Laminate flooring is simply a heavier version of what is on your average countertop applied to a thin layer of plywood. It is inexpensive, durable and easy to install.  It is usually made in China with little or no concern for their workers or for where the raw products come from. It may look like wood from a distance but it is cold on the feet and noisy to walk on.

Engineered flooring is one step up from laminate. It is a thin layer of wood applied to a thin layer of plywood. The less expensive brands use narrow short low value bits of wood applied to larger strips of plywood that click together whereas the more expensive brands use larger single pieces of higher value wood. It is easy to install and remains stable, does not warp or cup in homes subject to large swings in temperature or humidity.  It has a hard epoxy clear coating that can still scratch. Speaking from experience, we had a small dog that when someone knocked on the door he would race to the door as fast as possible; as he tried to gain traction on the slippery surface his trimmed nails would leave multiple scratches in the hard surface. This was an engineered maple 5” wide floor that still has the scratches even after the dog is gone, this flooring cannot be refinished and can only be repaired by replacing the entire floor. Many of the North American wood species are harvested in a sustainable fashion however much of it is sent to China and processed on plywood made there with no concern for the environment. This process eliminates local jobs and adds to the carbon footprint to ship raw material there then send it back. Wood harvested in the tropics has no environmental standards consequently adding to the destruction of the world’s temperate rain forest.  Buyers of this product should ask where it comes from.

Don’t go there! Over the years since this flooring was developed I have heard several bad stories, it’s time has come and gone. The worst story is that of a cottage owner installed it in the fall only to return in the spring to find the entire floor eaten by a bug that somehow survived the trip from the tropics to multiply and thrive in its new home. Yes it is made from a quickly renewable resource but that is the only positive thing. The small strips of bamboo are glued together with large amounts of resins that will emit toxic VOCs into your home and the small strips will warp after time when exposed to a humid environment. This product creates a very large carbon footprint during manufacturing and transportation to get it to your home; it is a very environmentally unfriendly product.

This product has gained popularity over the years and is now in many homes. It still suffers from the same scratching issues as engineered flooring and also cannot be refinished. It has a nicer more solid feel than engineered flooring as it has to be nailed down so it is a bit more work to install. It is not recommended for a cottage application, I have seen several installations fail due to swings in humidity. With the hard epoxy finish on the surface it does not absorb humidity evenly causing the back side to absorb more than the surface side. The outcome over time is that the back side becomes slightly larger than the surface side causing each board to cup causing your floor to look like a sandy beach that has been shaped by the outgoing waves. Some woods, especially maple seem to be worse than others, This style of flooring is not worth the risk unless it is in an environment that has a controlled constant low humidity.  North American species such as Maple, Oak, Cherry and Hickory are usually harvested sustainably and manufactured here so are an environmentally friendly choice. Tropical species, usually some kind of lower grade Mahogany given exotic names like Brazilian Cherry which has no relation to real Cherry other than the red stain applied are rarely sustainably harvested.  This flooring causes rainforest destruction and a large transportation carbon footprint.  It should only be purchased from reputable sources that can verify how it was harvested.

This was the original style flooring for many years before all these new products hit the market and is still used today. It consists of narrow solid wood boards usually 2” to 3” wide that are carefully nailed down. The joints are sometimes filled with filler which can cause problems if the wood shrinks causing the filler to fall out. After the filler is applied the floor must be carefully sanded by a professional prior to applying finish. The end result can be a beautiful floor that can be finished with ecofriendly products and can be refinished several times if necessary. North American species are usually used which are sustainably harvested. This style flooring is not recommended for the do it yourselfer, the installation costs are high as the installation and finishing is labour intensive, a rough cost estimate for installation is around $5 per sq’ and another $5 per sq’ to sand and finish. 

Wide plank flooring is considered by many architects and designers to be the best of the best flooring. It originated many years ago when large trees were plentiful, large wide planks were simply milled then nailed down and called a floor that have still survived in a few remaining heritage buildings. About 15 years ago this flooring became popular again when old timber warehouses were demolished and the Douglas-fir timbers were reclaimed to be resawn into wide plank flooring producing a distressed floor with nail holes and lots of natural old patina. The only drawback to this flooring was that it was cut from large timbers that are usually cut from the less valuable heartwood (center of the tree) and always contains a large percentage of flat grain. Wide flat grain boards will not stay flat and the fast growing heartwood can check and crack especially if the boards are glued down to help stop warping and cupping. With a distressed looking floor these characteristics can be considered part of the overall distressed look and must be accepted with this style flooring. A more refined alternative is to mill the Douglas-fir logs so that all the boards are cut to produce an edge grain board, more waste is produced milling this style and only large old growth timer is suitable contributing to a higher cost for this premium product. Edge grain fir will not warp and cup like flat or mixed grain boards or most hardwoods. Wide boards of any species will always shrink and expand slightly with changes in humidity; this is only noticeable if the planks are installed without a microbevel. The microbevel provides a reveal that will hide the shrinkage and expansion issues and also adds to the appearance as it highlights the width of the boards. The only other wood that I have found to stay stable enough for a wide plank floor is West Coast Red Alder. It has a more open cell structure than other hardwoods which allows moisture to come and go without distorting the shape of the wood allowing for a wider board that will not warp or cup. Cost is less than fir as alder is plentiful and a mixed grain cut is acceptable for a wide board.