Who recommended engineered wood floors for a lake house?

Both my husband and myself have back issues. Engineered wood seems to not cause as many issues as our tile. We have both in our current home and find we can stand much longer on the wood.

We also love the look!

Oil finish is easy to care for and easy to fix in case a need arises. It is harder to clean and wipe up spills and shows more dirt in my experience. Urethane in a satin finish was less visible with dirt/dust streaks and handled spilled water easily and not as visible with wet cat foot prints from playing in the tub with water droplets to walking out on the floor and drying. Couldn't see them on our old urethane floor so never realized they did that, but can now so their fun has now been curbed with making sure doors are always closed. It is not as easy to hide wear though, although in 10 years I never saw any wear that needed attention (we had to replace due to a burst pipe fitting which damaged our old urethaned floor in a satin finish)

I live in Florida and I'm considering Legno Bastone as well (Giginella). Did you end up installing these floors? Will be following this thread. Hoping for some feedback. PS: Legno Bastone floors are SO beautiful!

We have purchased them, but they are not installed yet. House building is behind schedule.

@shandrakg Ugh - sorry to hear that things are behind schedule. Would you be willing to share how much you paid per square foot for the product? I've gotten a quote and would love to compare. You can DM me if need be.

flashpolkadot , for Engineered flooring look for a wear layer of at least 4mm. Also make sure the product has long lengths at least 8'-10' link included in the mix. Thats just as important as price.

For back issues I recommend cork flooring.

@flashpolkadot let me find our bid. I know we saved some by buying earlier so store could fill a container. how do I dm you?

@shandrakg don’t worry about the DM. My quote was for $9.50 a square foot. I’ve decided not to go with Legno Bastone.

Here's what I could find out about the OP's choice: Legno Bastone- Guiseppina

European materials made in Europe (which explains the price tag!)

13mm thick (1/2")

180mm wide (7")

1950mm longest length (6.4')

UV Cured Hardwax Oil Finish

The installation instructions state this floor can be glued, floated or nailed. If nailing down, you will need to assume the use of glue-assist because of the width of these planks. A full spread glue is probably your best option (pricey as it may be).

The MAINTENANCE is always what I'm after when dealing with a hardwax Finish. The manufacturer prefers OSMO products (mentions it 9-10 times in the Residential Care link)

http://www.legnobastone.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Legno-Bastone-Inc-Residential-Care-Instructions-01-02-2018.pdf

I ALWAYS suggest a coat of maintenance oil once the floor has been laid...just before you move back into the house. This is a common requirement for COMMERCIAL installations. The reason: these floors can look THIRSTY fresh out of the box. And if they have been exposed to remodeling activity, they can get a little worn even before you move in.

To prevent owner upset, it is well worth it to have the maintenance oil put down 1-2 days before the furniture goes back in. That way you have the freshest floor finish possible.

And if you are going to do the maintenance yourself, it is a GREAT TIME to have the professionals SHOW YOU what to do and how to do it. This takes all the stress out of owning oiled floors.

And PLEASE purchase EVERY SINGLE OSMO item listed in the maintenance link! Get everything ready BEFORE the floor needs it! And I mean everything. That way you are READY and able when life hits the fan!

We live on a lake year round. Our main floor is about 2600 sq ft of 4" solid rustic maple, refinished in Nov of 2015 with Rubio Monocoat. It gives a beautiful finish. It is a maintenance nightmare!

Oil Oil Oil!!

easy to maintain and touch up and treats the wood

oil finishes soak in below the surface and will help maintain moisture levels for a long time to come

oil finishes are also much easier to re-apply and to touch up

Shandrakg we are getting ready to purchase the same floors for our home remodel (LaFamiglia, Giuseppina). Did you go with the 180mm or 220mm? I would love to see a picture of your floors after installed! Good luck with your project!

My experience with Legno

has been deeply disappointing and completely opposite from what I had hoped.

For many years, I admired these floors. I first fell in love with them after visiting several top luxury custom home builders (Perrone Construction, Knauf-Koenig/and architects Stofft Cooney), where I was struck by the beautiful color, texture, and quality. After years of anticipation, we finally purchased the floors—and have had nothing but issues since installation.

I’ve had hardwood floors my entire life and have lived in numerous luxury homes, never once experiencing problems with any flooring—until now. Just one month after installation, we noticed the floors looked dingy and worn, giving them a dirty, unclean appearance.

We followed all installation and maintenance guidelines meticulously, including paying for the additional glues to protect the warranty and adhering strictly to the cleaning methods recommended from speaking directly with folks at Legno and as stated on the company’s website.

When I contacted Legno in Naples, they sent a representative who dismissed the problem as a “cleaning issue.” I asked him to clean it—he refused. Instead, he told me to call the new retailer (the previous licensed retailer had since closed in our Sarasota area) and purchase their “preservation package.” To think, I would need to purchase a "preservation package" one month after installation?

Since then, I’ve learned that many homeowners in our area are having similar issues, which Legno is blaming on cleaning and installation rather than taking responsibility. Instead, leaving homeowners with no resolution.

I have reached out to Legno again today and am scheduled to speak with Frank, the owner. I hope he will resolve the issue—but based on my experience so far, I’m not optimistic.

Bottom line: I would absolutely never recommend this product. I have been completely dissatisfied—not just with the product itself, but with the company’s lack of accountability and customer support. Things could have been different if Legno had owned the problem and made it right—but that has not happened. Buyer beware. Note: from the photos below, you can see the color during installation in one of the photos and now see the defective product issue we are experiencing.

That's how oil floors behave. That's why I would never recommend them, despite the initial enthusiasm over a finish that is able to be touched up. They grab and hold all kinds of dirt, and water and animal saliva react badly with the floor. Too high maintenance.

As mentioned above, we have solid maple - refinished on site with Rubio. Was never right - we stopped the finish at the half way point and tried to get help from Rubio. They immediately came up with any and every excuse possible that it was all "our" fault (us or the installer).

I read so many people's stories - even WAY worse than ours!

There are newer "2K component" clear finishes now, that can go over a completely cured oiled finish. If I were you, I'd research that and have it done asap.

IIRC, Naperville Hardwood in Chicago might be your best resource:

Naperville Hardwood Floor Refinishing | Tadas Wood Flooring

Just over 3.5 years since we moved into our custom home in FL. I used DuChateau engineered wood floors with a hard-wax oil finish. Riverstone collection, stain color Sava.

Very happy with the floors. We have 3 dogs, 2 of them large/active and the floors are wearing really well and much better than the site finished wood floors in my previous house.

I tested the samples with dog drool/slobber and with water and hot tea. The samples did well and so have the actual floors.

The only thing that has left a slight stain was when my husband put hot dripping from bacon in the trash and attempted to take the bag out! The oil burned through the plastic container and trash bag and dripped on the floor. I cleaned it up as quickly as I could, but it still left some stained spots. Luckily the floors have a rustic finish so it isn't obvious. He won't be doing that again!

I wouldn't hesitate to use these same floors again.