ᐅ Affordable engineered hardwood flooring: Is a 2.5 mm wear layer sufficient?
Created on: 23 May 2024 09:47
C
claubiblau
Hello,
we want to install an oiled oak country-style plank parquet flooring in our single-family house. The parquet listed by the general contractor in the schedule of quantities does not appeal to us after seeing it installed, so we are looking for alternatives. Currently, we have two alternatives: Bauwerk Studiopark Oak 2-layer with a 2.5mm (1 inch) wear layer and HDF backing for about 70€, or Thede & Witte 'Boston' (3-layer with poplar backing, 3mm (1.2 inches) wear layer) for about 50€. The problem is that we prefer to avoid Asian-sourced products, which – due to the poplar core layer – speaks against the Thede & Witte in our opinion. We like the wood quality of the Bauwerk better and would almost be willing to pay the higher price, if it weren’t for the thin wear layer on the Bauwerk parquet. Do you have suggestions for parquet of similar quality to Bauwerk but with a thicker wear layer and priced similarly? Or is 2.5mm (1 inch) sufficient with HDF backing? We have underfloor heating, the parquet will be glued in all living areas including hallway and kitchen, and we have a small dog, so the flooring should be sandable at least once. I find it difficult because the internet often lacks detailed information about the exact construction/material of the core layers.
It would be great if someone could help.
Many thanks
we want to install an oiled oak country-style plank parquet flooring in our single-family house. The parquet listed by the general contractor in the schedule of quantities does not appeal to us after seeing it installed, so we are looking for alternatives. Currently, we have two alternatives: Bauwerk Studiopark Oak 2-layer with a 2.5mm (1 inch) wear layer and HDF backing for about 70€, or Thede & Witte 'Boston' (3-layer with poplar backing, 3mm (1.2 inches) wear layer) for about 50€. The problem is that we prefer to avoid Asian-sourced products, which – due to the poplar core layer – speaks against the Thede & Witte in our opinion. We like the wood quality of the Bauwerk better and would almost be willing to pay the higher price, if it weren’t for the thin wear layer on the Bauwerk parquet. Do you have suggestions for parquet of similar quality to Bauwerk but with a thicker wear layer and priced similarly? Or is 2.5mm (1 inch) sufficient with HDF backing? We have underfloor heating, the parquet will be glued in all living areas including hallway and kitchen, and we have a small dog, so the flooring should be sandable at least once. I find it difficult because the internet often lacks detailed information about the exact construction/material of the core layers.
It would be great if someone could help.
Many thanks
C
claubiblau23 May 2024 12:10Schorsch_baut schrieb:
2.5 mm (0.1 inches) can easily wear through or get scratched off. We had parquet like that in our last rental, even in the kitchen. With a toddler and a baby crawling around, the parquet was damaged in many spots, exposing the substrate. If the parquet is lacquered, it’s less vulnerable, but oiled oak isn’t resilient enough for me to want to look at it for 15 years. Yes, that’s why I would prefer something a bit thicker as well. What do you think about poplar as a substrate in Tede and Witte? Or do you know of any alternatives with similar quality to Bauwerk, but with a slightly thicker wear layer and still affordable?
N
nordanney23 May 2024 13:34Schorsch_baut schrieb:
2.5 mm (0.1 inches) can unfortunately be quickly worn through or scratched off. I seriously wonder how that works with oak.
claubiblau schrieb:
What do you think about poplar as a base material for Tede and Witte? Doesn’t matter at all.
claubiblau schrieb:
Which alternative do you see in terms of similar quality to Bauwerk but with a slightly thicker wear layer and affordable? Quality is relative. I only look at appearance. Even 25€ two-layer parquet has comparable quality to the 125€ floorboards.
C
claubiblau23 May 2024 14:49nordanney schrieb:
I seriously wonder how that works with oak.
Doesn’t matter at all.
Quality is relative. I only look at the appearance. Even 25€ two-layer parquet has comparable quality to 125€ floorboards.I just thought that poplar, apart from ecological aspects, isn’t as hard as spruce or HDF and therefore not as recommended?N
nordanney23 May 2024 14:52claubiblau schrieb:
I thought poplar was simply softer than spruce, aside from ecological aspects. But you are buying oak parquet. In that case, the sublayer won’t help you much and isn’t really important.
S
Schorsch_baut23 May 2024 15:21nordanney schrieb:
I seriously wonder how that works with oak.
A heavy knife, a Hot-Wheel car, a jar of pickles – anything that falls to the floor, heavy and sharp-edged. Or even a small screw from a toy that gets under a box or a shoe. 2.5 mm (0.1 inch) wears through faster than you might think. Our landlord was surprisingly understanding and pointed out the poor quality of the parquet flooring on his own initiative.
schubert7923 May 2024 19:28We have had 2.5 million for 12 years. No problems at all!