some boards that you don’t like and would prefer not to use.

Get your room ready.

If you haven’t already, remove the doors and baseboard molding from the room where you’re installing wood floors.  Numbering the baseboards and corresponding place on the wall will make reinstalling them much easier.

Figure out where the floor joists are and mark their location on the wall with a pencil.  You’ll be installing the wood flooring perpendicular to the joists.

To ensure a smooth surface, go over the sub floor and sink any nails or screws that protrude.  Then use a moisture tester to make sure the room is within the acceptable range.

To minimize creaks and squeaks and add some moisture protection, use a staple gun to tack down a layer of 15-pound asphalt felt.  Overlap the seams by 2 or 3 inches.

Once the felt is installed, measure the width of the room in several places, then snap a chalk line down the center, parallel to the wall where you‘ll start installing the wood strips.  Usually exterior walls are the straightest.

Snap additional chalk lines to show the location of the joists.  Finally, snap a chalk line parallel to your centerline 1/2″ from the starting wall.  Because this gap lets the wood expand, it’s essential.  And after the wood flooring is installed, it will be covered with the baseboards.

Begin installing the wood boards.

Check the boards and discard any that are crooked or warped.  If they aren’t already cut to random lengths, cut them yourself in varying sizes.

Select one of the longest boards and drill pilot holes that match up with the location of the joists.  Using 1-1/2″ finishing nails, nail the board to the plywood sub floor with the tongue side away from the wall.  Place the nails about six inches apart.  Use spacers against the wall to maintain the expansion gap, and to avoid denting the wood, use a nail set to drive the nail slightly below the surface.

If you don’t have a pneumatic blind nailer, you should rent one. It will make the job a lot easier.  Because it takes up some space, you probably won’t be able to start using it until the third or fourth row.

Putting a piece of tape on the head of the nailer will reduce the chance of it damaging the wood flooring.

Once the first board is nailed down, lay out a group of boards, staggering the ends by at least four to six inches.  Cut the end pieces to fit.  This process, called racking, speeds up the job by letting you install large sections of the floor at once.

Place a small piece of scrap next to the second-row board and hit it with a mallet to make sure the tongue and groove fit together tightly.  Then use the blind nailer to drive a nail at an angle from the top of the tongue into the sub flooring.   Driving the nails at an angle keeps them from becoming loose over time.

You should nail the board every ten inches or so, starting about three inches from the end joints.

When you get down to the last two or three rows, you won’t be able to use the blind nailer anymore, and you’ll need to face nail them.  As you did with the first board, drill pilot hotels and attach them with 1-1/2″ finishing nails.  You may need a pry bar to pull the boards together for a tight fit.

Sink the nails with the nail set and then use a matching putty to fill the holes.

Once the wood floor is installed, install the transitions, and reinstall the baseboards.

Because wood flooring is easy to care for and doesn’t show dirt or stain like carpeting, it’s a good choice for families with children and pets.

When you first start shopping for wood flooring, you may be overwhelmed by the choices.  But there are basically just three types of wood floors.  The type that’s best for you will depend on a number of factors, including where the floor will be installed and how much traffic it will get.

Solid wood flooring.

As the name implies, solid wood flooring is made from pieces of wood that are between 1/4″ and 1″ thick.  As a rule, the tongue-and-groove boards fit together and are installed by nailing them to a sub floor of 3/4″ plywood.  For this reason, solid wood floors can’t usually be used over concrete slabs.

Building a sub floor to use over concrete essentially doubles the cost of using solid wood.  So if you have a concrete floor, you’re better off with an engineered wood floor.

Because solid wood expands and contracts with variations in moisture and temperature, it’s also unsuitable for areas where those conditions fluctuate dramatically.

You can choose from a wide assortment of solid woods, stains, and finishes.  Or you can buy your flooring unfinished and having it finished after it’s installed.  This is ideal if you’re trying to match a pre-existing floor.  But it’s a messy process and not everyone will be want to put up with the noise and dust.

Because there is usually 1/4″ or more of wood above the tongue and groove, solid wood floors can be sanded down and refinished.  If you have lots of traffic or large dogs, solid wood flooring are a great choice.

Engineered wood flooring.

This kind of flooring is made of several layers — or plys — that are laminated together.  Usually a base, a core, and a veneer.  The top layer or veneer varies in thickness.  But for the best wear, it should be at least 3/16th of an inch thick.

Veneers of 1/8″ or less are usually rotary peeled.  Thicker veneers are sawed and look more like solid wood.  Veneers of 5/16th can usually be sanded.

The grain on the plys in engineered wood run in different directions, which makes the flooring more stable.  Engineered wood flooring won’t warp, and because it can be glued, stapled or floated, it can be used almost anywhere.

Most engineered floors come prefinished with 3 – 10 layers of urethane.  But a huge selection of finishes is available.  If your sub floor is a concrete slab, engineered wood will cost you about half as much as solid wood.

Acrylic-impregnated wood flooring.

Better known by the brand name Pergo, acrylic-impregnated wood floors are extremely durable.  In fact, they’re 300% harder than natural wood.  Liquid acrylic, stain, and fire retardants are injected into the wood and then it’s cured.

Because impregnated wood is water resistant, it’s often used in kitchens and bathrooms.  And because the color goes all the way through, it’s ideal in commercial setting like restaurants, where there’s lots of traffic and wear.  In fact, scratches are barely detectable.

Many people don’t like the look of acrylic-impregnated wood floors, but they are the best choice if you want the appearance of wood but need a more durable floor.