Setting the record straight on engineered vs. solid and why we’ve made the change…

Sustainability-Minded Wood Products

More and more often, we are being asked why we have decided to make the transition from producing narrow solid hardwood flooring to a wider engineered hardwood product? Our answer to this question is quite simple; our ethos comes down to two priorities:

1.) The careful stewardship of the Zena Forest for future generations to enjoy

2.) Producing high-performance flooring with sustainability in mind

Making sure that we are utilizing our precious resources to the absolute fullest is one of our core practices; therefore, it made the choice very easy to begin making the shift into a more resource-conscious engineered product.

What’s at the core?

The image above illustrates that the wear layers on both a solid and engineered floorboard are exactly the same in thickness, but the solid continues to use that material (3x more), for the core materials that will sadly never be seen or sanded. Another benefit to the engineered model is that the Baltic birch core we use has been constructed and rigorously tested to perform at a higher more durable level. Limiting factors of working with solid like gaping and cupping are significantly reduced by our manufactured core, while still using the standard wear layer of the highest quality Oregon oak, maple and ash.

In a nutshell:

we use less of our scarce natural resource
Can guarantee a higher performing floor
And reduced the risk of negative factors

We strive each day to do our part to reduce our use!

What’s So Great About Engineered Flooring?