Engineered hardwood has many names. You may know it as mass timber, man-made wood, hardwood composite, or others. The planks are a composite of real woods pieced together in alternating directions. Much like vinyl or laminate planks, engineered wood is made up of layers. 

The difference is that instead of a photographic image of wood grain under a clear coat wear layer, mass timber has actual hardwood on top.  The boards become interlocking planks, which fit together in a “drop and lock” method. This is also known as a floating floor as the planks are not nailed or glued to the subfloor like carpet or hardwood. 

The result is a hardwood floor, with most of the benefits, a fraction of the cost .

Unlike solid hardwood, the planks won’t add resale value to the home. However, you also don’t have the drawbacks like excessive constriction and expansion, wide gaps between boards, and other hardwood features.