Yes, Mikasa being the manufacturer of Engineered Wood Flooring in the country , can customize the product depending on the customers need. The size, color, texture, thickness and even the construction of the product can be customized to suit customer’s needs.
- Engineered hardwood floors are superior to laminate floors in many departments.
- Laminate floors do have a finished look that is similar to EWFs but with laminate floors a pattern would repeat every 8-10 planks.
- EWFs are more durable than laminate floors, as evidenced by the 30 year warranty.
- EWFs have a lower abrasion rate than laminate floors.
- Once finished, proud edges are far more prominent on laminate floors as compared to EWFs.
- While engineered hardwood floors are extremely durable and stable they have a couple of drawbacks. One is that, while they can handle moisture, they are not waterproof and so cannot be laid in restrooms. The second is that over a long period of time, due to the nature of the hardwood used in the surface layer, floors can begin to age, mature and therefore lose some colour.
The ignition temperature for engineered hardwood floors is 270°, it is, therefore one of the last items to ignite in the event of a fire and is a suitable flooring option for evacuation areas.
Engineered hardwood floors hold a number of advantages over tiles or marble flooring such as:
- Being soft, EWFs are easy on the legs and good for babies
- EWFs exude a natural and warm feeling
- They do not generate any dust
- Individual planks can be replaced as EWFs are floating floors
- They are aesthetically superior
- The same EWF can be reinstalled in different locations
- EWFs are extremely durable and long lasting
- Floors can be refinished and re-sanded
- With wood sourced for managed forest reserves, EWFs are completely environmentally friendly.
- It is an energy efficient product
- EWFs are designed to remain temperature neutral
- Floors can be customized to match the surrounding room décor and paneling
- Being softer that tiles or marble, EWFs ensure softer falls for falling objects
- Wood is a carbon bank, so it captures excess carbon dioxide
- Wood is not a good conductor and therefore absorbs electric shocks
- EWFs are also not slippery which is important with children and the elderly
- EWFs have a quick, easy & clean installation process
- They can be laid over existing floors
- Hardened durability ensures that EWFs do not share the fragility of tiles
- Wood is anti-static
- You can be sure of what you buy – EWFs come in standard sizes, looks and finishes, unlike marble flooring
Dampness or humidity that is present in walls does not affect an engineered hardwood floor. This is because, if laid correctly, there is always a gap between wall and floor that prevents a transfer.
During its manufacturing process, each plank of engineered hardwood floor is put through a high-temperature procedure that allows for resistance towards termites and borers. However, if termites are already present or have been an issue at the intended site, they must be removed prior to laying a floor.
The warranty will only cover the area of a floor that has been damaged.
Once the warranty expires, it is recommended to have your floors evaluated by a professional to determine whether they need changing, repairing or are in fine condition.
Always having an eye on the environment, engineered hardwood floors require no chemicals in their manufacturing procedure. Instead of chemicals, engineered hardwood floors use environmentally friendly water based glues.
Having been used since the 1960’s, plywood is now considered an outdated flooring technology and is therefore not a suitable choice for floors of today.
The multi-layering structure used in engineered hardwood floors has a number of advantages, it protects against degradation from moisture and heat, provides added stability and helps each plank avoid distortion of its shape.
While extremely simple to install, there are a number of important steps to be follow while laying an engineered hardwood floor. As such, for installation, please refer to the official installation instructional guide.
The reason for hardwood being sold in different lengths is due to the costs incurred. Boards of the same length are at available at a higher cost because of the added production involved. A box with boards of differing lengths will indicate the shortest and longest board length on the packaging. The length of boards and their availability differs from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Preparation and laying a sub floor is key to the final outcome of a finished floor. There should be no more that 3-5mm over 10’ variance on a sub floor.
The Brinell rating does apply to engineered hardwood floors. The surface layer of hardwood veneer will have a Brinell rating that allows you to find a floor that is the perfect hardness for your needs.
At the center of each plank is a core of plywood, high density fiberboard or hardwood and it is typically three or more layers. This reinforced core gives engineered hardwood floors their greater stability and their resistance to harmful factors such as moisture and heat. Atop this multi-layered core is a layer of hardwood veneer that gives each plank it’s distinct and characteristic wooden appearance and texture.
They certainly do. Of the many layers that make up engineered hardwood floors, the surface layer of hardwood veneer is the exact same wood as is used in solid hardwood floors, thus allowing engineered hardwood floors to retain the natural beauty of wood while providing added stability.
At Mikasa, we only use the best quality hardwood veneers that maintain their natural look of years. Typically the top layer of hardwood veneer ranges from 0.6mm to 3mm in thickness which is perfectly suited to withstanding everyday wear and tear.
An engineered hardwood floor would not be ruined if it was refinished depending on the thickness of the floor. Refinishing a floor removes less than 1mm of your surface layer, thus if the floor in question has a 3mm floor it can be refinished 2-3 times. Although it should be noted that 95% of hardwood surfaces are never refinished due to the complex nature of the refinishing process and to not damage the premium finishes on hardwood floors. Instead, getting a professional to remove the area that requires refinishing is the most common solution.
The Brinell Scale is a rating system for the hardness of materials and thus the Brinell rating of different species of wood can be compared to each other to tell which is harder.
The secret to engineered hardwood floors’ ability to protect itself from moisture and heat lies in the design of each and every plank. Constructed using a multi-layered, multi-ply system, in conditions where solid hardwood floors swell up, shrink or cup, engineered hardwood floors’ layered ply cancels out twisting and shape shifting to remain flat and stable. It is therefore the only flooring choice that accentuates the natural look of wood while also protecting itself from common problems that solid hardwood cannot manage to.
Engineered wooden flooring is a carefully crafted flooring product that is both more resistant and more stable than regular solid hardwood flooring or laminates. Sitting on a core of hardwood, plywood or HDF (High Density Fiberboard) is a top layer of hardwood veneer that is available in a vast array of hardwood species and, as such, exudes the natural characteristics of wood while protecting against its maintenance pitfalls. The make-up of this product is specifically engineered to provide greater stability than current hardwood flooring options and prevent issues that stem from moisture or heat.
A number of reasons separate engineered hardwood floors from the pack of current hardwood flooring options. Due to their multi-layered design, engineered hardwood floors provide a stability that is unmatched by any laminates or solid hardwood floors. Engineered hardwood floors are also resistant to the common shortfalls of hardwood flooring and laminates such as moisture and heat. Thus, engineered hardwood floors can be laid in damp areas, such as basements, where other floors would succumb to the moisture. They can also be laid over heating systems which would cause ordinary solid hardwood boards to dry out, shrink, cup and eventually buckle.