Short answer
Both are real wood on top. Solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished more times, and suits main floors and bedrooms above grade. Engineered hardwood moves less with humidity, so it is the better choice over concrete, in condos, in basements, over in-floor heating (when the product is rated for it), and for very wide planks.
"Is engineered hardwood real hardwood?" is one of the first questions people ask. Yes: the surface you walk on is real wood in both cases. The difference is what is underneath, and in a climate like Ottawa's, that difference matters.
How they are made
Solid hardwood is one piece of wood from top to bottom, usually about ¾ inch thick. It is nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor.
Engineered hardwood has a top layer of real hardwood (the "wear layer") bonded to a core of plywood layers or other wood-based material laid in alternating directions. That cross-layered core is what makes it stable. Depending on the product, it can be nailed, glued, or floated over an underlay.
Why Ottawa's climate matters
Wood expands when it takes on moisture and shrinks when it dries out. Ottawa swings hard between the two: heated indoor air in January can get very dry, while July and August are humid. A solid hardwood floor moves with those seasons, which is why you may see thin gaps between boards in winter that close up again in summer. That is normal within limits, but large swings can lead to wider gaps, or to cupping (edges higher than the centre) when it is humid.
Engineered hardwood's layered core resists that movement much better. It still reacts to humidity, but far less, which also makes it the safer choice for wide planks, since wider boards show seasonal movement more.
Whichever you choose, keeping indoor humidity in the range the manufacturer specifies (usually somewhere around 35 to 55 percent) is the best thing you can do for a wood floor. See our guide to caring for hardwood through an Ottawa winter.
Side by side
| Solid hardwood | Engineered hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Stability with humidity | Moves more | Moves much less |
| Sanding and refinishing | Many times over its life | Depends on wear layer: from none to several times |
| Over concrete | Not recommended | Yes (glued or floated) |
| Below grade (basements) | No | Yes, if rated for it |
| Over in-floor heating | Generally not | Often, if the product is rated for it |
| Wide planks | More seasonal movement | Better suited |
| Condos | Rarely practical | Common, with an approved acoustic underlay |
Wear layer: the number to ask about
With engineered hardwood, the thickness of the top wood layer decides how many times it can be sanded. A thin veneer may not be sandable at all, while a thick wear layer of several millimetres can be sanded and refinished more than once. If you plan to stay in the home for decades, ask for the wear layer thickness, not just the total plank thickness.
Which should you choose?
- Main floor or upstairs of a house, on a wood subfloor, standard plank widths: either works. Solid is the classic choice if you want to refinish it many times over the years.
- Over a concrete slab or in-floor heating: engineered.
- Basement: engineered rated for below grade, or consider luxury vinyl plank.
- Condo: engineered with the underlay your building requires (see condo flooring rules).
- Wide planks (about 7 inches and up): engineered is usually the safer choice.
Installation makes the difference
Both floors depend on what is underneath. The subfloor has to be flat, dry and solid; the wood should acclimatize in the home as the manufacturer instructs; and the installer must leave expansion space at the walls, hidden under the baseboard. Skipping any of these is what causes most of the squeaks, gaps and cupping people blame on the wood itself.
