Engineered wood gives you a genuine hardwood surface on a stable plywood core. It is the sensible answer for anyone who wants real timber underfoot but is nervous about solid wood moving in a modern, centrally heated house. Here is what to look for and what to ignore.
What engineered wood actually is
An engineered board has a top layer of real hardwood — oak, most commonly — bonded to a multi-ply or HDF core. The core layers are laid at alternating grain directions, which is what makes the board dimensionally stable. Where a solid oak board expands and contracts noticeably with humidity, an engineered board barely moves.
That stability is the whole point. It means the board can be laid over underfloor heating, fitted in a kitchen-diner, or floated over a concrete slab in a ground-floor flat — all situations where solid wood is a risk.
Visually, there is no difference. The wearing surface is real timber, so it takes the same finishes, sands the same way, and ages the same way as a solid floor.
The only specification that really matters: wear layer
Engineered boards are sold with wear layers from about 0.6mm up to 6mm. The wear layer is the thickness of real hardwood above the tongue — it determines how many times the floor can be sanded and refinished, and therefore how long it can realistically last.
A 2mm wear layer can take one light sand. A 4mm layer can take two or three. A 6mm layer will outlive most owners and can be refinished four or five times. Below 2mm you are effectively buying a floor you cannot restore, which undermines the reason for choosing real wood in the first place.
Total board thickness is a much weaker guide. A 14mm board with a 3mm wear layer is a better long-term buy than a 20mm board with a 0.6mm veneer, even though the thicker board sounds more substantial.
- 0.6–1.5mm wear layer: budget boards, cannot be sanded — treat as a wood-look floor
- 2–3mm: the sensible mainstream choice for most homes
- 4–6mm: premium; refinishable several times, worth it in hallways and living areas
- Board width: wider boards (180–220mm) look contemporary but need a flatter subfloor
Finishes: lacquered, oiled and brushed
Lacquered boards have a factory-applied protective coat. They are the lowest-maintenance option, resist spills well, and suit busy family houses. The downside is that when the lacquer eventually wears through in a traffic lane, you cannot spot-repair it — the whole floor needs sanding and recoating.
Oiled boards let the oil soak into the timber rather than sitting on top. They look and feel more natural, and crucially they can be spot-repaired: a worn patch can be cleaned and re-oiled without touching the rest of the room. They do need re-oiling every one to three years in high-traffic areas.
Brushed and smoked treatments are cosmetic. Brushing opens up the grain for texture and hides scuffs well; smoking darkens the timber right through the wear layer, so the colour survives sanding. Both are worth having in a household with children or dogs.
Fitting: floating, glued or secret-nailed
Floating installation over foam or fibreboard underlay is the quickest and cheapest method, and it works well on upper floors. The trade-off is acoustics — a floating wood floor is noticeably hollow-sounding underfoot unless you invest in a decent acoustic underlay.
Full glue-down bonds the boards to the subfloor. It costs more in adhesive and labour but produces the most solid, quiet floor and is the correct method over underfloor heating, because it maximises heat transfer. If you are spending money on engineered oak, glue-down is usually worth it.
Secret-nailing into timber joists or a ply subfloor is the traditional route and still excellent for period properties in Blackheath, Greenwich or Chislehurst where floorboards run over joists. It cannot be used over concrete.
Cost and where engineered wood earns its keep
Supplied and fitted, expect £55–£110 per square metre in 2026. Entry-level oak with a 2mm wear layer sits at the bottom; wide-plank, 4mm, brushed-and-oiled boards with glue-down installation sit at the top. Herringbone engineered oak adds roughly 40–60% to the labour.
It earns its money in living rooms, dining rooms, hallways and open-plan ground floors, where the warmth and grain of real timber is visible and appreciated. It is a poor choice for bathrooms and utility rooms — it is wood, and standing water will still damage it. For those rooms, LVT or sheet vinyl is the right call.
In rentals, engineered wood is usually over-specified. The surface scratches, tenants change, and you cannot sand between tenancies. A good LVT gives a similar look with far less risk.
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Frequently asked questions
Is engineered wood as good as solid wood?
For most modern homes it is better. You get the same real hardwood surface with far greater dimensional stability, and it can go over underfloor heating and concrete subfloors where solid wood cannot.
Can engineered wood be sanded?
Yes, provided the wear layer is at least 2mm. A 2mm layer takes one light sand, 4mm takes two or three, and 6mm will refinish four or more times.
Can engineered wood go in a kitchen?
Yes, in a kitchen-diner where spills are wiped promptly. Avoid it directly in front of a sink or dishwasher unless you are diligent, and never use it in a bathroom.
How much does engineered wood cost fitted?
Typically £55–£110 per m² supplied and fitted in 2026, depending on wear layer, board width and whether it is floated or fully glued down.