Engineered Timber Flooring Melbourne

What engineered timber flooring is

Engineered timber is a real timber floor built in layers. The top layer, the part you see and walk on, is real hardwood. Under it sit layers of plywood or similar timber laid in different directions, and that cross-layered base is what keeps the board flat. In our ranges the hardwood layer is commonly 3mm or 4mm thick, and the whole board is usually between 14mm and 15mm.

You get the grain, the knots and the warmth of a timber floor, with more stability than a solid board. That matters in Melbourne, where the air can be very dry in summer and damp in winter.

Engineered timber or solid hardwood?

Solid hardwood is one piece of timber all the way through and can be sanded many times, but it moves more with humidity and is generally laid by nailing or gluing over a timber subfloor. Engineered timber is more dimensionally stable, can be laid over concrete slabs and works well with underfloor heating. Its hardwood layer can be sanded and re-coated a limited number of times, depending on the layer's thickness.

Which is better depends on the house and on how long you plan to stay. Our guides to engineered versus solid timber and laminate versus engineered flooring compare them in more detail, and our solid timber flooring page shows what we have in solid boards.

Oak, American oak and Australian hardwoods

Oak is the most common species in engineered ranges. European oak has a clean, even grain and takes pale, brushed and smoked finishes well. American oak is a lighter timber that is often chosen for a soft, natural look with a slightly straighter grain. Australian hardwoods such as blackbutt and spotted gum give the warm, richer tones many people associate with Australian homes.

Species, grade and finish all change the look. Grade describes how much natural variation, such as knots and colour differences, you will see in the boards. Our guide to engineered oak grades in Melbourne explains the grade letters. Ask us which ranges on this page use which species.

Board widths and finishes

Board widths in our ranges run from narrow boards of about 120mm to wide planks of 190mm, 220mm and 240mm, in lengths of up to about 2.2 metres. Wider, longer boards make a room look larger and show fewer joins, but they suit a flat subfloor and need careful laying. Narrower boards are traditional and forgiving.

The surface is usually a hard UV-cured lacquer, in matte or satin, or an oil finish. A brushed or wire-brushed surface adds texture and hides small scratches. See the types of engineered flooring finish for the differences.

Which rooms engineered timber suits

Engineered timber suits living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, studies and hallways, and it is a good choice upstairs and in homes with underfloor heating. It is not designed for bathrooms and laundries, or for any room where water may sit on the floor, because the timber top layer can mark and swell if it stays wet. See engineered timber for upstairs rooms for a common case.

Installing over a slab or a timber subfloor

There are three common methods: floating on an underlay, gluing directly to the subfloor, or fixing to a timber subfloor or battens. The right one depends on the subfloor and the range, and the supplier's instructions for each range set what is allowed. On a concrete slab, moisture has to be tested and, where needed, a moisture barrier is used before laying. A timber subfloor must be dry, flat and well ventilated underneath.

Timber also needs to settle into the room before it is laid. Read about acclimatising engineered flooring and engineered flooring installation types.

Care, sanding and re-coating

Sweep or vacuum often, and clean with a slightly damp mop and a cleaner made for lacquered timber. Do not wet the floor, avoid steam mops and wipe spills quickly. Felt pads under furniture and mats at the door prevent most of the damage. Keep the room's humidity steady, because timber reacts to very dry or very damp air.

Over time a lacquered floor can be lightly abraded and re-coated to refresh the surface. Deeper marks may need sanding, which is limited by the thickness of the hardwood layer. Read how to clean engineered wood flooring and whether engineered flooring can be sanded.

Engineered timber and underfloor heating

Because the layered base is stable, engineered timber is one of the better timber choices over underfloor heating. The heating should be brought up and down slowly rather than switched on at full strength, and the floor surface temperature must stay within the limit the supplier sets for the range. Tell us if the home has hydronic or electric heating when you ask about a range, so we can check that the boards and the laying method suit it.

Engineered timber, hybrid or laminate: how to choose

Choose engineered timber when you want real hardwood, a floor that can be re-coated in the future and a finish that gets better with age. Choose hybrid flooring when water in the room is the main worry, or laminate flooring for a hard-wearing timber look in a dry room. Our guide to hybrid versus engineered timber is a useful second opinion. Whichever you pick, we can show the three side by side in the showroom so you can feel the difference.

See engineered timber in our Thomastown showroom

The best way to choose is to stand on the floor. Our Thomastown showroom is in Melbourne's north, and you can bring a photo of your room, a paint chip or a cabinet sample to compare against the boards in daylight. If you would rather not travel, our mobile showroom brings samples to your home. To arrange a measure, call us on (03) 9961 4792 or send a message through our contact page, and tell us the rooms and the suburb.