Our collection of Oak Hardwood Flooring includes both Solid Hardwood and Engineered Hardwood constructions.

• Solid Hardwood: As the name indicates, this type of Flooring is a solid piece of Oak wood from top to bottom, most commonly 3/4” thick. All Hardwood Flooring offered by Empire Today is pre-finished, meaning it has been sanded and coated, usually multiple times, at the factory. The finish layer applied to the top of the Solid Oak Flooring helps protect the wood from abrasions and stains. Solid Oak Hardwood Flooring cannot be installed over concrete slabs, so it is not suitable for basements.
• Engineered Hardwood: Multiple layers of wood are pressed and bonded together to create Engineered Oak Flooring. This Flooring features a top finish layer, Oak wood layer, core layer and base layer. The real Oak layer provides the same look as Solid Oak Flooring. The core consists of crisscrossing layers of wood or a fiber that provide better dimensional stability. The base layer features a special locking system that creates joint integrity and allows for staple, glue down or floating installation.

• Plank Width: There are many different widths to choose from, each lending itself to a distinct look. We offer boards ranging from 2 ¼” to 5” in width. Smaller width planks have a more traditional look, while the wide plank Flooring looks more distinctive.
• Hand Scraped: Before modern sanding methods were developed, floor planks were scraped by hand to make the surface even. Today, hand scraping is done in a factory in order to make the Flooring planks look older than they are, giving a finished look that is nostalgic of historic craftsmanship.
• Smooth Finish: Smooth finishes are available in many gloss levels and have a traditional appearance that is cleaner in look and style.
• Beveled & Square Edges. Oak Flooring planks either have beveled or square edges. With beveled edges, the spaces between the sides of the Flooring planks form a “V” shape. The depth of the "V" shape can range from deep to shallow. Square edge Flooring planks are cut so all sides match evenly. The result is a flat surface.

There are several benefits of having an underlayment installed beneath your Oak Engineered Hardwood Flooring. It can help smooth out minor subfloor imperfections while quieting impact sound and floor-to-ceiling noise. Not only does the underlayment help dampen sound, it is environmentally friendly and can help manage acceptable levels of moisture. Underlayment can be used under Engineered Hardwood Flooring and may be installed over concrete or wood subfloors.