Engineered vs Sold Hardwood Flooring?

Which is better, engineered or sold hardwood flooring. Engineered is less expensive and looks the same as solid hardwood floors. Is there any difference?

Public Comments

1. the resin in engineered reminds me of a cranberry bog
2. There are several differences in the material. The finish on engineered and prefinished hardwood is typically better than anything that can be applied on site. The solid hardwood flooring can be refinished in the future and the engineered can not. If you are worried about the flooring getting wet than use solid it can be dried out and refinished. Depending on the engineered product if someone even spills a cup of water it may cause the material to swell and that will not go away. If you can afford it go with the solid material. Prefinished is great. IF you plan on keeping the floor for years the fact that is can be refinished is a big cost saver. if you refinish the prefinished stuff you will loose the curved edge.
3. some engineered flooring is only a thin layer of wood that is applied onto a composite wood product. It doesn't give you the wear level or quality of of real hardwood. however, the more expensive engineered flooring have more sealent applied to make the floors last much longer. i guess you would save money in the long run with quality, expensive engineered flooring over real wood depending on the amount of traffic you'd expect over the life of the flooring.
4. Engineered wood is cheap because its not wood. It is really a high density fiberboard or a pressed wood composite with a hard surface. Two different products. I had a laminate floor, it was easy to install and easy to clean. Wood is very costly but looks expensive vs. the laminate that looks cheap. Decide which is best for your living condition and budget. Laminate cost around $3 - 5.00 per sq. ft. Hard wood cost $8 - 20.00 per sq. ft.