— Wood · 9 min read · Updated July 2026
Engineered wood flooring — everything you need to know
Engineered wood is real timber built to survive UK houses. A hardwood wear layer (typically 3-6mm of oak) sits on a stable plywood or HDF core — you get the look and feel of solid wood without the shrinkage, gapping and cupping that plague solid boards in centrally heated homes.
Wear layer: 4mm minimum
The wear layer determines how many times you can sand the floor. 2mm can't be sanded meaningfully. 4mm gives you one full sand-and-refinish (adds ~15 years). 6mm gives you two. Anything advertised without a stated wear layer thickness — walk away.
Plank width: wider looks premium, narrower is more stable
150mm boards are safest for UK humidity swings. 190mm is the current design sweet spot. 220mm+ looks stunning in show flats but needs a stable subfloor and rigorous acclimatisation (7+ days in-room before fitting).
Finish: oiled vs lacquered
Lacquered = harder, easier to clean, harder to spot-repair. Oiled = softer, more natural feel, easier to patch scratches with an oil re-application. Oiled floors want an annual re-oil in busy rooms; lacquered floors want nothing.
Fitting method
Over concrete: floating on 3mm underlay with vapour barrier, or fully bonded with MS polymer adhesive (best for UFH). Over joists: glue-and-screw to a plywood deck or secret-nail to boards (specialist fit). Never nail engineered wood direct to joists — the base won't hold.
Underfloor heating
Engineered wood is the go-to real-wood floor for UFH. Cap surface temperature at 27°C, ensure the system is commissioned per BSRIA before laying, and always go 15mm+ board thickness with 3-4mm oak layer. Bonded fitting outperforms floating for heat transfer.
Frequently asked
Solid or engineered?
Engineered for anything below ground floor, over concrete, or over UFH. Solid only in dry, ventilated ground-floor rooms with joisted subfloors — and even then, engineered is usually the smarter buy.
How long does engineered wood last?
Correctly fitted with a 4mm+ wear layer: 40+ years including one sand-and-refinish. 6mm wear layer: 60+ years.
Can you fit engineered wood in a bathroom?
Manufacturers say no. In practice, sealed edges and a well-ventilated en-suite can work — but LVT is the safer specification.