elean13 - love your engineered hardwood! What brand is it?

Based on our recent experience I would strongly suggest hardwood. Laminates and engineered just don't measure up in durability, beauty and longevity. We used laminate in our guest house third floor and will never use it again. Just not good looking at all, feels odd underfoot, can't be easily repaired and the smallest chip will show. We used prefinished on the second or main floor of the guest house and really hate it. The difference in thickness of the boards is really noticeable when walking in socks or slippers and chairs will bump over it when pushing back from the table. In contrast, we used white oak in the main house and love it. The finish is as indestructible as any and it is flat out beautiful.

Hi. I thought I would put my 2 cents in. I have hardwood oak in my home in Ohio and floating manufactured wood in Florida. I was told not to use real wood in Florida. It's an expensive manufactured wood and looks nice but it's not the same. Both places have the wood in the kitchen, as well. I have had no problems BUT, it's just my husband and I and we are careful people. My dilemma now is that I am about to stain the real oak and the designer wants dark grey with dark grey walls. I get a lot of light (floor to ceiling windows) but am hesitating because I like maintenance free living. Based on this thread, I am rethinking the grey floor and may go with more natural wood color so I'm not constantly getting out the dust buster. My designer tells me to, "Get the f... off of Houzz." Notice I don't listen to him :) I love Houzz!!

you need to create some sort of contrast... and i shall leave it at that.

To Gayle, my designer referred me to Houzz. Love Houzz! That's where I get all my ideas.

There is a great deal of information here. I've been struggling with this decision in our home as well. Our color scheme and flooring contenders are very similar. I've been concerned about our kitchen having a melancholy feel as a result of too much gray, and so I'm considering warmer hues to balance out the gray cabinets. Good luck!

Dear Slupher, the brand of my engineered hardwood is Tarkett. We have chosen one that was meant for industrial use (heavy traffic) as it was more durable - we haven't regretted it. :0)

Why not stained concrete in the kitchen area. Something darkish but a little lighter than your cabinets.

Lady, hire a decorator! With the materials you've shown here, you've got the bucks. Then we can help and advise someone who really needs it!

WOW chyna123, so if you have the means you cannot inquire here?

Go vent the anger somewhere else. This is a design site

I have just as much interest and derive equal pleasure helping anyone I can. it is fun to recemnd any material and not worry about expenses as it is to work within the constrains of our budget as the majority of us have to do one way or another and to different levels.

I love the cabinets and counters. What I don't care for is adding another grainy wood to the floor. The cabinetry is amazing and deserves to be the star of the show. I would tile the kitchen. If tile is not an option, only the engineered bleached looking wood on the right second from the top will look good with those cabinets, any of the others fight the cabinets, which ultimately takes away from them.

Have you seen some of the tiles (porcelain I believe) that look like plank flooring? They look awesome!

Solid wood unless you have pets who need mani/pedis most of the time. Untrimmed pet nails can really do a number on real wood, though they can be refinished a number of times.

I have both engineered and hardwood floors. I have to say I like the engineered much better. My engineered does not scratch near as easy. The engineered is walnut and the hardwood is natural maple. I like the engineered wood you show in the picture. I like how the darker wood contracts with the rest of the elements you have chosen. Beautiful kitchen!!

i would like to add one more comment to this thread. dark wood floors ALWAYS look dirty because the dust shows up as a pale film. if you care about the cleanliness of your floor i can not stress enough how unhappy a dark color choice will make you.

I feel your pain! We are building too and I just researched the same thing. Honestly, at the end of the day they're both such great options that you won't regret it either way. I have a floor suggestion for you, only because our finishes are similar and I almost made the same "grey everywhere" mistake: Brazilian Pecan. It's a little like hickory, but skews toward the cooler spectrum. We're building a modern house with bright white cabinets and walnut accents. The pecan gives it warmth and texture without reading traditional. Best of luck to you!

Has anyone used reclaimed wood? This is an option no one has mentioned. I've not used it before but I think it might be a good choice.....

chyna 123 - keep your negative comments to yourself or at least off this site. If you don't like the thread, then stay off of it

Despite what some comments suggest, you shouldn't want to refinish a prefinished hardwood, engineered or otherwise, as most come with aluminum oxide in the finish. It's the second hardest (lost out to diamond) man-made material so removing that will remove your protection against micro-scratches.

If it were my home, I'd select the engineered so I could have the dimensional stability in moisture areas like the kitchen. It would be heartbreaking to spend all that money and have the floor warp due to moisture (sink, dishwasher), and only an engineered floor would resist that.

Hi Cory. Because of this discussion, I have decided against all grey floors. I like maintenance free and I don't want to be trendy and regret it later. I am redoing my kitchen and am not sure whether to go with white cabinets (which I've never had) or grey cabinets (which I have in a FL condo and LOVE). Do you have photos of your white cabinets?

The lighter wood will blend more and the darker is more of a contrast. So I think you need to decide which way you want to go (either will look great) As far as the wood is considered my favorite is the tile that looks like wood, its the best of both worlds. Good Luck !!!

Completely agree with cindiperez. Either way will look great.

And I completely agree with robingg, too.

I really think that in pic 4 the two floors on top would add a nice cozy feel.

It's not ideal to have to refinish any wood floor, engineered or solid; but eventually there comes a time in any floor's life when it just doesn't look so good anymore. Maybe that is ten years from now or maybe fifteen. When it does happen, I would rather be able to refinish it at a fraction of the cost, mess, and aggravation of ripping it all up and replacing it.

We love hardwood for their looks and ease of cleaning. We plan on doing most of our new house in it. At about $10.00/s.f. I think it's a good investment. We have had solid, site-built wood floors in the past but this time we are trying an engineered wide plank with an almost 1/4 inch wear layer so it will be able to get a face lift when the ravages of time (and dogs and kids) eventually take their toll. Solid and high quality engineered hardwood may be a bit more expensive to install but, if you plan on a long stay in your home, can actually be cheaper in the long run than some other surfaces that may need multiple replacements. They also happen to be great for resale.

For me, it's a no brainer. Go with solid hardwood. The issue I have with engineered wood floors are the beveled edges on each plank. Engineered floors are great if you're upgrading the floors in your house and don't have 3-4 days for the staining process. Also, take a look at Minwax classic grey stain. It's a darker shade of brown with grey undertones. We have it in our house and get compliments on it all the time.

What's your climate like where you live? excessive cold/hot changes in season I should be a big factor in your choice ..... eng vs hw ....

I was advised to use engineered wood in any moisture prone areas as compared to the hardwood usually available today. If I had the money to go with a cork product that was of a high quality, that is what I would choose. Simply for the comfort, the look and the ecological properties. They can come in colors as well, but nothing beats a natural colored cork floor. If you have ever seen a cork floor done in the 30's or 40' in New York and polished & cared for, you might reconsider. Trouble is most cork floors available today are too thin.

If I were you I would go with the new textured porcelain tile floors that when laid tight looks just like a linen fabric & will wear forever. Just do not go grey as it will go out soon & you will want something timeless & hard wearing in a kitchen or bath where regular spills occur. Get it with under floor heating and use some soft rubber mats where you spend a lot of time on your feet.

I totally agree with corilynn's comment about dark wood floors! We have them and though they look beautiful, they show EVERYTHING and the dust/film thing is such a pain.

We just refinished our 20 year old red oak floors in our kitchen only because we were replacing our carpeted great room with matching red oak. The kitchen floor still looked great after 20 years. We were so happy with it, we put it everywhere else except the bedrooms. We also used a natural finish...you can't see a thing on it. I dust it every weekend and spot clean in the kitchen. Nothing beats the real thing. The only down side is the fumes from the polyurethane, but that goes away.

I love our real wood oak floors. They don't show dust, dirt, foortprints, dogprints, knicks... they look fresh and clean 12 years later. We bought the 3/4 inch planks and had them installed "sand in place" with a beautiful medallion in the foyer. No regrets -- lots of compliments.

Even w/ dogs, spills, etc, the real oak floors look good? I've heard real wood scratches, fades, etc. We have two dogs and I want something easy and indestructible. They've come such a long way with luxury vinyl tile and laminates. Look so much like the real thing

These floors are over 100 years old...hardwoods are supposed to age with the house...not look perfect forever. And dogs have lived here for the past 20 years (that I know of)

dclostboy you are spot on . Hardwood is a material that acquires a patina, just like people. are you a botox fan? then probably hardwood with scratches will not be your cup of tea. ;-) f you can see beauty in dents in scratches... then do hardwood.

When it comes to hardwood flooring choices... the most important (IMHO) factors for consideration are: species, construction (solid or engineered), finish "style", color, actual finish/top coat, recoating as well as refinishing capabilities and in prefinished flooring... the capability to obtain the same product at a later date if more material for an add on or repair becomes necessary.

If people are easily influenced by the current color "trends", they should keep their checkbook handy. Of course, that applies to anything.

Ok so let's get a few details straight....
One - all flooring is tongue and groove unless it's parquet
Two - if undecided on colors natural and brown hardwoods have stood the test of time and will always be stylish
Three - the dust/dents issue is mainly the finished used. A poly(omu-waterbased-aluminium oxide) will always show dents and dust the darker and shinier they are. If that is a concern to you then choose a matte finish and choose a textured surface and that will pretty much eliminate those concerns.
Yes hwd is one of the more expensive options out there but what other floor covering do you have the option to refinish and change the look completely?
Also note that if you do buy eng, observe the " wear layer" as 4 mm seems to be the industry standard. I have a ton of experience with Appalachian and I'll say this...
There solid flooring is top notch! There engineered is kinda light on that wear layer.
Owens plank and perverco eng make a much better eng floor with a 4mm wear layer. Remember this.... The value in your engineered flooring purchase is the wear layer thickness( ability to refinish in future several times) NOT THE COLOR!
That should help you make a decision based on my 23+ yrs of experience in this industry.

@Ultimate makes some good points...

And some of us produce engineered with 5mm and thicker wear layers.

(And for the record... our European style parquet patterns are all fully tongue & groove construction, although that is relevant to the previous observation only).

As with everything, the comparison boils down to pricing vs. value.

Will one of our hardwood experts please explain "sand in place?" That is what we have, and the only installation that would accommodate the rose/celtic medallion in our foyer. It was messier than tongue in groove, but not for us -- for the installers. We got sand in place, while our neighbors got tongue in groove. They have been unhappy with their decision ever since, and it has been 12 years! The cost was the same. Ours wears better, looks seamless (see my entry above), while theirs is knicked, stained, shows everything they don't want to show. Their floor is a bit darker, as well, but that is not the only reason they are having these problems.

Select- touché.

@beadpassion...

"Sand in place" refers to the finishing process used when a floor is installed as unfinished material. It is then sanded (a number of times, if performed correctly) using a variety of specialized equipment, before the application of stain, sealer, &/or finish.

(In the case of my esteemed colleague @Ultimate... there would probably be a natural oil/wax finish process applied in lieu of surface finishes).

Regardless of which avenue is taken... the sanding process is very tedious, dirty/dusty, & physical work, which is best performed by a qualified professional... although many think this is a "do-it-yourselfer" weekend project, in which case mixed results should be expected.

The difference between your "medallion", which was undoubtedly a "butt-joint" construction vs. the Tongue & Groove construction of your neighbor is basically not a factor in the finishing process (provided your medallion was properly installed & is well cared for). A T&G constructed floor allows the individual pieces to reinforce one another, adding stability.

The difference in appearance & performance between the two projects is most likely based on the choices & capabilities of the individuals who performed the work, and the materials they used. (assuming they were different people).

Hope that answers your question.

Thanks Select Floor. You did answer my question. We had hardwood floor specialists install our floors, and were quoted the same price for sand in place and tongue in groove. We ordered our medallion from a company in Ohio (it is a mix of five hardwoods). Our neighbors bought their wood from Lumber Liquidators and installed themselves. Just FYI.

@beadpassion...

Your comment speaks VOLUMES!

Thanks everyone for your comments and advice. Greatly appreciated. We ended up ordering the Appalachian Dolomite - engineered hardwood :)

Now I have one small problem before it's installed:

Our tile is 3/4" h with subfloor and the hardwood is 1/2" h. Typically with a 1/8" difference it can be hidden by an angled piece, however we have a 1/4" difference, what would be the best way to transition between the tile and hardwood? Should we just put subfloor down for the hardwood to meet with the tile smoothly or is there a better way?

I've made custom made transitions. A nice piece of compatible (pallet) hardwood, run through a table saw to bevel the edges. Then run it along the fence to undercut one side to the offset amount so it has a step on the underside to match the 1/4" difference. Then clamp the whole thing down and go back and forth over it with a belt sander to round the edges down.
An alternative method that is a bit easier is to cut two pieces. The 1/4" piece can be glued to the bottom of the main piece to make the step.
Either of these will resemble the shape of commercially available thresholds and transitions. Like these: thresholds

Or you could just buy one of those, hope it matches your 1/4" step and plane it down if not.

Then screw the whole thing down into the floor. Countersink and/or counterbore accordingly. I've used finishing screws or tapcons depending. Paint the screws brown, putty over them or glue in dowels to cover.

If you are staying in the house for a long time, I would add the subfloor. It looks so much cleaner (and literally is since dust likes to cling to the transitions), and it also avoids potential tripping hazards. Longer term, if you ever had a walker or wheelchair, it would be better too. Of course, all is a function of price/value! Just some things to consider. You wouldn't want to change your mind after all the work was done!

We typically mill & finish "reducers" to match the flooring and necessary transitions. Don't know what the people who produce your flooring choice have to offer. Most of the "mass production" people offer what they refer to as: T- mouldings or "baby thresholds", but those typically mount ABOVE (on top of) the higher material, which creates an even higher transition... (they make my skin crawl).

A 1/4" transition is doable, provided you don't try to facilitate it within a couple of inches. We'd normally make that transition in about a 4-5" board width to lessen the angle.

Of course, adding the subfloor would be an optimal choice... but then you're talking about additional expenses.

May have been easier & more cost effective to have considered a 3/4" thick engineered floor to begin with. I know there are a few of us in the biz that make that option available. But that horse has obviously left the barn in your case.

Good luck.

I know this is an old thread, but for those reading now I just had to comment on hardwood floors and the posts saying they scratch, etc. We have sand in place 3/4 inch light oak in the upstairs, which was installed ten years ago. Two years ago we decided to replace all the carpeting and continue hardwood throughout, but had to use tongue-in-groove (Armstrong) due to stairs and sub-flooring limitations. Our installers and choice matches beautifully and we have NO SCRATCHES anywhere on either! We have dogs, a cat, and several grandkids. Just get a good solid hardwood, and you won't have any issues.

We had the same dilemma, and finally chose a wood looking tile. Grey Birch Plank

Even though the original question has been resolved @getmeontheroad asked about reclaimed wood. I used reclaimed quarter sawn oak and loved it. Since I live in Texas I had a subfloor and tarpaper installed on the slab and then nailed the wood to that. Later I added wood to the halls and bedrooms and used new wood. The look was seamless between old and new but the old wood had much more character. I had favorite boards with the reclaimed but not with the new. When I moved to a new home I had the entire house except bathrooms done in reclaimed quarter sawn oak and could not be happier. Overall cost was about the same as new but you will need to find an installer in advance who will work with the used product. Finding good salvaged wood also takes some care and availability varies so patience is needed. Also there is more time and mess with finished in house wood but that is pretty much true for both reclaimed and new. To each his own but for me I am sold on reclaimed wood.

amang: I am planning on purchasing appalachian solid hardwood--can you let me know how your floors are holding up and if you were happy with your decision?

Great modern feeling with a rustic under tone with the hard wood floors. Nice pair!