Engineered wood flooring (EWF) is a well established product on the market. In order to differentiate their product from others, manufacturers offer long warranties on the product's integrity even though knowledge of its long-term performance is limited. The main objective of this study was to shed some light on the long-term performance of EWF, and to identify the main parameters responsible for product fatigue.
The study showed that the flooring substrate is one of the main EWF components to impact aging performance. The process used to produce the surface component (sawn, sliced or peeled) also affects the hygrometric variation of the product, and the aging performance. This study provides information to help design better and longer lasting products.