No matter how well seasoned, oiled, waxed or lacquered it may be, wood remains hydroscopic. This means that when the humidity is high it will absorb some of that moisture, swell and rise or ‘crown’ in the middle. If that same piece of timber is placed in a dry environment – as happens when using heating or air conditioning – it will release its moisture, dry out and shrink. Lay pieces of timber side by side in a confined space and those changes in humidity, over time, may well result in them bowing, warping, cupping or gapping – gaps between the planks. This is what can happen with a solid wood floor, wall or ceiling.

An engineered board is, quite simply, timber which has been engineered to provide superior stability and durability. Each board consists of multiple layers of timber bonded together. By placing each layer so that the grain runs perpendicularly it becomes virtually impossible for the timber to swell or shrink. The top layer of an engineered board (the lamella) is usually a solid hardwood and may be anything from 2 to 6mm thick; obviously the thicker the surface layer the more times it can be sanded and refinished to remove any signs of wear. 

Engineered timber should not be confused with laminate or veneer. Laminate uses an image of wood on its surface whilst veneer uses only a very thin layer of wood over a core of some type of composite wood product, usually fibreboard. Engineered timber is now the most common type of wood flooring used globally and the technology has enabled the production of much wider boards, as well as the application of an enormous variety of really interesting finishes.

At Havwoods we are leaders in terms of both technology and aesthetics. We have elected to concentrate on engineered timber because we are convinced that these are the timber floors of the future.
 

Havwoods' engineered timber boards are just like solid timber but with many additional benefits:

They are far more stable than solid timber so they won't swell or shrink and much wider boards can be produced.

The majority of boards are available pre-finished, which means a reduced installation time and no surprises on site. The modern finishes on Havwoods' timber floors are highly scratch- and stain-resistant: even oiled finishes are resistance to problematic substances such as wine, beer, cola, coffee, tea, fruit juices and milk.

Unlike the vast majority of solid timber planks, engineered boards can usually be fitted over underfloor heating.

Engineered boards make far more efficient use of slow growing, lamella layer timbers (oak, walnut, etc).

Engineered boards offer alternative methods of installation, for example as a floating floor. This means that the planks are attached to each other instead of the subfloor which is faster and easier and allows some room for movement; the floor can be removed easily too, making it ideal for commercial applications where flooring tends to be changed more frequently.
 

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