Best Engineered Hardwood Floor for Scratch Resistance

While engineered wood floors are an excellent option for durability, especially for active families, not all engineered hardwood floors are created equal when it comes to scratch resistance. The secret to truly scratch-resistant wood flooring is in the finish.

The Power of Aluminum Oxide

At LIFECORE, all of our floors utilize an innovative, low VOC, UV-hardened aluminum oxide finish, so you get scratch resistance without having to worry about toxicity in your home’s air quality.

Aluminum oxide is a naturally occurring element, present in ruby and sapphire gemstones, and is one of the hardest finishes for the final coating of multiple flooring types, including engineered hardwoods. By penetrating the top layers of the wood, it guards against oxidation, seals the board’s top surface, and adds a scratch-resistant layer to hardwood floors.

Not only does our finish provide scratch resistance—perfect for active families or homes with pets—but it also helps preserve the beauty of your floors. New floors can fade over time when exposed to UV radiation through your windows, but wood finished with aluminum oxide keeps your floor color beautiful, longer.

The finish provides protection against oxidation—the breakdown of the floor’s surface when exposed to oxygen in air and water—keeping the surface of your floors looking newer, longer.

UV-Cured For Your Air Quality

Our aluminum finish is UV-cured, which limits any sort of off-gassing. That, combined with our low VOC process and proprietary ZERO-ADD technology, means floors that are safe for the air you breathe. In fact, our floors are FloorScore certified and Phase 2 CARB (California Air Resource Board) Compliant. CARB requires a 0.05 or less level of formaldehyde. LIFECORE hardwoods have levels of 0.005 – 0.015, well below CARB standards.

Floors that are finished during installation can off-gas whatever finish your installer used (typically aluminum oxide or polyurethane), and because they aren’t UV-cured, there are usually fewer layers in the finish, which means less scratch-resistance, compared to LIFECORE which has nine coats of finish.

Meant to Last a Lifetime

LIFECORE floors have a 50-year residential warranty for both our LIFECORE Hardwood Collection and our H2OME waterproof hardwoods. Our finish is a big part of what makes that warranty possible, so you don’t have to worry about refinishing your floors, unlike traditional hardwoods or other engineered wood options on the market.

Caring For Your Engineered Hardwoods

While our floors are made to last a lifetime, proper cleaning will keep them looking their best. That starts with using the right cleaning products, like regular maintenance with a soft, dry microfiber mop and the use of products designed for aluminum oxide-finished floors, such as Bona floor cleaners. Using the wrong cleaner can dull and damage your floors. Avoid waxes, wet mopping (unless you have H2OME hardwoods), and vinegar. Get more cleaning tips in our care and maintenance guide.