Have you talked to the flooring rep about it to see what they say? The Aluminum Oxide finish is usually the hardest finish. The oiled finishes will require a maintenance schedule to apply additional oil over time to keep them looking good and protect their warranty. Cancork and Ultimate will be able to also add to this conversation i'm sure :-D

Whaaaat? O & B? You've got all the know-how on this one...but perhaps I have a bit more time on my hands?

Anyway. The choice of finish is a personal one. Low-gloss or "soft satin" is about as glossy as you will get with hard wax oil finishes (the UV oil). If you want a slightly higher gloss then you have to move away from the oiled finishes and into the realm of traditional urethane/polyurethane finishes.

Next comes the decision as to how FORGIVING you are with scratches. If you are easily frustrated with a little scratch then I would say work with tile. All wood scratches. All of it. Every single species in every single finish can and will scratch.

The question of scratching is a big one...and one that not everyone is ready to handle. The next question becomes how "easy" do you want to be able to REPAIR that scratch? The "homeowner DIY" repairable floor = hard wax oil finish.

With the "easy to repair" comes MORE MAINTENANCE....yep. You trade ONE benefit for another. If you want easy to repair you CHOOSE to work with a floor that has more maintenance.

If you want a floor that has NO maintenance to it, you CHOOSE the floor that cannot be repaired. That's aluminum oxide. Aluminum Oxide urethane finish = tough as nails....but NOT REPAIRABLE (at least not for anyone without thousands of dollars lying around with nothing to do).

So there you have it: Aluminum Oxide = tough as nails but will EVENTUALLY SCRATCH (takes a while) and when it does scratch those scratches are a BRILLIANT WHITE!!!! And there is almost nothing you can do about it but live with it for years and years and years. But there is NO MAINTENANCE.

The hard wax oil finish (UV cured oil) finish has maintenance schedules every year or so. It has a dull(er) finish (matte or soft satin) that some people find hard to live with. It is also DIY friendly. When scratches occur, the homeowner gets out their repair oil and a rag and "deals" with it. Done. Next.

The maintenance oiling is often done 1-4 times PER YEAR....but only in the high traffic areas (you don't always need to move the furniture). Every 2 years or so, you will want to move the furniture to inspect the finish and if it needs it, to apply it in those areas.

So oiled floors bring back a time where "waxing" floors was normal. If you choose "easy to repair" oil finish you choose the maintenance schedule. Aluminum Oxide removes the burden of maintenance...but it also PREVENTS repairs on a damaged finish.

The personality owning the floor must decide which they can handle. Homeowner know Thyself.

Good luck.