2mm wear layer engineered wood floor

8 years ago

We fell in love with a very expensive, select-grade engineered wood floor with 6mm wear layer (more than double what we originally budgeted). Trying to find one with similar feel without killing the budget. How different are 2/3/4 mm floors in terms of longevity? Has anyone attempted to refinish a 2mm? Is that even possible? If you’ve installed 2mm EHW, how long have they lasted so far? I’m assuming distressed vs non-distressed makes a big difference...we’re going for a less distressed look.

Featured Answer

SJ McCarthy

8 years ago

With 2mm wear layer you should assume it CANNOT be refinished (Uptown mentions it is *possible but I'll just say it is not a likely scenario so assume the worst). A wood floor that cannot be refinished has a life expectancy of 15-20 years and then it will need replacement (remove and replace). That being said, like ALL WOOD FLOORS, that means the first 10 years it will look "good". And then it will start looking "tired". That phase will last for another 5-7 years. And then it will look "worn out" and ready for replacement. At the "worn out" phase, many homeowners start saving for the next floor - which can take 2-5 years to gather enough funds together. There you have it. The life cycle of a wooden floor that cannot be refinished.

The wood wear layer has nothing to do with how it WEARS during this life cycle. The FINISH (polyurethane/urethane/oil/etc) is what takes ALL THE ABUSE. The daily tromping through the house. The midnight snack runs. The dog dancing at the door to go out...all of it is taken by the FINISH - not the 2mm wood itself.

The 2mm wear layer is the actual "hardwood" that you "want". Everything else is filler (structural filler...but still filler). As soon as you find 3mm wear layers you can start looking at a SINGLE sand and refinish. That means your 15 - 20 year life-cycle floor just became a floor that can survive for 40 years. Once you get to 6mm thick you have a floor that can out live a human being (60 - 100 years).

If your BUDGET tells you that you cannot have the 100 year floor, then don't do it. If you budget tells you that the 20 year floor is acceptable AND you feel that 20 years is "good enough" - then go for it.

And remember, a HIGH END laminate ($4/sf) can give you EVERYTHING you want for the visual and still give you 20+ years of EXCELLENT service (they rarely look "worn out" like hardwood - especially the top of the line European laminates) without being a budget killer.

Some people will tell you a high-end "low-grade" product is more valuable than a low-grade "premium product". You can purchase an entry level BMW for $$$$ and have nothing in it (no leather, no heated seats, no automatic transmission, no A/C) or for the same money you can buy a high-end Hyundai with EVERYTHING IN IT for the same amount of money. The argument becomes which car has more VALUE....the one with "BMW" on it and nothing else or the one with EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK in it but it is lacking a signature identity.

Budgets can be manipulated to include everything you envision....it may not come with the packaging you where hoping for.

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Comments (7)

PRO
Uptown Floors
8 years ago
It's all subjective.

There are some that are able to hang on to a 2mm veneer engineered for years. I've seen some that are 20 years old. Good and bad. Depends on what you want from it. Some folks can live with the dings and dents, others can't. Color changes? Realistically, a 2mm wear layer floor often gets replaced than refinished.

I've seen plenty of 2mm refinish jobs. From the not so good pros and ones that can handle it. Some were destroyed while others survived.

Not only does the distressing have an effect but the depth of the microbevels or bevels, floor flatness (I rarely hear that mentioned) and the finisher knowledge.

Ken Fisher

American made engineered floors
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annied75
8 years ago
Hi -- what is the brand and color of the engineered wood that's pictured? That will help in people helping with suggestions.
hemina
Original Author
8 years ago
Here’s the description:
Italian Collection - Guiseppina Engineered Hardwood Floors - 9/16” (4mm) x 8-1/2” x 2’-8’ RL, Select Grade, Euro White Oak, T&G, End Matched, OSMO Hardwax Oil

I don’t know the brand.
Helen
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I just bought engineered hardwood and for me the hardness of the finish was more important than the wear layer because there was no way that I was ever going to realistically refinish any wood floor so the wear layer was immaterial to me except that the higher quality floors seemed to also have more durable finishes and more of a wear layer.

I was told to get a finish with aluminum oxide as it is the most durable - more durable than a finish on site.

I had wood floors done on site when I moved into my condo and it would be completely unlivable for a week - not to mention that every single piece of furniture has to be removed. With engineered flooring, furniture can be moved around as flooring is installed as necessary. If you realistically think you would put yourself through having the floor sanded - which means that it is sanded - stained - cured - all of which require at least a day, then it's different but I knew that if need be I would just put down another wood floor - it seems to be pretty standard in my building as the wood floors are replaced rather than refinished.
PRO
Nicki Savage -Interior Designer
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Helen, you are exactly right. Most people won't refinish an engineered, factory finished floor because of the reasons you said and also because you will never get the complex finish that was on it from the factory.
Chris
3 years ago
We installed engineered wood at our last house. And didn’t know enough to ask anything important. Most of it held up well overall except a corner that the dog raced around and a leaky door. The scratches here and there from normal use were tolerable. They told us it was refinishable but not the depth of that ability. That dog scratched corner and door area were not fixable.🙁 Wished we had researched the hardness of the wood along with the depth of the engineered. I also regretted the dark stain we picked especially with the way sunlight reflected off the floor highlighting the scratches and dust.