Engineered Floors Are Still Wood Floors
With growing interest in environmentally responsible choices, engineered wood is a popular option for homeowners installing wood floors.
But builders and homeowners still need to remember that engineered products need the same moisture content management as any other wood product, or their good intentions can come undone. At the same time, the popularity of engineered wood and the focus on sustainability are leading businesses and researchers to explore its benefits.
Health Benefits
Wood products may also benefit human health. A 2010 study by the University of British Columbia (UBC) and FPInnovations linked wood and wellness. Researchers found that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which drives the body’s stress response, was less active in rooms containing wood.
Put simply, wood in an indoor space reduced stress responses. Test subjects were more relaxed when surrounded by wood in a closed room.
That may seem intuitive (picture yourself in a log cabin), and architects are using wood intentionally as a construction and design element. Wood floors, walls, counters, and other features have become a distinctive part of modern design.
Engineered wood is also increasingly used in commercial projects such as malls, schools, city centers, and corporate headquarters. Engineered wood flooring gives durable, cost-efficient options for both residential and commercial installations.
Cost Savings
Engineered wood flooring is generally cost-efficient. It’s durable and easier to install, and it’s generally considered less prone to warping, shifting, or splitting because of the way its layers are built.
Engineered wood floors are made of multiple layers, or plies, that are cross-layered, glued, and pressed together. The core layers are usually plywood made from hardwood, softwood, or both, and the tongue and groove is cut into the core.
A thicker hardwood wear layer is then glued and pressed onto the top of the core. Engineered hardwood flooring is available in almost any wood species.
Engineered wood flooring can also lower environmental costs by making better use of valuable hardwoods. The amount of hardwood that goes into 1 square foot of 3/4-inch solid flooring can make roughly four times as much engineered flooring.
That efficiency is one reason so many people choose engineered products when installing wood floors.
Universal Truth
But some truths apply to every wood floor installation, engineered flooring included. All wood holds moisture. As the relative humidity (RH) rises, wood absorbs moisture from the air, and as RH falls, wood releases moisture into the air.
Because of this constant exchange, wood flooring must reach its equilibrium moisture content (EMC), the point where the wood’s moisture content is in balance with the RH of the surrounding air. Wood needs to reach this balance with its environment to perform well.
That’s even more important as manufacturers, builders, and consumers look at a wider range of earth-friendly materials, such as exotic hardwoods, bamboo, and cork, and different wood finishes.
More options give consumers more choices, but they also increase the need to understand moisture content.
Some engineered products combine several kinds of wood, each with its own moisture characteristics. Without enough attention to those characteristics, a number of problems can follow after installation, wiping out the health, financial, and environmental benefits. Choosing environmentally friendly products means paying just as much attention to measuring and managing moisture content.
Free Download – Wood Flooring Installation: What To Expect
Success with Engineered Woods
A good wood moisture meter is essential to the success of any wood product, from manufacturing to installation. Builders and homeowners can easily use handheld moisture meters to accurately and affordably check the moisture content of their wood.
Wagner Meters makes a complete line of wood moisture meters for a wide range of uses. Wagner’s pinless technology gives fast, accurate moisture content readings without damaging the surface or leaving holes.
The Wagner Meters Orion® product line includes a moisture meter suited to almost any use. The Orion 930 dual depth moisture meter measures wood moisture content at two depths, 1/4″ and 3/4″. Wagner Meters also makes wood moisture meters for home inspectors, flooring installers, and hobbyists.
Whatever type of wood or engineered wood floor you’re installing, a wood moisture meter is an essential tool.
Looking to install wood flooring yourself? Check out our guide to DIY wood floor installation.
As Sales Manager for Wagner Meters, Ron has more than 35 years of experience with instrumentation and measurement systems in different industries. In previous positions, he has served as Regional Sales Manager, Product and Projects Manager, and Sales Manager for manufacturers involved in measurement instrumentation.
Last updated on October 12th, 2026
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