Engineered hardwood
Engineered hardwood flooring and European oak, explained
Engineered hardwood flooring puts a real wood surface on a stable layered core, so it behaves better than solid boards over concrete and in dry Los Angeles air. Here is how to judge it — and you can ask our team about current collections.
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01How it is built
What engineered hardwood flooring really is
Engineered hardwood flooring is a board made in layers: a top layer of real hardwood — usually European oak — bonded to a core of plywood or cross-laid softwood, sometimes with a backing veneer. The crossed layers stop the board from swelling and shrinking as much as solid wood, which is why engineered boards can be glued directly to a concrete slab.
From the surface, a good engineered floor is indistinguishable from solid wood. The differences are underneath: how thick the top layer is, how stable the core is, and how precisely the boards are milled.
We give design-led advice on engineered wood; which collections are available changes, so ask our Glendale team about current options. For patterned wood floors, see parquet flooring; for a tougher budget option, laminate. The flooring overview compares all three. Book a consultation to talk through your rooms, or plan the kitchen first in our configurator.
02Specification
How to compare engineered boards
- Wear layer
- 2–6 mm of real hardwood; 3–4 mm is a sensible minimum for a home you plan to keep
- Refinishing
- Roughly one sanding per 1 mm of wear layer above about 2 mm, depending on the installer
- Overall thickness
- About 9/16–¾ in (14–20 mm) for most premium boards
- Core
- Multi-ply plywood or a three-layer construction with a softwood core
- Width
- 5–7 in standard; 7½ in and wider counts as wide plank
- Formaldehyde
- Composite-core flooring sold in the US must meet TSCA Title VI limits — look for the label
03European oak
Grades and finishes of European oak flooring
Prime / select grade
Few or no knots and even color; calm and contemporary.
Character / rustic grade
Knots, color variation and figure; warmer and more forgiving of wear.
Brushed surface
Wire-brushing lifts the grain for texture that hides small scratches.
Hardwax oil
Natural feel, spot-repairable; needs periodic maintenance oil.
Matte lacquer
A protective film that resists spills with less routine care.
Smoked or fumed
Treatment that deepens oak to warm brown through the surface.
04Installation
Over a slab, over plywood, over heating
On a concrete slab, engineered boards are glued down with a moisture-control adhesive or floated on a vapor barrier and underlayment. On a plywood subfloor, they can also be nailed or stapled. Either way, the slab is tested for moisture and checked for flatness first.
Bring the boxes into the house with the HVAC running and let them acclimate as the maker specifies, then keep indoor humidity around 35–55% year-round. A humidifier during Santa Ana season prevents the gaps that dry air opens between boards.
05Process
Choosing hardwood flooring in Los Angeles with us
- 01
Tell us about the rooms
Which rooms, how much sun, pets and children, and what sits on the floor today — slab or plywood.
- 02
Check availability
We confirm which engineered and wide plank collections are currently available for your project.
- 03
Compare samples
Samples of the collections that are available are laid next to your kitchen fronts, stone and tile, under daylight and warm light.
- 04
Plan the installation
Square footage, waste, direction, transitions and acclimation, agreed with you and your installer.
Is engineered hardwood real wood?
How thick should the wear layer be?
Do you stock engineered hardwood?
Engineered hardwood or laminate?
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Engineered hardwood vs laminateEngineered hardwood has a real wood surface that can often be sanded and refinished; laminate has a printed wood image…
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Book a consultationTell us about your project and plan a visit to the Glendale showroom.
Consultation
Plan your project with a NOVAHAUS designer
Bring a floor plan, a photo or simply an idea. We will walk the showroom with you, talk through layout, materials and budget, and map out the next steps.