Choosing the Right Profile: Understanding Hardwood Floor Thickness

When you are browsing the aisles of our Ottawa showroom or scrolling through our online store, you’ll notice that hardwood comes in a variety of thicknesses. It’s easy to get caught up in the species of wood or the stain color, but at Giant Commercial Flooring, we know that the thickness of your plank is one of the most important technical decisions you’ll make.

Whether you are looking for Solid Hardwood or Engineered Hardwood, the thickness dictates everything from how the floor feels underfoot to how it transitions between rooms. Here is our expert breakdown of hardwood thickness and how to choose the right one for your Canadian home.

2 Popular Wood Floor Thickness Options for Solid & Engineered Hardwood

Solid Hardwood: The Standard 3/4″

For decades, the industry standard for solid hardwood—like the premium collections we carry from Mercier and Superior Flooring—has been 3/4 inch (approx. 19mm).

• Why it’s the standard: This thickness provides incredible structural integrity. Because the entire plank is a single piece of wood, a 3/4″ floor can be sanded and refinished multiple times over its lifespan (often 50 to 100 years).
• The Benefit: It offers a solid, “thud” sound when walked upon and is excellent for nailing down to a plywood subfloor.
• The Consideration: Because it is thick and reactive to moisture, 3/4″ solid wood is generally restricted to “on-grade” or “above-grade” installations. We don’t recommend this thickness for basements.

Engineered Hardwood: A Range of Options

Engineered hardwood is where thickness gets a bit more technical. Because these planks are made of layers, the total thickness can vary significantly, usually ranging from 3/8″ to 3/4″.

• The Core vs. The Wear Layer: In engineered flooring, the total thickness is less important than the thickness of the lamella (the top real-wood layer). At GC Flooring, we look for “thick-cut” wear layers that allow for future refinishing.
• 5/8″ and 3/4″ Engineered: These are our high-value “Giant” picks. They provide the stability of engineered wood with the substantial feel and longevity of solid wood. They are perfect for the fluctuating climates of the Prairies or the Maritimes.
• 1/2″ and Thin Profiles: These are often used in renovation projects where “floor height” is a concern (for example, if you don’t want to trim your existing doors or if you are installing over radiant heat).

Why Does Thickness Matter?

Vertical Transitions

One of the most overlooked aspects of flooring is how it meets your other rooms. If you are putting tile in the kitchen and hardwood in the living room, you want the heights to match as closely as possible to avoid “trip hazards” or bulky transition strips. Choosing a specific hardwood thickness can help create that seamless, flush look across your entire home.

Structural Stability

Thicker isn’t always better, but it does offer more mass. A thicker plank is less likely to “bounce” if your subfloor has minor imperfections. For homeowners across the 10 provinces dealing with seasonal shifts, a thicker engineered plank often provides the best balance of beauty and dimensional stability.

The Refinishing Factor

The thickness of the wood above the tongue and groove determines how many times a floor can be sanded. A standard 3/4″ solid floor can be refinished 4 to 6 times. A high-quality engineered floor with a 4mm wear layer can usually be refinished 2 to 3 times. If you buy a very thin floor, it may be a “single-life” floor that cannot be sanded at all.