You generally get what you pay for. Clip his toenails REGULARLY. That's necessary with any wood floor, no matter what type.

I don’t have experience with any of these products, but after reading the following thread, we decided to steer clear of Shaw Epic engineered hardwood.

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/shaw-epic-engineered-hardwood-flooring-dsvw-vd~3062081?n=176[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/shaw-epic-engineered-hardwood-flooring-dsvw-vd~3062081?n=176)

Go to a local flooring showroom that carries both brands and ask questions about both floorings.

Walnut will not stand up to a big dog no matter how much you clip their nails.

While the floors are all beautiful- I like the oak, but with a dog do you want such a dark color? Depending on the color of your dog’s fur, the floor could really show all the fur that might gather in the corners, along the trim, etc.

Can you take a lesser floor, like carpet, and choose your own wood after closing? 2mm wear layers for those upgrade prices are not a great deal.

Based on colors alone I prefer the Falcon Oak. With those upgrade fees, you may want to also get a quote on solid hardwood just to be sure you are getting a fair price, and you may be surprised on how affordable a solid hardwood can be.

I would not do engineered hardwood with only a 2 mm wear layer. That's paper thin so any scratches and you'll be looking at the surface below.

Thank you all so much for the comments.
1) Probably Walnut is not a good idea
2) Paying additional for Shaw is likely not worth it
3) The Cook's Kitchen - I would not get any discount for not taking the wood floor, since its included in the price. So I could just take the free option (#1) and potentially upgrade later.
4) Josie23 - I do believe there are a few solid hardwood options in the same upgrade range. Would going to solid hardwood be less of a concern? From what I've read, it seemed like engineered hardwood solves many problems with solid.

Based on all of the above, my decision is now between
1) Take the Shaw Kings Canyon Hickory, as it is free
2) Pay extra for either the Kentwood Brushed Oak, or a solid hardwood option. Does Kentwood have a better reputation than Shaw? On paper, it is 1/2" vs 3/8", but it still is only a 2mm veneer.
I asked the sales rep this question, and they said that the veneer layer is not significant, as the finish is what protects the floor, and that has a 25-50 year warranty.

First: all wood scratches. Actually the FINISH will take the abuse (imbedded scratches) while the wood underneath stays happy and healthy.

Second: the DARKER the wood the more IMPRESSIVE/bad the scratches APPEAR (appearance only....see statement above).

Third: The "benefit" of wood flooring is that they are SUPPOSED to be "refinished" every few decades. This is HIGHLY DEPENDENT on the THICKNESS of the wear layer on engineered hardwood. You require a MINIMUM of 3mm of wear layer to achieve a full sand and refinish (which is the only thing that completely removes all the nasty looking scratches).

Fourth: Solid hardwood can be refinished up to 4 TIMES. An engineered hardwood with 2mm wear layer = NEVER. An engineered hardwood with 3mm means 1 refinish is *possible (highly dependent on the original finish and the level of skill of local hardwood floor professionals).

So....If you INTEND on refinishing at ANY TIME in your life, you MUST take the 3mm wear layer. There is NO OTHER OPTION.

If you have NO intention of refinishing, then go with the builder grade floor offered for "nothing extra" and live with it until it dies a natural death. It will need removal ANYWAYS....you might as well get 10-15 years out of your purchase before having to finance a new floor (you can budget $10 - $25/sf for a replacement floor + cost of removal).

And before we go ANY FURTHER, please investigate the HVAC system!!!!! You are GOING TO NEED humidity control (either a whole home humidifier or dehumidifier or both depending on where you live).

I would spend the $6000 on the UPGRADED HVAC system. With hardwood you are going to NEED THIS CONTROL. Too many people have found out a REALLY EXPENSIVE LESSON: wood needs CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.

Your entire warranty (for EVERYTHING....doors, windows, drywall, paint, cabinets, floors, ceilings, etc) will hang on your indoor humidity control.

I have an 80lb dog and cat. Your cat weighs 80 lb????

Seriously, check out this table for wood hardness.

https://www.hoskinghardwood.com/Department/Hardwood-Floors/Janka-Wood-Hardness-Chart.aspx?dId=7&pageId=12

Thanks SJ and Carolina.
SJ McCarthy - we have already upgraded our home with a central HVAC system. It cost $7500 and there aren't any additional upgrades that we can do.

Carolina - I am familiar with the Janka scale, I'm just not sure how that translates to daily wear and tear with dogs, cats and toddlers.

I asked the builder and for $7000, we can go with a Kentwood solid birch floor.
https://kentwoodfloors.com/us/products/yellow-birch-saratoga

Thoughts about solid Birch vs the engineered Hickory?

Your dog will destroy the floor. Best to first accept that fact.

3/8" thick is cheap and flimsy. 2mm wear layer is the bare minimum and I would never do it. You might get 1 refinish.

I would just take whatever costs nothing or less and upgrade later if needed.

Janka scores do NOT translate to engineered floors. They are ONLY for solid. Why? Because the Janka "hardness" (hardness of the WOOD....NOT the finish) is measure by SINKING a METAL BALL 1/2 way into a piece of wood. The amount of PRESSURE it takes to SINK the ball = hardness rating.

An engineered hardwood has a thin layer of "hardwood" on top (2mm or 3mm in your situation) and then the rest is often SOFT WOOD or plywood underneath. It is SUPER EASY to push the metal ball into SOFT WOOD - which is the structural stuff underneath. That's why the Janka scalse are USELESS with engineered hardwood (only the SUPER HIGH-END engineered woods come close to the ratings published).

A SOLID piece of hardwood is different. It is a single piece of hardwood all the way through. That means the Janka scale is appropriate for solid.

Janka ONLY offers DENTING information (bowling ball dropped from the top of the stairs). The SCRATCHING has NOTHING TO DO with Janka. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Gar nix.

A SUPER HARD exotic like Jatoba will scratch like the dickens if a low-quality finish is applied. A super soft product like Cork can resist darn near everything if a HIGH-END scratch resistant, ceramic infused polyurethane finish is applied (for $180/gallon).

Don't believe the hype about Janka. It doesn't work for engineered and it only applies to DENTING issues not scratches.

Good to have that info, thanks!

I have read online, on various websites, that 2mm floors absolutely can be sanded and refinished, ONCE. I believe I even saw a video of it being done. Just for reference, this is from the Hosking Hardwood website, which is widely regarded as extremely knowledgeable about wood floors.

"An engineered floor with a 2mm wear layer can be sanded and refinished approximately 1 to 2 times over the lifetime of the floor.
*Approximate lifespan 30-40 year" "

https://www.hoskinghardwood.com/Department/Hardwood-Floors/All-About-Wear-Layers--Engineered-Flooring.aspx?dId=7&pageId=53

SJ McCarthy, any input on this? I think it's a little frustrating to see so much conflicting information, so just wanted to get this clarified. (I have no intentions of EVER refinishing my floors, but would like to see a clarification regardless.)

The general opinion of wood finishers is that a minimum of 3mm of "meat" or hardwood is required for a full sand and refinish. A 2mm thick hardwood veneer is REALLY pushing the boundaries of what is *possible.

Is is *POSSIBLE that a HIGHLY PAID, WELL TRAINED NWFA Sand/Refinisher with AMAZINGLY EXPENSIVE machinery is *able to refinish a thin veneer such as 2mm? Yes...technically it is *possible. But like all things in Statistics (remember that class we all "zoned out" in??? Yah...turns out it is STUPID-IMPORTANT! Who knew, Right?) it is the PROBABILITIES that count....not the possibilities.

It is PROBABLE that someone who is NOT super-duper sander/refinisher will BLOW THROUGH the veneer. It is PROBABLE that the floors will need full removal after such an event. It is PROBABLE that the two people engaged in the contract (homeowner and floor guy) will end up in small claims court.

Add to the confusion = Aluminum Oxide finish. This super tough finish is just that....super tough to GET OFF! It can take an NWFA Cert. Sander/Refinisher 5-7 passes just to get that finish off (that's 2-4 MORE than most finishes). Now imagine "Chuck in a Truck" trying this. After 7 passes with his 45 year old machine (and belts/paper that is almost as old) and you have a massive mess on your hands. You'll find areas of blow through (down to the plywood = nasty looking) and areas that look as if a beaver chewed them. And then right next to that you will have areas that look like nothing's been done to them.

Again, the PROBABILITY that a floor touched by Chuck will REQUIRE replacement is SUPER HIGH.

The *possibilities don't count. The PROBABILITIES are what you are betting on. With 2mm veneer, I would bet the floor PROBABLY cannot be refinished.

2 mm is slightly more than 1/16". A light sanding will take off half of that, and a floor sanding machine lingering a few seconds too long in one place will go through it. When that happens, there's no recovery. Even if they do a perfect job of light sanding, you have very little left of the top surface, and significant scratches will expose the underlayer. For these reasons, do not count on being able to re-sand a floor that has only a 2 mm top layer.

"Chuck in a truck". LOL. Yup I agree that the aluminum oxide finish would certainly be a complicating factor, from what I have read. Thanks for the detailed response. :-) I appreciate it.

That is a beautiful choice - post pics when they are installed!!

Did the hardwood hold up to your expectations?

@ Itsik Hefez Have you selected Kentwood hardwood flooring? How is its durability?

Hi, this post is from 6 years ago and I no longer live in that house.

I did choose Kentwood, and for the 3 years I lived there it stood up very well to my dog, cats and little children. The floor also looked great, so I can recommend.

Do you remember the details about floor? Collection, color etc

I believe it was the Sandstone Brushed Oak

https://www.buildersinteriors.com/shop/hardwood/kentwood-hardwood/brushed-oak-sandstone/