Hardwood Flooring

Both have real wood on top. The difference is underneath, and it decides where each one works best.

• Engineered hardwood: a real wood wear layer over plywood or HDF layers. It moves less with humidity, so it suits basements, condos and homes with radiant heating. It can be floated, glued or nailed down. How often it can be refinished depends on the wear layer, usually 1 to 3 times.
• Solid hardwood: one piece of wood all the way through. It can be sanded and refinished many times and lasts for decades, but it costs more and reacts more to humidity, so it belongs on main floors above grade.

Engineered boards come in three common builds: 3-ply (budget-friendly, light to moderate traffic, refinish once or twice), 5 to 7-ply (more stable, handles busy areas, refinish 2 to 3 times) and multi-layer with a wear layer of up to 6 mm (the most stable, and the best choice for basements and rooms with more moisture).

• Oak: durable and versatile. Red oak has warm tones; white oak is neutral to cool.
• Maple: smooth grain and a light colour, slightly harder than oak, popular in modern homes.
• Hickory: very hard with a strong grain, good for busy households and rustic styles.
• Walnut: rich, dark and elegant, a little softer than the others.

For a modern look, light oak, grey or white-washed maple with a matte or satin finish works well. Classic homes suit natural oak, walnut or darker stains, often hand-scraped. For scratch resistance, a UV-cured aluminum oxide finish is the most durable, and wire-brushed textures hide everyday marks.

The final price depends on the condition of the existing floor, subfloor preparation, stairs and transitions. We confirm it after an in-home measurement.

1. Visit and consultation: we look at the space, talk about how you use it and recommend options that fit your budget.
2. Product and delivery: we help you choose and source the flooring, and it is delivered to your home.
3. Acclimation and subfloor: the boards sit in the room for 48 to 72 hours, and the subfloor is cleaned, levelled and checked for moisture.
4. Installation: floating click-lock, glue-down on concrete or nail-down on wood subfloors, with the right expansion gaps.
5. Finishing: trims, transitions and, if you need it, matching stair work. We keep the site clean throughout.

Hardwood is ideal for living rooms, bedrooms, hallways and dining areas. Standard engineered hardwood resists moisture better than solid wood but is not waterproof, so for bathrooms and laundry rooms we suggest a waterproof engineered product or vinyl flooring instead. Engineered floors typically last 20 to 30 years; solid hardwood can last far longer with refinishing.

We install hardwood across Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. Before you buy, read our engineered hardwood buying guide.