There’s so much rave about wood these days. Over 90% of American homes today are built with wood or wood-related components. So how much do you know of the wood you find in these homes? In this article, engineered wood will be explored - its types, advantages and disadvantages.

What Is Engineered Wood?

Engineered wood is derived when wood strands or particles are bound or joined together with adhesives or other fixation methods to become composite materials. It is also referred to as man-made wood, composite wood or manufactured board.

Solid wood is the opposite of engineered wood, and it refers to the original or natural wood product derived directly from timber. Unlike engineered wood, it is not man-made or formed by joining anything together. However, in recent times, engineered wood has become the more preferred among the two. Let’s take a look at the disparities of these two types of wood to decipher why.

Engineered Wood Vs Solid Wood

1. Malleability:

Unlike solid wood, engineered wood can be designed and altered to meet very specific requirements for a particular purpose or application. Solid wood takes only a particular form and its design can hardly be altered.

2. Versatility:

There are various forms and varieties of engineered wood with varied thickness and sizes. However, the same can’t be said of solid wood.

3. Cost-effectiveness:

Engineered wood is very cost-effective when compared with solid wood and this makes a lot of builders and home-owners prefer it to solid wood.

4. Ease

Working with engineered wood is way easier than working with solid wood. When compared to solid wood, they can be cut, routed, joined or drilled more easily.

Down sides of Engineered Wood

As great as engineered wood is, it definitely has its flaws. One of the flaws is that it is hardly suitable for outdoor use as it absorbs water really easily, leading to the decapacitation of the wood.

Another disadvantage of engineered wood is that unlike solid wood that requires no extra polishing to get the desired outlook, engineered wood requires an external layer such as veneer or laminate for a perfect finish.

Types Of Engineered Wood

There are various types, shapes and forms engineered wood takes. Engineered wood is derived from sawmill scraps and other kinds of wood waste. Some are also gotten from the same hardwoods and softwoods used to manufacture lumber.

Below are various types of engineered wood you would come across. This, however, is not an extensive list, but comprehensive enough.

1. Blockboard

If you’re looking for the best kind of wood for your doors, panels, shelves and partitions, then blockboard is the surest deal. Made by gluing softwood strips together, blockboard could also come in handy to produce firm tables. Blockboard is one of the cheapest type of engineered wood, and they are of light weight.

2. Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)

Layers of solid lumber which have been sawn are pieced together, each layer laid perpendicular to the last, form Cross-Laminated Timber.

CLT is used for a range of ways such as for floors, ceilings, roofs and walls. It serves as a great substitute for other synthetic products because it is eco-friendly. A disadvantage it has, though, is that it is expensive due to the kind of design involved.

3. Plywood

You’ve obviously heard about plywood, right? The most common and widely known type engineered wood, plywood is considered the most original engineered wood. It simply consists of a wood structural panel and its production involves cross-laminating veneer sheets and gluing them together under pressure and heat with adhesives.

Because of the versatility of plywood, it can be used for many applications both interior or exterior. It is also very solid with uniform strength and is price efficient. However when exposed to undue weight or excessive water, plywood begins to sag and bend.

4. Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF)

If you’ve just got a space to set up your office or company and you’re thinking of getting cabinets, MDF boards will do just fine. Or maybe you’re refurbishing your kitchen and you’re going for a wooden outlook, MDF boards will produce awesome cabinets for you.

Hardwood and softwood particles are broken down into wood fibers, which are then combined with wax and resin binder. High temperature and pressure are applied to this combination, thus forming panels.

Furniture, cabinets, floors, and even speaker boxes - MDF boards can produce them in high quality. With the smooth finish and consistency it has, it is pretty easy to work with.

However, MDF boards soak up moisture faster than plywood and are therefore nor suitable for outdoor application.

5. Particle Board

Eco-friendly, affordable, and uniform, particle boards produce false ceilings, furniture, shelves and carpentry products. When various wood wastes such as sawdust, wood chips, sawmill shavings are pressed and extruder, the outcome is particle board.

Particle boards require paint or any other sealer to stay durable as they are prone to expansion and discoloration from moisture exposure. They are therefore not suitable for outdoor use.

6. Laminate Veneer

Laminate veneer is gotten by stacking thin wood together using adhesives. Also known as laminated veneer lumber (LVD), it has an appearance similar to plywood, however the direction of the wood gram is always parallel to the length of the billet.

Since it is manufactured under a controlled environment, laminate veneer is more uniform and durable than other types of engineered wood. Also, the chances of its getting shrunk or warped are really low. However, excessive exposure to moisture affects it adversely.

Engineered wood comes in various shapes, sizes and forms. Because of its versatility and ease of use, it is the more preferred choice for builders in lieu of solid wood. If you’re thinking of building your home, then you should consider using engineered wood products to get that perfect, desired finish.

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