Engineered oak flooring in Dallas–Fort Worth

Real oak on top, a stable core underneath.

Engineered oak is a layer of solid oak over a cross-laid core, which moves less than solid wood when the humidity swings. It floats or glues down, depending on the floor.

The wear layer is the solid oak you walk on, measured in millimetres. A thick one can be sanded and refinished down the road; a thin one is meant to be lived on and replaced, not sanded. Every floor here lists its wear layer, so compare that before the price.

A wire-brushed surface opens the grain and hides the small scratches a dog and a dining chair leave. It's the finish to pick if the floor is going to be lived on hard.