Solid hardwood floors are just that — they're made from solid wood. Each board of solid hardwood flooring is made from a single piece of hardwood that's about 3/4 of an inch thick. Because it's so thick it can be sanded down and refinished for however long the flooring is in the house

Engineered wood floors are also made of real wood, but include multiple layers, with the top layer made of high-quality wood. Because engineered wood floors expand and contract less than solid wood flooring, they are ideal for basement installations. While this type of flooring can be sanded and refinished, it cannot be done as many times as solid wood flooring.

Composite engineered wood flooring contains real wood on the wearable surface only. The backing and core material may be made up of any type of composite material.

Bamboo is very much like wood, but it's not wood. Technically speaking, it's a tree-like grass that grows extremely fast, making it among the fastest-growing plants in the world. Bamboo flooring can be as soft as pine and harder than maple depending on the species of bamboo used and when it was harvested