Real wood, built for our climate.
A practical guide to engineered hardwood — what it actually is, where it outperforms solid wood, what drives the price, and how it compares to the alternatives. Written by the people who supply it.
Real wood veneer on a stable core
Wide plank · Humidity swings · New builds
$$$ From $4.49 / sq ft
Classic → Contemporary
Engineered hardwood is real wood. The surface you walk on is a genuine hardwood veneer — the same species, the same grain, the same finishes you would get from a solid plank. What is different is underneath.
Instead of one piece of timber, that veneer is bonded to a core of plywood or solid wood, built up in layers running in alternating directions. Those opposing layers brace against each other, which is what stops the board moving the way a single piece of wood does.
That construction is the entire point. Our humid summers and dry winters make wood expand and contract, and a plywood base resists the cupping and warping that follows. It is why engineered is preferred wherever wide planks are involved.
Engineered is the floor we end up recommending most often in Ontario, and it is worth understanding why rather than taking that on trust.
Here is the honest version, including where solid wood or vinyl would serve you better.
If you are weighing engineered against solid, tell us the room, its level, and how wide you want the boards. That conversation usually settles it faster than a spec sheet.
Real wood · Wider planks · Built to stay put
A real hardwood veneer over a layered core. The surface is the same wood you would get from a solid plank; what changes is how it behaves through an Ontario winter.
Choosing a floor isn't really one decision, it's several smaller ones. None of them are difficult once you know what they mean.
The veneer is real wood, so species sets the same things it does in a solid floor: base colour, grain pattern and hardness. Oak is the most widely used and the most forgiving; maple reads cleaner and more contemporary; walnut is darker and richer; hickory is readily available here and carries the most grain variation of the four. Through our manufacturer network we can source or custom-make well beyond the usual list.
This is the specification unique to engineered, and it decides how much life the floor has. The veneer is the layer that can be sanded, so a thicker veneer means more refinishing passes before you reach the core.
Most engineered hardwood can be refinished once or twice depending on that thickness. If long-term refinishing matters more to you than plank width, that is the point at which solid hardwood becomes the better answer.
This is where engineered separates itself from solid wood. 6" and 7.5" are far and away the most popular widths, and wide boards are the main reason people choose engineered in the first place — you see fewer seams, and the floor reads calmer and more modern.
6.5", 7" and 9" are also made, though not by every manufacturer, so it is worth asking early if you have a specific width in mind.
Width is possible here because of what sits under the veneer: the plywood base prevents the cupping and warping that Canada's large seasonal humidity swings would otherwise cause in a solid board of the same size.
Grade describes how much natural variation you'll see — mineral streaks, colour movement and knots. It is purely aesthetic. Every grade is equally durable; the cleaner and more uniform the grade, the higher the price.
Standard colours are widely available across solid and engineered hardwood, and we can custom-match a colour you bring us.
One thing worth knowing: the darker the stain, the less you see of streaks and knots. That is why many darker colours simply are not offered in the cleanest grades — you would be paying for character the stain then hides.
Finishes run from matte to high gloss. Matte hides scratches and dust noticeably better; high gloss is dramatic but shows wear sooner. Surface texture matters just as much as sheen — smooth, wire-brushed, hand-scraped and distressed all wear and read differently.
Finish names vary between manufacturers, so always look at a physical sample before committing.
Most flooring ships in random lengths of roughly 1–6ft per box, which keeps waste and cost down. All-long-board runs are possible for a more premium look, at a premium price.
Patterns such as herringbone and chevron require fixed-length boards, and both material and installation are more involved.
There is no single price for engineered hardwood. Species, veneer thickness, grade, width and finish each move the number, and they compound.
What we can do is show you what you are paying for, so the quote you eventually get makes sense.
Engineered sits just below solid hardwood.
From $4.49 / sq ft
Relative material costMaterial only, before installation. Where you land inside that depends on species, grade, board width and the thickness of the veneer.
This is what we quote: the flooring itself, priced per square foot against your specification. Registered trade clients receive trade pricing on the same products.
Quoted separately, by your installer. We're primarily a supply business — we let installers do their thing so you can choose someone you know and trust. If you need a recommendation in Ontario, get in touch and we may be able to help.
Three comparisons cover most of the decision. If one of the right-hand columns describes your project better than the left, that is the direction worth exploring.
For wide planks and for stability through our humidity swings. A real wood veneer over a core that stays put.
For maximum longevity. Solid wood can be sanded back and refinished many times over rather than once or twice.
When you want genuine wood underfoot and a floor that reads as a long-term asset.
For basements and anywhere water is a real risk. Fully waterproof, where no wood floor is.
When you want a real wood surface rather than a printed one.
When budget leads. The most cost-effective option with a wide colour range.
A fuller side-by-side of all four materials lives in our flooring features checklist.
Aaron
President
Engineered hardwood flooring offers the best of both worlds: the stability of an engineered product with the natural beauty of real wood. The wider plank is beautiful and makes any room look gorgeous.
There are opposing thoughts in the market on veneer thickness. On the one hand, a thicker veneer can be sanded and refinished, and it is arguably more durable if anything drops on it. Others claim that if you go too thick on the veneer, meaning 4mm or 5mm, it can be more prone to separating in the event of large humidity swings. Most engineered flooring sold today has a veneer of 1mm to 3mm. What to choose will mainly depend on factors like anticipated traffic, and whether you have kids or pets, which can be harder on your floors.
We often speak about how many times you can refinish your flooring, but the reality is that most people only refinish every 10–15 years, as they are built to withstand everyday traffic well.
What no one tells you — and this may not matter to you — is that most engineered hardwood floors are either hand scraped or wire brushed. When you sand and refinish your floors years later, they will be smooth. It can still be stained and varnished, but the look will be different in the texture. This is the same for solid hardwood, but solid wood floors tend to start off smooth to begin with.
Samples tell you about a material. Finished rooms tell you what it does to a space — how it handles daylight, how it meets the walls, how it reads across a whole floor.
More completed work in the project gallery.
Yes. The surface is a genuine hardwood veneer — the same species and grain as a solid plank. It is bonded to a plywood or solid core rather than being one piece of timber throughout.
Once or twice, depending on veneer thickness. Solid hardwood can be refinished many times over; vinyl and laminate cannot be refinished at all.
Solid hardwood is one piece of wood throughout. Engineered has a real wood veneer over a plywood or solid core, which makes it more dimensionally stable and available in wider planks — a meaningful advantage in a climate like ours.
Yes, and it is often the better wood floor here. Our humid summers and dry winters make wood move, and the layered core resists the cupping and warping that follows. Below grade we still generally recommend luxury vinyl.
We generally do not recommend solid or engineered hardwood below grade unless you have a proper subfloor installed. For most basements luxury vinyl is the better choice — it is fully waterproof and handles moisture well.
Expect about $4.49 per square foot and up for the material. Species, grade, board width and the thickness of the veneer move it from there, and your exact figure is quoted against your specification. Material and installation are costed separately.
Usually not, by choice. We're primarily a supply business, so you can use an installer you know and trust. If you need a recommendation in Ontario, get in touch and we may be able to help. For a custom floor beyond standard planks, we'll likely want to install it ourselves.
Tell us what you're working on and we'll help you find the right material — engineered hardwood or otherwise.
Talk to Trade Flooring