Second Floor: engineered wood vs hardwood

11 years ago

I have 2" hand scraped red oak hard wood floors on my first floor. I'm adding a room upstairs & thinking of putting hardwood to match downstairs because I'm thinking that eventually I wanna change second floor from carpet to hardwood because of allergies. My contractor is talking me into going with 5" bamboo engineered wood saying it's hard to install hardwood & he has a good deal on bamboo so he can save me money.
My hallway is open to downstairs & has red oak rail & trim. If I go with bamboo, will it look good or should I stay with red oak & get somebody else who's comfortable doing the job?

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PRO

Drawer Essentials

11 years ago

I would stay with the red oak and find someone who knows how to install it because I think it would look better. I would be concerned about a person who did floors but doesn't want to install one because he feels it's too hard to do.

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Comments (6)

PRO
User
11 years ago
I concur.
Soha Faour
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you :)
marynemeth
11 years ago
We are putting in Cali Bamboo floors in our new house because they are much less resistant to scratches and my husband is in a wheel chair. However I understand because they are harder than hard wood they are also more difficult to install if you use tongue in groove. If you use click they may be easier to install but the floor floats and you may have more issues with squeaks. In your case however I would go with hardwood. It has a more natural look and I agree with the others. If your installer isn't comfortable installing hardwood, get a different installer.
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
10 years ago
I wouldn't go anywhere near an engineered bamboo (the ones with the thin layer of bamboo on top and then wood/fibre board in the middle) that is installed as a floating floor. If you want bamboo, then go with solid strand, 3/4" calibamboo that is nailed/glued/stapled into place. It will cost more than your red oak. Is he getting kick-backs on the bamboo?

Most bamboo products (low end and midrange as well) have plenty of formaldehyde in them. Calibamboo is one of the few that does NOT. Anything else is a gamble. Red Oak is an easy to come by, cost effective hardwood floor. If you like your Red Oak then get more of it! You will never regret it.

Many people have regretted their "great deal" bamboo floors. Some have been made sick because of the formaldehyde. I worry about "great deal" on bamboo flooring. The "clean, healthy" bamboo = $9-$15 per square foot. Red Oak is less than that.

An installer who doesn't want to install hardwood is not someone I'm comfortable with installing bamboo. Bamboo is a TRICKY BUGGER!
Doc Sennett
10 years ago
Go with what you want. The contractor isn't going to live there. LOL