Once you have settled on engineered wood flooring, one practical question remains: how thick should the boards be? At Wood Connexions our floors, including the Manorwood Collection, come in 12mm, 14mm and 15mm builds, and each has its place. Here is how to choose with confidence.

What do the measurements actually mean?

An engineered board is a sandwich: a genuine oak wear layer on top, bonded to a stable multi-layer core beneath. The quoted thickness (12mm, 14mm or 15mm) is the whole sandwich. Generally, a thicker board carries a thicker oak wear layer, which matters for two reasons: it deepens the texture and character of the surface, and it determines how many times the floor can be sanded and refinished over its lifetime.

When 12mm is the smart choice

Choose 12mm where floor height is tight, when the new floor must meet existing tiles or carpet without altering doors and skirting, and over underfloor heating, where a slimmer board transfers warmth more efficiently. Our guide to engineered flooring and underfloor heating goes deeper on that pairing.

When to step up to 14mm or 15mm

In busy family spaces (hallways, kitchens, open-plan living areas), a 14mm or 15mm board earns its keep. The extra build brings a more substantial feel underfoot, greater tolerance of minor subfloor imperfections, and a wear layer with enough depth to be re-sanded in decades to come, making it a genuinely long-term investment. Most floors in our plank collection and herringbone collection sit in this range.

Three quick checks before you order

First, measure your available floor height at doorways and where the new floor meets neighbouring rooms. Second, confirm your subfloor is sound, dry and level; a thicker board forgives a little more, but no board fixes a poor base. Third, think about the room’s workload: the busier the space, the more a thicker wear layer repays you. If you are still weighing things up, our ultimate engineered wood flooring guide covers construction, grades and finishes in full.

See and feel the difference

Thickness is easier to judge in the hand than on a screen. Request a sample of any floor in our flooring collection and compare the builds side by side, or get in touch and our team will recommend the right specification for your project.