Decision guide
Solid or engineered hardwood
Should I install solid or engineered hardwood in my Toronto home?
The substrate decides this, not the budget and not the preference. This guide walks the same decision tree we use on site, in the order we walk it.
First
What actually decides this
The substrate
Plywood over joists, a concrete slab and a radiant assembly impose different constraints. This is decided before anything else is considered.
Seasonal humidity range
Toronto indoor RH runs from below 25% in winter to above 60% in summer. Wider swings favour the more dimensionally stable construction.
Future refinishing cycles
A generational wear layer is the one genuine advantage solid retains — but only where the substrate permits solid at all.
Options
The choices, and when each is correct
Reference
Indoor relative humidity, Toronto residential
| Condition | Relative humidity |
|---|---|
| Winter indoor low | 18–25% RH |
| Summer indoor high | above 60% RH |
| Safe operating band for hardwood | 35–55% RH |
Decide
The decision tree, in the order we walk it
- Is the substrate plywood over joists? → Solid is possible.
- Is the substrate concrete, a condominium slab, or radiant? → Engineered is required.
- Is the home subject to large seasonal RH swings? → Engineered preferred.
- Does the client want maximum future refinishing cycles? → Solid, only if the substrate allows.
Answer
What we recommend
Engineered is the correct specification for the majority of Toronto projects. We specify what the house can support, and we do not sell what will fail.
- Solid remains correct over plywood in a humidity-controlled home where maximum refinishing cycles matter.
- No budget argument changes the answer when the substrate is concrete or radiant.
Provenance
Where every claim on this page comes from
- The Intelligent Homeowner's Decision Framework — decision tree
- Climate Mastery — solid vs engineered
- Climate Mastery — climate reality