your mixing up a bunch of terms so its confusing. Prefinished can come in plank, strip, solid or engineered. Engineered can be single strip, plank or three or two strip on a plank (like laminate). It can also come as solid. Every style of solid wood is usually available as engineered. You need to find the construction style you prefer. Its not a decision between engineered and prefinished in other words.

Pre finished hardwood flooring is what it is.Its oak or maple or whatever you want and it can be sanded (refinished many times) thats what I'm talking about. Engineered is plywood with veneer etc sandwiched together and cannot be sanded down and refinished as much if at all There has been a lot hype on it. Its not as durable as the prefinished and better in damper areas. Guess they are trying to compete with laminates. So my question was which makes more sense and I was trying to get input from people who have installed or used both

You don't have to explain it to me I was the District Mgr for Bruce Hardwood. The thickness of the product is not related to durability. Your question dealt with spacing issues you didn't talk about thickness.
Your decision will be based on height and transition issues as well as looks and subfloor construction.

excuse me? It is at least for me a decision between Prefinished hardwood flooring and engineeered. I already have info from my installers.

It sounds like you probably are trying to ask which would be better between prefinished solid hardwood sold in single strips/planks and prefinished engineered wood sold 'partially assembled' in multi-strip planks.

Assuming that's what it is you're asking, then without a second's hesitation, I'd go with the single strips. Yes, there will be small spaces between the individual strips of wood. But there will also be spaces between the multi-strip planks in the other type of product, and those spaces will stand out by contrast, and will, IMO, make your hardwood floor look like a less expensive laminate floor.

Hey thanks. Thats all I was asking was for opinions on prefinished hardwood flooring VS engineered. Thanks for your help!!

Got that Boxers?

;-)

whats to get? The guy misuses terms so how is someone supposed to advise? I explained it as well as I could Got it?

I was kidding Boxers!
I know you're a guy who knows his stuff, and that the OP was badly mangling accepted terminology.

Hence the 'wink' icon ;-)

sorry I took it wrong. There are a few people here that are in the industry, but for the most part there is sometimes advise that is less than accurate. Sorry I missed the wink

That's the trouble with forums -- no facial expressions.
I'd hate to tick off one of 'the good guys!'

seems you both are brainless. Asked questions to hardwood floor installers and they knew exactly what I was talking about. ??? :) :)

Sorry Jones60...I do hope you get what you want. I followed the thread and both posters gave you expert advice and tried to educate you a little regarding terminology so you'd all be 'on the same page' in the discussions.

Boxers and Sweeby are both trying to help you and answer your question, Jones. It sounds to me like you don't want an answer, you just want an excuse to be rude. I cannot see any call at all for you to term someone who tried to help you, "Brainless".

Red

"Asked questions to hardwood floor installers and they knew exactly what I was talking about."

Sounds like they are used to dealing with people who know nothing about hardwood floors and misuse industry terminology.

Hope you were nicer to them.
Or failing that, hope you get the install you deserve.

I was going to send Jones 60 an e mail but he doesn't have that as an option. I appreciate those who understand. I think you should all be grateful that several professionals take the time to actually read a lot of these and give you the 'right' answers. You may not all want to read them. I'm retired from flooring now and generally avoid specific issues dealing with product unless I'm pretty certain I know what I'm talking about. On another board someone wrote in and asked how to improve the looks of their old hardwood. The suggestion were to add a coat of wax, and my favorite was to use a bucket of hot water with alcohol as that will 'melt' the old finish and fill in the scratches. I know that sounds crazy but some of you will listen to that sort of advice.
Sweetby and Redbezel, and Glen who always gives good advice I appreciate it.

I'm totally confused, too!

"Thats all I was asking was for opinions on prefinished hardwood flooring VS engineered."

Most engineered, is prefinished.

I can answer a question like "solid vs. engineered"
Or a question like "unfinished vs. prefinished"

So to the original question asked, all I can say is... Yes

Since engineered is known mostly for it's prefinished manufacturing.