Though solid-wood flooring is a perennial favorite, engineered-wood flooring has soared in popularity in recent years. Engineered-wood floors can be more affordable and easier to install than their solid-wood counterparts, and can be laid down below grade (below ground level) and on any type of subfloor.

Engineered-wood flooring has a thin layer of hardwood bonded to two or more layers of less costly wood backing—such as plywood, MDF (medium-density fiberboard), hardboard, or particleboard. This construction reduces the amount of hardwood required—and sometimes the cost of the product.

The hardwood veneer, sometimes called the “wear layer,” generally ranges from 0.6 to 5 millimeters in thickness. Try to buy the thickest top layer that you can afford, as this thickness determines how many times you will be able to sand down your floor and, hence, how long your floor will last. While you probably will not be able to sand down an engineered floor as many times as you would be able to sand a solid-wood floor, a good product should allow you complete the sanding process two to three times over the lifetime of the floor.

Beneath this veneer, sit three to 10 cheaper wood layers, usually plywood. These “plys” lay one on top of the other, with the grain pattern alternating direction with each layer. This construction is what gives engineered-wood flooring its strength and stability, making the floor less susceptible to the expansion and shrinkage caused by fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Because of these qualities, engineered-wood flooring can be installed in areas where solid-wood flooring typically cannot be applied, such as over concrete subfloors or in basements.

As with solid-wood floors, engineered-wood planks and strips feature tongues and grooves (tabs and slots) on their long, vertical sides that allow them to fit together. Unlike solid-wood floors, engineered-wood floors can be “floated”—installed without gluing or nailing down the planks or strips to the subfloor. Some engineered products, often called “click-together” or “lock-and-fold” floors, even allow you to snap them in place without the need for adhesive between strips or planks.