Per my experience in providing wood floors for luxury homes for over 22 years, I have encountered many myths about wood floors compared to marble. I will bust five of the most common myths about these two flooring options in this blog.
Myth #1: Engineered wood floors are not as durable as marble.
This is a common misconception about engineered wood floors. Many people believe that wood is not as durable as other flooring options, such as marble, because they are made of wood.
However, this is not true. Quality engineered wood floors are pretty durable too and can last many years with proper care and maintenance and even used in commercial spaces. In fact, some wood floors last so long that they are reclaimed when old buildings are demolished and reconstructed. Such floors are commonly refinished and then sold as reclaimed wood floors and generally command a higher price due to their unique aged character.
Another advantage of wood floors is that they can be refinished by sanding (depending on the top layer’s thickness – see image 3). This means that when you decide to renovate the room where you have installed engineered floors, you have the option of refinishing the floors to a new finish. This is an important factor that determines the longevity of the flooring.
Durability-Engineered Wood Floor installed at commercial place.
Photo credit – © Coswick
See below Cross-Section of Span Floors Coswick collection engineered wood floor
Image 3 – Showing the thickness of top layer. This decides how many times can a floor be sanded and refinished.
Photo credit – © Coswick
Myth #2: Marble is more expensive than engineered wood floors.
While it is true that some types of marble can be more expensive than some engineered wood floors, this is not always the case. The cost of marble varies depending on the type of marble, and similarly, the cost of engineered wood floors can also vary depending on the quality of the product.
Both marble, as well as wood floors, are available at various price points depending on quality. It is quite possible then high-quality engineered wood floors can be more expensive than lower-quality marble. It depends.
Myth #3: Engineered wood floors are less aesthetically pleasing than marble.
This is a matter of personal preference, but many people find that engineered wood floors can be just as beautiful as marble or even more so. This is very subjective. Engineered wood floors come in a wide range of colors and textures, which allows them to be used in various types of interior design – from contemporary to traditional. The aesthetic as compared to marble is very different.
People who prefer a natural, relaxed yet upscale, luxurious effect that is yet warm and inviting would prefer a wood floor. Additionally, the soft texture of wood can be an excellent contrast to hard floors such as marble and tiles. One huge advantage is that you can change the color of your wood floor while renovating, which is not possible with marble. Another factor is mobility. Depending on how it is installed, it may be possible for you to move or replace your wood floor very easily (thus creating a new look while avoiding mess) and quickly, which is not the case with marble.
A beautiful home having Engineered wood floors!
Photo credit – © Span Floors
Photo credit – © Span Floors
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Myth #4: Engineered wood floors are difficult to maintain as compared to marble floors.
Again, this is a misconception. Engineered wood floors can be very easy to clean with regular sweeping or vacuuming and occasional damp mopping. In fact, modern wood floors finished with UV oils or high quality lacquers have a very hard wearing surface and do not require frequent polishing with wax or such substances. People, sometimes, have this perception (difficult to maintain) as they have used or seen wood parquet strips which were made using outdated technology. Modern wood floors are way different and technologically highly advanced.
Infact they are often easier to maintain than Italian marble because they do not require special polishes to maintain their shine or fillers to fill the cracks that develop in marble with usage. Additionally, marble can be prone to staining and etching if not properly sealed and cared for. The point is each material has its own requirements in terms of care and maintenance.
Vacuuming on Engineered Wood Floor
Photo credit – © Coswick
Mopping on Engineered Wood Floor
Photo credit – © Coswick
Myth #5: Engineered wood floors are not as environmentally friendly as marble.
This is not necessarily true. The true impact of any material can only be gauged if the whole process of their production, delivery, installation is taken into account. Marble or for that matter any stone requires a significant amount of energy to extract (mining), slicing, polishing, transportation, chemicals used during installation etc.
This energy consumption means that while producing them, a significant amount of CO2 has been released into the environment. Engineered wood floors, on the other hand, are generally carbon negative. They need much less energy while harvesting timber and converting into wood floors. Also wood is a storehouse of carbon meaning that it locks in itself CO2 from the atmosphere permanently thus removing this greenhouse gas from the environment. Additionally, engineered wood floors can be more energy-efficient than marble because they are a better insulator, which can help to reduce heating and cooling costs.
