Engineered Wood Flooring in London

Engineered wood is made by attaching a layer of hardwood to a softwood base, often with a plywood bottom. Unlike with solid wood boards, you're not getting pure hardwood.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, because the plywood base improves moisture resistance and stability.  The hardwood layer on the top is made from one, two, or three strips of wood (the one-strip version is called "plank").

Engineered wood boards come pre-finished  or unfinished and are laid as either a floating floor or can be glued or nailed down. .  They usually come with tongue-and-grove edges that are fitted together like puzzle pieces as you lay them.  You glue along the edge of the board that's already down, then ease the other board into place along side it.  Some of today's engineered boards also have edges that "click" together, much like laminate flooring, and they don't require glue. 

There is more than one kind of engineered wood.  Some types have a high-density base with a very thin wood veneer, and they're cheaper than other types, though still more expensive than laminate.  You get what you pay for, and these cheaper versions are less durable than other engineered wood.