Choosing Between Engineered and Solid Hardwood in Frisco’s Unique Climate: Your 2025 Decision Guide

When selecting hardwood flooring for your Frisco home, understanding how our local climate affects different wood flooring options can save you thousands in repairs and ensure decades of beautiful floors. Frisco Texas has a warm and somewhat humid climate throughout much of the year, with summers that are hot and muggy, while winters are cold and windy. This dramatic seasonal variation creates unique challenges that make the choice between engineered and solid hardwood particularly important for North Texas homeowners.

Understanding Frisco’s Climate Challenges

The month with the highest relative humidity is May (66.90%), while the month with the lowest relative humidity is August (52.39%). Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 36°F to 95°F and is rarely below 24°F or above 101°F. These extreme fluctuations in both temperature and humidity create the perfect storm for hardwood flooring movement and potential damage.

Solid hardwood requires a constant humidity level, most manufacturers recommend between 35-45% humidity at all times. Engineered wood is more stable and doesn’t have this requirement; however, maintaining an optimal humidity level is recommended. For Frisco homeowners, this stability difference becomes crucial during our intense seasonal transitions.

Solid Hardwood: The Traditional Choice with Climate Considerations

Solid hardwood is considered by many homeowners to be the “gold standard” in flooring. Constructed from one solid piece of 100% hardwood, it’s known for its durability, authenticity and timelessness. The primary advantage lies in its refinishing potential – hardwood flooring is sturdy and long-lasting, and it can be refinished up to 10 times which is one of its main benefits.

However, Frisco’s climate presents specific challenges for solid hardwood. Moisture and heat can distort solid wood flooring, so it’s not suitable for conservatories, bathrooms or any room with a high or low temperature or underfloor heating. A very hot room can cause solid wood to dry out and shrink or cold/dampness causes moisture to be absorbed which leads to swelling.

During Frisco’s humid spring months, solid hardwood can expand, potentially causing buckling or cupping. Conversely, our dry winter months with indoor heating can cause the wood to contract, creating gaps between planks. For a humid climate with rapid temperature changes, it is advised to go with a lower plank width. 2 to 4 inches is perfect. This creates more seams, which will allow your floor to make the small adjustments it needs as the weather changes.

Engineered Hardwood: The Climate-Smart Solution

Engineered hardwood is made of layers with 100% natural wood on top, wood on the bottom, and a highly stable core in the middle. The core consists of 5 to 7 layers of plywood, pressed together in a crisscrossed pattern. It’s what makes engineered hardwood flooring less likely to shift, expand or contract when exposed to environmental changes in temperature, moisture and humidity.

This construction method makes engineered hardwood particularly well-suited for Frisco’s climate challenges. The grain of each layer runs in perpendicular directions, which creates exceptional dimensional stability. This means the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature.

For Frisco homeowners, this translates to fewer seasonal gaps, reduced risk of cupping or crowning, and overall better performance during our dramatic weather transitions. This type of wood flooring is more stable than solid wood, which means it works well in homes or climates where the average humidity reaches 50 percent or higher.

Installation Considerations for Frisco Homes

Solid hardwood flooring performs best in above-ground spaces, such as living and dining areas, kitchens and bedrooms. We do not recommend installing solid in bathrooms or laundry rooms where water and humidity can be a problem. Engineered hardwood flooring can go in the same rooms as solid hardwood, but its engineered construction also makes it a great choice for basements and over radiant heating and concrete floors.

When considering professional installation, working with experienced hardwood flooring Frisco specialists ensures proper acclimation and installation techniques specific to our local climate conditions. If the installation site is in a location with very wet winters or very dry summers, for example, you may consider completing the installation during the fall or spring; aim for a time when the humidity is not too high or too low. Even in very wet or dry climates, proper acclimation is the key to successful hardwood flooring installation.

Long-Term Performance and Maintenance

The ideal temperature and humidity for hardwood floors are between 35% and 45% at standard room temperature (~65 degrees F). Maintaining these conditions year-round in Frisco requires strategic HVAC management and potentially supplemental humidification or dehumidification.

For maintenance considerations, hardwood flooring (with thinner planks) is great for areas of high humidity, but because of the humidity any water spills will need to be cleaned up immediately and the cleaning itself should be as water-less as possible. If water sits on a hardwood floor for too long and is prevented from evaporating by humidity, it can lead to damage.

Making the Right Choice for Your Frisco Home

The decision between engineered and solid hardwood ultimately depends on your specific situation, budget, and tolerance for seasonal floor movement. For climates with higher humidity levels, look for floors made with engineered wood, which is much more dimensionally stable than other types of wood.

Consider engineered hardwood if you:

Want minimal seasonal floor movement
Plan to install over concrete or with radiant heating
Prefer lower maintenance requirements
Have budget constraints

Choose solid hardwood if you:

Value maximum refinishing potential
Prefer traditional authenticity
Can maintain consistent indoor climate control
Don’t mind seasonal floor adjustments

Both options can provide decades of beautiful flooring when properly selected, installed, and maintained for Frisco’s unique climate conditions. The key is understanding how our local weather patterns will interact with your chosen flooring material and planning accordingly from the start.