Our engineered wood flooring is hickory, one of the hardest woods available, and I highly recommend it. WeâÂÂve had ours over 10 years with kids, pets and lots of activity, and only one scratch visible!

We had engineered bamboo in our previous family room/kitchen and loved it. It felt really 'warm' on bare feet, and looked great.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Do you remember what brand nanny2a?

We have hickory engineered too. It's so warm and pretty! It's by Shaw. This isn't my house (I wish!) but this picture is when I fell head over heels...

HereâÂÂs a recent photo. The manufacturer was Mannington. I donâÂÂt remember the style, but I believe the stain was called Nutmeg.

I recommend looking for one that has a wear layer that can be sanded at least once. I had some oak from Robbins that actually could be sanded down up to 3 times in my old house. Realize this is different than re-screening.

I currently have Pecan from Robbins and it is only a sand once type floor, but better than no sanding at all. Don't think we'll need to though. It is holding up really well 6 years later.

Edit: I would also consider looking at those that have more than 3 layers as a 5 layer is more stable as well. I've not had any with 3 layers as I've always gone with the 5 layers.

This post was edited by lyfia on Thu, Oct 31, 13 at 10:21

mpwdmom, I love that hickory floor! I wonder what the width is as too me it looks like my favorite 4" wide width.

lyfia, I would love to see pictures of the Pecan floor by Robbins.

nanny2a, I love the Hickory with the Nutmeg Stain! Is the width 5"?

Lynn - I think I've posted it somewhere on here before. don't have a picture handy, but looks like the picture mpwdmom posted. Mine is natural in color. It was the rustic in Robbins Urban Exotics - now discontinued and I really would like some more just for extra so I can re-configure some rooms. Our whole house is the same floors except entries and baths.

mpwdmom, I love that hickory floor! I wonder what the width is as too me it looks like my favorite 4" wide width.

It's the 5 in. planks. I think it was available in 3 or 5 and we chose 5.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vintage Charm 5 by Shaw

This post was edited by mpwdmom on Thu, Oct 31, 13 at 15:47

mpwdmom- Do you have a picture of the hickory floors in your house? I'm looking for something that's lighter without any type of orange or yellow tone and yours look like they might fit the bill.

I have bamboo strand in the kitchen for 1 1/2 years, we like it so much I plan in putting it into the den too. I agree it feels warmer and softer on my feet then my oak floors.

Here's one from last Christmas. In natural light it's so pretty, at least I think so. Hope that helps.

Ours is the 3â planks, yet this is available in 5â widths, as well. Our floors appear darker IRL, and can be resanded up to three times, yet weâÂÂve had no need to do so.

Ours is the 3â planks, yet this is available in 5â widths, as well. Our floors appear darker IRL, and can be resanded up to three times, yet weâÂÂve had no need to do so.

Nanny2a, your floors are beautiful.

mpwdmom, your floors are very beautiful.

I am so confused and need to find a store to let me bring samples home. I think I went with Brazilian Cherry last time due to so many putty cabinets in my home office and the putty beige leather furniture with glass tables in my family room so I wanted color without carpets. But I love light floors.

We had Shaw walnut engineered in our previous home - could be sanded up to 3 times and refinished. They were gorgeous however I don't recommend them, it scratched and dented like crazy. Even the cats' tiny claws scratched it and anything dropped left a dent.

I've had Lauzon engineered flooring for 4 years. The quality is excellent and I highly recommend it.

We chose the type that has no bevels (square edge). It's one of the few companies that offers the square edge. They also offer the beveled planks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lauzon

Laurie, your floors are beautiful! If it wasn't for my youngest little Maltese who is now 8.25 years of age and barely 4 lbs that has a marking problem (tiny squirts of pee... may have to finally cave in and put her in a diaper.... she is house trained but likes to mark and lifts her left up like a little male dog despite being spayed) enhanced by her specially compounded medicine I would go with the natural red oak floors as I love the look especially with the square edge. Red Oak and pee do not do well together. I LOVE your floors and baseboards with no shoe molding or quarter round.

I wish you and your husband lived near me since I would pay him to install my floors as you and he did a perfect job especially with leveling the floors first! I had tested so many samples of wood and soaked the samples in pee for a few days and the White Oak and the Brazilian Cherry and the Santos Mahogany and a few other survived and did not turn black but the red oak did. But maybe the finish on the Lauzon would prevent this as I did not have any samples of the Mirage or the Lauzon to test. Maybe I should see what other woods they have. I love the color variation and the sawn face of your floors. I also love your wall color.

Thank you for sharing a picture of your beautiful floors again.

Laurie, I just emailed Lauzon to ask for 7 samples in the order I like in engineered and asked them what the cost would be to mail to me. I will call to see if the dealers have Lauzon as the stores in my area that were selling it closed and not many stores are carrying the engineered versions.

I just ordered 6 samples from Mirage in engineered for $19.99 and free shipping.

I will compare and decide with these new samples with what I have now to decide what I want to go with. If I did not have my home office with so many putty cabinets and my little marking dog, I would want to go lighter but I may end up staying with Brazilian Cherry but going with a commercial grade finish in a less wide board.

I want to see the White Oak and the hickory in my home also and Sapele since on my monitor it looks lighter.

My floors are not totally even so I have to float the wood or pay so much to level them. My floors really did feel solid before the water damage using the Floor Muffler.

Lynn - I'm glad that you will be getting Mirage samples & hopefully Lauzon samples, as well. Seeing them in person will help a lot!

Hickory was on my list, but we ended up with Red Oak Natural (select & better). At the time we were searching, Lauzon did not offer a White Oak in the Northern Next Step Engineered line. If they had, I would have had it high on my list of favorites! When I see pics of white oak floors, I'm very drawn to them.

Good luck with your search and keep us posted : )

Thank you Laurie! I also have a new tile guy coming by on Monday who is also going to price out cabinets for me and maybe finally install my tile floors as they should be done before wood floors.

Okay, if I am reading right, Shaw is not a good choice? Loved the pics of the hickory, very pretty. Also, what about using the 3 widths of wood or is that just a fad? Thanks for all the input.

I love the look of the engineered wood floors at both Vintage Wood Floors and Carlisle Wide Plank Flooring (the pine floors that we have aren't available in engineered but their other woods are). The Carlisle site says its engineered floors have the same wear level as their solid wood floors.

Vintage Wood Floors

Carlisle Wide Plank Flooring

Thank you juddgirl2!