Would hire out. Think Kahrs is better?

Kahrs makes very high quality click lock floors. With click together floors, it is designed for a floating install. If the reason you are choosing an engineered hardwood is because you want to float over concrete, then Kahrs should be a serious contender. However, if you have a nice plywood or osb subfloor it might be worth considering a staple down option which would involve a tongue and groove floor. For more info this article explains some of the benefits and drawbacks.

We have plywood floors now. Want the most water tight installation possible. We also have 2 70 lb. dogs so the flooring has to be durable. The house sits on pilings over water. so..any thoughts. I want narrow planks..about 3 inches.

Enjoyed the article.

It does sound like an engineered hardwood would be best for stability when dealing with potentially high moisture. As for durability with the large dogs aim for something that has a low gloss finish, decent hardness, and some distressed texture to really hide the wear your dogs will inevitably create. By choosing to go with 3" width planks you will limit your options
slightly because many mills are opting for wider plank floors to meet
changing demands, but this might be a good thing since it sounds like
you have a good idea of what you want. If you can live with wider planks such as 5"+ it will really open up many more choices for the type of floors that will perform well for your needs.

Any thoughts on Owens planking?

Owens is really nice...but expensive

anything out there between Somerset and Owens that meets my needs?

1st thing i would do, is search for your installer. find one you like, and then tell them what your looking for. Very strong chance they will be able to find exactly what you want, for a decent price. They might even be able to get you to a showroom (if they dont have one) where you can touch and feel the different options.

If the installer you find is one that says you buy it and ill just install it, run away. Find a guy who will work with you every step along the way.

How do you find installers? We will be moving to a new community and do not know any one to give references. Can you rely on flooring stores to recommend competent people?

Nancy, I obtained references from my realtor.

do not go to a floor covering place. google hardwood flooring professionals. or find a contractor who can recommend someone. You want someone who only deals in hardwood. that will be your best bet to get exactly what you want and have it done properly.

I've done some Somerset but not enough to comment on the entirety of their product line. What I've done had no issues and I have an order for some pending right now.

If the house sits over water I would not recommend wood. Unless you with something really rustic. That floor will move a lot no matter what you do. The rustic look will help hide shrinking and expanding through out the year. Defiantly do not use owens. Owens seems to have a delaminating issue that I have not seen resolved yet.