Engineered vs solid timber
What the layered build is, and why it is specified more often than solid on slabs and in apartments.
What engineered actually means
A solid timber floor is sawn from a single piece of hardwood. An engineered board has a real timber wear layer on a layered core, often plywood. You still see and sand timber. The core helps the board hold its shape as humidity changes.
Wear layer thickness affects how often a floor can be refinished. Where those figures are known, they sit with the colour.
Slabs, apartments and humidity
Melbourne houses mix older timber subfloors with newer slabs. Apartments add concrete and tighter humidity control. Solid boards can cup and gap more as moisture changes. Engineered boards are specified more often because the cross-banded core resists that movement.
Slab moisture, levelling and how the floor is laid matter as much as the species. Premrest works through those details with you.
Format and species
Wide planks and herringbone change the layout of a room. Oak takes stain and is the most common engineered species here. Australian hardwoods in the Eucalypt range are Blackbutt, Spotted Gum and Tasmanian Oak, in 135 mm and 180 mm widths. FloorArt groups 240 mm boards separately from 190 mm boards.
None of that replaces a check of the rooms. If construction is the worry, send the rooms with your shortlist. If you need vinyl instead of wood, read timber versus Karndean.
Quick answers
Is engineered timber the same as laminate?
No. Engineered timber has a real timber wear layer. Laminate prints a timber look onto a composite core. They are different products.
Does engineered timber suit apartments?
Many Melbourne apartments sit on concrete slabs. A layered board is often specified because it can move less than a solid board as humidity changes. Slab moisture and how the floor is laid still have to be checked. Premrest will work through that with you.
What if I need vinyl instead of timber?
Karndean vinyl plank is the alternative when a real wood surface is the wrong product for the house. Compare timber and Karndean, then enquire. Timber colours are optional.
See the colours next.
Shortlist a finish, or ask about Karndean vinyl plank.