Are Wood Veneer Floorings Good?

Composition

• Several layers of wood make up wood veneer flooring, which is also known as engineered wood flooring. The layers generally consist of plywood glued together in a crisscross pattern and topped with a glued layer of oak or another type of wood. Unlike solid wood flooring, wood veneer floors are suitable for some basements. The crisscross arrangement of the bottom layers reduces the veneer flooring's potential to expand and contract in basements and other humid areas. However, neither engineered nor solid wood flooring is recommended for bathrooms, where excessive moisture would likely damage the flooring.

Warranties

• You usually can have a veneer wood floor sanded and refinished at least one time to remove stains and dings and extend the life of the floor. Manufacturers generally offer a warranty on the original floor finish, and some last as long as 30 years. Read the warranty before you choose veneer flooring to determine what type of damage might void the warranty. Most engineered wood flooring has a factory-applied finish that outlasts a finish applied manually to solid wood flooring.

Durability

• The number of finish coats that protect the top layer of veneer flooring, and the number of plywood layers beneath it, affect the floor’s quality. In each case, the more layers there are, the longer the floor lasts. A better-quality floor has five bottom layers of plywood and a top layer that’s protected by seven coats of finish, according to the website for "This Old House," which also notes that the type of wood used for the top layer affects the floor's appearance over time. For example, a top layer with an intricate grain pattern and a low- or no-gloss finish will help mask dings in the wood and other signs of wear.

Cleaning

• It's typically easy to clean wood veneer floors. You can use a dust mop or vacuum that won't scratch the floor’s surface to remove dust and dirt. However, it's important to clean veneer floors regularly, because grainy dirt deposits on the floor can create scratches on the finish as people walk on them. You can use a damp mop to clean up sticky or caked-on grime, but it's important to use a dry cloth to absorb any moisture left behind by the damp mop.