Is engineered wood real wood?

Yes, the top layer is real timber. The core underneath is layered for stability.

Is laminate flooring good for Indian homes?

In bedrooms, living rooms and studies it is a practical, hard-wearing wood look. Keep it out of wet areas and wipe spills quickly, because standing water swells the fibreboard core.

Can I put wood flooring in the kitchen?

Kitchens see spills and heavy wear. Some households do it with care, but it depends on the product. Ask the team about the specific line and your kitchen.

What does wooden flooring cost per sq ft?

It varies widely by species, grade, wear layer and pattern, so GM La Surfaces quotes per project rather than publishing a figure.

Engineered wood vs solid wood vs laminate flooring for Indian homes

By the GM La Surfaces team · Updated 3 October 2026

Short answer

Solid wood is timber all the way through. Engineered wood is a real wood top layer on a stable layered core, so it moves less with humidity. Laminate is a photographic wood image under a hard wear layer on a fibreboard core. Choose by how much real wood you want, how humid the room gets and how much wear it takes.

What is each one made of?

Solid wood: one piece of timber, usually 18 mm or more.
Engineered wood: a real wood wear layer on a cross-layered plywood or fibreboard core. Urbane, for example, has a 2 mm oak veneer on top.
Laminate: a high-density fibreboard (HDF) core, a printed wood image and a clear, hard wear layer. Monsoon, for example, sits on a black HDF core with click-lock joints.

Which handles Indian humidity best?

Timber swells in humid months and shrinks in dry ones. A single solid board moves the most. The cross-layered core of engineered wood resists that movement, which is why it is the usual choice when you want real wood in a humid city.

Laminate's fibreboard core is stable in normal humidity but does not like standing water. Spills should be wiped up quickly, and wet mopping kept to a damp cloth.

Can it be sanded and refinished?

Solid wood can be sanded several times over its life. Engineered wood can be sanded only as far as its wear layer allows: a thin layer may only take a recoat, a thicker one a light sanding. Laminate cannot be sanded; a worn plank is replaced.

Herringbone and chevron

Both patterns are laid from short planks. Herringbone planks meet at right angles in a staggered zigzag; chevron planks are cut at an angle so they meet in a clean point. GM La Surfaces carries herringbone and chevron in engineered wood (Prodigy) and herringbone in laminate (Parisian and Aurora).

How to choose

Want genuine timber underfoot and a floor that can be renewed: engineered wood.
Want the wood look on a tighter budget with a hard-wearing surface: laminate.
Have a room with water on the floor, such as a bathroom: none of these. Ask for a floor made for wet areas.

Common questions

Is engineered wood real wood?: Yes, the top layer is real timber. The core underneath is layered for stability.
Is laminate flooring good for Indian homes?: In bedrooms, living rooms and studies it is a practical, hard-wearing wood look. Keep it out of wet areas and wipe spills quickly, because standing water swells the fibreboard core.
Can I put wood flooring in the kitchen?: Kitchens see spills and heavy wear. Some households do it with care, but it depends on the product. Ask the team about the specific line and your kitchen.
What does wooden flooring cost per sq ft?: It varies widely by species, grade, wear layer and pattern, so GM La Surfaces quotes per project rather than publishing a figure.