The term “hardwood” applies to varieties of wood flooring that are made entirely of wood (not to be confused with laminate, which is actually compressed fiberboard topped with a visual of wood, stone or another printed design on paper.) Genuine hardwood is real wood, through and through, providing warmth, character and sophistication to discriminating homeowners. The hardwood family of floors is large and varied. You’ll want to be aware of its three main branches: Engineered, Solid, and Floating (European Longstrip).

Solid hardwood is just that, 100% solid wood which is normally nailed or stapled to a wooden subfloor. Most are ¾” thick, although there are “thin-profile” solids that are 5/16” and 7/16” thick that can be nailed or stapled to a wooden subfloor, or glued to concrete. Most solid hardwood flooring needs to be nailed to a subfloor and is susceptible to shrinking and expanding from excessive moisture and extreme temperature changes making is unsuitable for installation directly over concrete, and not usually recommended for below grade use.

Engineered hardwood is also 100% wood. It is manufactured by permanent bonding together multiple layers of solid wood in a cross-ply construction. Engineered hardwood, ranging from ¼” to 5/8” thick, is designed to have superior strength and moisture/humidity resistance. Just like solid hardwood, many engineered hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished if desired.


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Floating hardwood (European Longstrip) is also 100% wood. It features all the benefits of engineered plank flooring plus even more installation versatility. These floors are a version of engineered wood products, but they have their own unique composition, and therefore their own category. The top layer of these long planks is made up of individual fillets or slats that are glued together to make up the facing of each plank. This is a floor that does not need to be nailed or glued to the subfloor and can be installed over most existing floors.