I'm not a fan of click together engineered hardwood. This is not something I would recommend - especially in an uncontrolled environment like a cabin.

The click edge is the part that holds everything together. It turns out a plied wood click edge doesn't have a lot of holding power. In fact it down right fails 99% of the time. This is why you are having a hard time finding a plied wood centre.

The fibre board is much stronger for a click edge. That's why it has been used for decades with laminate...and some who wish to use hardwood on top. I don't recommend that one...but it's your choice.

Hardwood has a very specific way it expands/contracts. It does this across the grain. This is VERY different from the fibre board. Fibre board moves in all 6 directions (yep...6). The more swings you have in humidity and temperature the greater the movement the wood is going to do. And the fibre board will also be moving but in several OTHER directions as well. Oh dear.

Now imagine a home that is NOT climate controlled. A cabin for instance. Imagine the wood and fibre board are happy with each other at 20 C and 40% humidity. Now winter comes and we have -10 C and 15% humidity. And then summer comes again and now we are at 35 C and 65% humidity.

It is highly possible your wood surface will have peeled off of your fibre board centre. The wood moved in a different way than the fibre board and they tore themselves apart.

With your price point, you are better off getting a very narrow plank hardwood (2" or so) and have it laid and then site finished. You will still pay around $4/sf for the wood and $3.50/sf for the sanding/refinish but it will be a floor that lasts.

It will still move and twist and shrink and expand. But it will do it in such a way that keeps the floor functional.

Or go with an SPC/WPC vinyl core and enjoy your cabin.

Hi,

We discussed this issue with our contractor prior to installing click engineered hardwood in our cottage. The temperature range throughout the year would be -30 to 30 Celcius (-25 to 90 F - approximate conversion just to give you an idea).

Our contractor installed the first two times and then we put it down ourselves in 3 bedrooms and we have not had ANY issues at all. No splitting apart, no gaps and in my opinion it looks fabulous. We are very happy with it. The bulk of it has been down for 4 full years and the last of it went down this past summer. We don't use the cottage during the winter months so we've never been there to see if shrinks in winter but it is fine every year when we open up the cottage in Spring.

The product we used is:

Antikkwood Hickory Yorktowne

Antikkwood Collection presents a timeless experience that combines the old-world look with modern technology right at your feet. Traditional handscraped with distressed features offers a weathered and rustic look then integrated with high-end technology for precise engineering and prefinishing. Reminiscent of the old times, this collection brings warmth and liveliness to your setting.

Specifications: specie – Hickory (Carya spp.), thickness – 1/2″, width – 5″, grade – ABC, finish – Handscraped & Distressed, 25-year limited residential warranty, installation – click/floating or glue-down.

Antikkwood Hickory Yorktowne | AA Floors & More Ltd. · More Info

They have other colours/finishes as well. We paid $4 CAD per sq foot to purchase. My husband and I had never laid flooring before but we did just fine with it. Our contractor gave us some good advice and we watched some youtube videos etc but it really wasn't hard at all to install.

Zero maintenance. I use a damp mop when needed and dust mop or vacuum otherwise.

Kährs invented the system- check them out.

If anyone else is looking for a click lock system that actually uses real solid hardwood (3/4" white oak), I'd suggest checking out Easiklip Floors. It's an ingenious clips system that is easy for DIYers to install and allows the floor to 'float' which permits for expansion and contraction. Obviously, being that it's solid wood, you should still make sure your indoor climate stays within generally recommended hardwood humidity levels (35-60% RH), but if you can manage that, it's a solid fit!

It's pretty affordable too and considering you won't really need a pro to install it, you can save a pretty penny on that aspect.