With a thriving housing market across the country and home remodel searches trending online, homeowners and builders alike are searching for waterproof flooring solutions that deliver both high performance and high style. Hardwood floors are without a doubt the flooring option that will provide the greatest return on investment and the most preferred flooring option with prospective home buyers. As waterproof wood flooring continues to soar in popularity and ‘hybrid hardwood’ becomes a buzzword in the industry, it helps to understand current hardwood terminology and the evolving category as you make purchase decisions. So exactly, what is waterproof hybrid flooring? Let’s take a closer look: 

 

• You may have already heard the term ‘composite’ wood that is defined by the Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly HPVA) as: “Any material composed of organic fibers, organic polymers (plastics such as polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride) and/or inorganic matter (stone).”

 

• Composite is a component of the ‘Engineered Wood Flooring’ category which is defined as: “A product composed of an assembly of layers or plies of veneer or in combination with lumber, particleboard, MDF, hardboard, composite, special core or special back material joined with an adhesive. Except for special constructions, the grain of alternate plies is generally at right angles and the decorative face is veneer made from hardwood, softwood species, cork, or woody grass.”

 

• A “hybrid” wood floor is a floor with a genuine wood face veneer that is not on a wood substrate. This term applies to the innovative construction of Raintree planks that features a 1.2 mm sliced veneer of gorgeous real wood on a 5.4 mm Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) waterproof core with a 1 mm IXPE back pad. The total thickness of each plank is 7.6 mm with a click locking system.

 

Raintree’s Engineered Waterproof Hardwood Floors

In more easy-to-understand terms, Raintree waterproof wood flooring is an engineered wood hybrid made with a premium hardwood wear layer that is supported by a waterproof composite core and foam backing. The hardwood industry will use the terms ‘hybrid wood floors’ and ‘composite wood floors’ interchangeably, but we prefer to be known as Waterproof Wood Floors!

As the luxury vinyl flooring category has seen much recent growth due to the successful marketing of vinyl’s waterproof properties, the demand for waterproof flooring has skyrocketed. Consumers are now incredibly excited that their favorite genuine wood species can handle water without damage and Raintree Floors has experienced exponential growth since its market introduction in 2019. 

 

Durable Raintree Waterproof Wood Flooring

In addition to all the most desirable features of real wood including natural beauty, authenticity, and added home value, Raintree floors offer the incredibly versatile waterproof performance and durability of luxury vinyl. The real wood is protected by waterproof coating on top of the stain, but under the scratch-resistant aluminum oxide nanoparticle finish so that it doesn’t wear off. The rigid, 100% waterproof 5mm Ninja H2O Core protects against pet accidents and also allows homeowners the valuable time-saving ability to damp-mop the wood floors for an efficient supreme clean.

Since Raintree planks are harder than regular wood, because SPC is a much harder core than regular veneer core, these floors will also dent less. It’s the perfect flooring choice for active homes with kids and pets that will still deliver fashion-forward style and retain the resale value of genuine hardwood!

 

This hardwood hot topic and its accompanying buzzwords show no signs of slowing down any time soon. If you’re ready to explore waterproof wood floors for your home or have any questions regarding hardwood terms, use our flooring retailer locator to find your local Raintree expert that will help you jumpstart your new remodel project and flooring installation!