Why it matters
They cost roughly the same to install. The difference shows up in year 20 and it is worth thousands. Solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished four to six times, which is why it lasts 100+ years. Engineered hardwood has only its wear layer to give: a thick one (3mm or more) refinishes once, a thin one (2mm or less) refinishes never, and when it wears through you are replacing the floor, not resurfacing it. InterNACHI puts engineered wood at 50+ years and all solid wood floors at 100+. There is a flip side, and it matters in Canadian homes: engineered is the more stable floor, so it is the correct choice below grade, over concrete, and over in-floor heating, where solid wood will move with the seasons. Engineered in a basement is not a downgrade. Solid hardwood in a basement is a mistake.
How to spot it
From a photo, honestly, you often cannot, and you should not pretend otherwise. The tells are edge tells: look for an exposed plank end at a stair nose, a vent cut-out, or a doorway threshold, where the layered plywood core of engineered wood is visible as stripes. Very wide planks (6 inches and up) are more often engineered. In a basement or over concrete, assume engineered.
What it costs
GTA, 2026: $8 to $15 per sq ft installed for either, with premium species and wide-plank white oak at the top of that band and beyond.
What to do
Monitor, and ask. The question for the agent is a good one and almost nobody asks it: is the hardwood solid or engineered, and if engineered, how thick is the wear layer? The answer tells you whether you own a floor that can be renewed or a floor that will one day be replaced.
Education and triage, not a home inspection. Casaroo names the finish tier it can see. Whether a specific floor can take another sanding is a question for a flooring contractor with a moisture meter and a spare board. We flag; we don't inspect.