As a home-style, shabby chic has hit its peak and shows no signs of shuffling off the hot spot for the foreseeable future! With this home-style look comes a preference for bare or painted floorboards, but what if the boards themselves are in a condition that even a good coat of paint cant even disguise, let alone remedy? Enter then, engineered wood flooring, but what is it, what does it offer and how can it help you to achieve that shabby chic look in the home?
Engineered wood flooring offers a perfect compromise for those who do want the contemporary wood floor look but dont want the expense of fitting solid hardwood or the artificial look of many wood laminate types of flooring currently available.
Engineered wood is so called because it is an engineered mix of finished wood on top, with layers of non-finish plywood beneath. Depending on the type of engineered wood being purchased, the hardwood topping can be from 1/16 to 1/8 thick.
As a flooring material, engineered wood offers a real compromise where the strength of a solid wood floor is desired but cannot be afforded. For one thing, engineered wood flooring is considerably less expensive than solid wood flooring, both for supply and for installation, yet it does offer some of the additional strength desired. This is because the middle layer of plywood is laid cross-wise below the real wood finish layer, giving extra strength that laminate flooring cannot compete with and making it an ideal, cost-effective alternative to solid wood flooring in high traffic areas of the home.
Another appealing feature of engineered wood flooring is its resistance to light moisture. Despite its strength and expense, solid wood flooring can be quite fickle when it comes to moisture, so using it in areas of the home where it may continually encounter moisture, such as in kitchens or bathrooms, may require high maintenance. By contrast, engineered wood flooring offers the water-resistance of laminate flooring, but the quality good looks and warm appeal of natural wood, making it ideal for incorporating the shabby chic look to the wetter areas of the home!
In terms of fitting into the wider aspects of shabby-chic, such as incorporating a natural, wooden theme in the home through other wooden furnishings such as dressers, bedroom suites and chairs, engineered wood flooring is available in a range of finishes to allow easy complement or contrast to wood furnishings, such as oak finish to complement an oak bedroom suite, or maple, an ideal flooring choice to harmonize with many living, dining or family room furnishings.
And of course thats just the start of it! Consider the fact that because engineered wood flooring is factory sanded and sealed, theres no extra waiting time or maintenance time after fitting: not true for painting up old boards which, once you start becomes a cycle of sanding, painting and waiting! So, if you want your completed home-style look that offers more chic than shabby, consider engineered wood flooring!