Few upgrades add warmth and character to a home quite like real wood underfoot. If you live in Novi and are planning new floors, one of the first choices you will face is whether to go with engineered or solid hardwood. Both are beautiful, both are real wood, and both can last for decades. The right pick depends on your rooms, your lifestyle and the way Southeast Michigan weather affects your home through the year.
At Michigan Carpet and Flooring, our family-owned team has helped local homeowners choose and install flooring for more than 30 years. Here is a clear, practical look at how these two options compare.
What Is Solid Hardwood?
Solid hardwood is exactly what it sounds like: each plank is milled from a single piece of wood, usually about three quarters of an inch thick. Oak, maple, hickory and walnut are popular species.
Key features of solid hardwood:
Can be sanded and refinished many times over its life
Offers a classic, traditional feel and sound underfoot
Typically nailed down over a wood subfloor
Best suited to rooms at or above ground level
Because it is one solid piece of wood, it reacts more noticeably to changes in moisture and temperature.
What Is Engineered Hardwood?
Engineered hardwood has a real wood top layer, called the wear layer, bonded to a core made of layered plywood or other stable wood material. From the surface, it looks and feels like solid hardwood, because the part you walk on is genuine wood.
Key features of engineered hardwood:
Cross-layered core resists warping and cupping
Can be installed as a floating floor, glued down or nailed
Suitable for more areas of the home, including many basements
Thicker wear layers can be sanded and refinished one or more times
Engineered hardwood has come a long way in recent years. Many of today's options offer wide planks, long lengths and rich finishes that rival any solid floor.
How Michigan Weather Affects Hardwood
Novi homeowners know the pattern well. Humid summers bring moisture into the air, and wood absorbs it and expands. Then cold, snowy winters arrive, the furnace runs for months, and indoor air turns dry. Wood releases that moisture and contracts.
With solid hardwood, these seasonal swings can lead to small gaps between boards in winter or slight cupping in summer. This is normal wood behavior, but it is more visible with wide solid planks.
Engineered hardwood handles these swings better. Its layered core is built to stay stable, so boards are less likely to shift, gap or cup as the seasons change. For homes with wide plank designs or open floor plans, this stability is a real advantage.
A whole-home humidifier in winter and air conditioning in summer help either type of floor stay comfortable and steady year round.
Comparing Durability and Lifespan
Both options are durable when cared for properly. Here is how they stack up.
Refinishing
Solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished several times, which is why some solid floors last 50 years or more. Engineered hardwood can also be refinished, but the number of times depends on the thickness of its wear layer. A thin wear layer may allow one light refinish, while a thicker one allows more.
Surface Wear
Day-to-day scratch and dent resistance depends mostly on the wood species and finish, not on whether the floor is solid or engineered. Harder species like hickory and white oak, paired with a quality factory finish, hold up well to kids, pets and busy traffic.
Winter Grit and Salt
Michigan winters bring salt, slush and sand indoors on boots. That grit acts like sandpaper on any wood floor. Good entry mats, a boot tray near the door and regular sweeping protect both solid and engineered floors.
Where Each Option Works Best
The rooms in your home often make this decision easier.
Solid hardwood is a great fit for:
Living rooms and dining rooms on the main level
Bedrooms and upstairs hallways
Homeowners who want the longest possible lifespan with multiple refinishes
Engineered hardwood is a great fit for:
Basements and below-grade spaces, with proper moisture testing
Homes with concrete subfloors
Open-plan layouts with wide planks
Rooms with more temperature or humidity variation
Many Novi homes have finished lower levels, and engineered hardwood is often the only real wood option suitable for those spaces. That makes it a favorite for families who want one consistent look from the main floor to the basement.
Comparing Costs
Pricing varies widely by species, plank width, finish and brand, so neither type is always the more affordable choice. In general:
Entry-level engineered hardwood often costs less than comparable solid hardwood
Premium engineered floors with thick wear layers and wide planks can match or exceed solid hardwood pricing
Installation costs depend on the method, with floating installations often taking less time than nail-down
Our team can walk you through options at a range of budgets, and convenient financing is available to help you get the floor you love. You can browse our full selection of hardwood flooring online before your visit.
Questions to Ask Before You Choose
To narrow down your decision, consider:
Which rooms are getting new floors, and are any below ground level?
What type of subfloor do you have, wood or concrete?
How long do you plan to stay in your home?
Do you have pets or young kids?
Do you prefer wide planks or a more traditional width?
Your answers will usually point clearly toward one option.
Let Our Team Help You Decide
Choosing between engineered and solid hardwood is easier with a knowledgeable team by your side. As a family-owned Mohawk Color Center Elite dealer and one of Mohawk's 5 Star Dealers, Michigan Carpet and Flooring offers a 4,500 sq ft showroom in Commerce Township, a short drive from Novi. Our shop-at-home service brings samples to you, and we provide in-home measurement, design consultation and professional installation.
Ready to find the right hardwood for your Novi home? Get in touch or call us at (248) 956-6864 to book a shop-at-home appointment or visit our showroom at 465 Haggerty Rd.
