Traditional hardwood floors are solid 3/4" thick boards, generally not wider than 3" to prevent warping. They come 2 ways--site finished or pre-finished. A site finished floor is laid raw, stained (or left natural), sanded in place, and finished with several layers of polyurethane or other clear coating in your choice of gloss level. Pre-finished hardwood comes stained, sealed, and ready to install from a factory, with an aluminum oxide or other wear layer for protection and durability.

Engineered wood is a real wood veneer on top of a plywood substrate. Higher end engineered wood generally has a thicker veneer. The plywood is more stable than solid hardwood, so you you will be able to choose larger plank sizes with an engineered wood. Also comes pre-finished from a factory with a wear layer for protection. Since they are not sanded on site, factory finished hardwood and engineered wood planks have a micro-bevel edge to counteract any slight unevenness in the floor during installation.

A site finished wood floor seals joints between the boards, but with all wood floors, those joints will move slightly with change in seasons. Some wood species are harder than others but all wood floors can scratch or dent from pets, unprotected furniture legs, etc.

I hope that helps!

A site finished floor, in my mind, is the most desireable wood floor. It is the classic looking hardwood that is smooth and flat. The down side is the amount of time it takes to site finish and "cure". The work is a few days...the "cure" (the time the finish takes to harden = allowes you to move in) can be 1-5 weeks (depending on the finish).

A factory finished floor (either solid or engineered) is a floor that is "ready to go". It is installed and you move in right away. These floors have tough finishes...but not everyone is in love with the look of factory finished hardwood. It is a small percentage of us who know/care...but it is enough to mention.

Your living situation, where in the world you live, your 'timing' and your ability to wait for a floor to cure will all add up to a personalized approach to hardwood floors. Each person is different. Each as their own needs. Each house has a "need" which makes one floor "better" than the other. You have to add up all of your personal "needs", your house's "needs" and see which hardwood works best for you.