There are many threads re hardwood in kitchen, with most liking it. I have had hardwood in my kitchen with backyard pool, kids, dogs etc. Absolutely loved it!

The "UV Cured" is just a way to get the finish to harden. You can have a UV cured Aluminum Oxide finish. You can have a UV cured urethane. Or UV cured polyurethane (rare but they are out there), or UV Cured Oil Finish (much more common).

If you have a specific question about the FINISH (not the method of curing) then go ahead and ask. Again, the words "UV cured" is simply the method of drying...not the chemical itself.

What is best - an oil finish or alum oxide finish.

CARE & MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES (UV Cured Finish Products)

Using any of the following items to maintain the Floor will void all manufacturer warranties!

•  Water
•  Oil Soap
•  Vinegar, Ammonia
•  Household Detergent

 Wax
 Furniture Polish
 Dust Control Sprays
 Cleaners that leave an acrylic finish

Any of the above can damage the finish, leave greasy films, discolorations or make the Floor slippery and hard to maintain. If any improper cleaning methods are used to maintain the hardwood Floor, the homeowner or end-user will be responsible for all subsequent damages done to the Flooring.

KEEPING THE HARDWOOD FLOOR BEAUTIFUL

Floorings are factory finished and protected with several layers of technically advanced high quality UV Cured Urethane Finish. This finish is tough, durable, smooth and easy to maintain. The Manufacturer recommends BonaX Hardwood Floor Cleaner and BonaX Micro-Fiber Mops for maintaining UV Cured Flooring. Contact a retailer or visit www.BonaX.com or call (800) 872-5515 for the nearest dealer, technical department, or advice on maintaining or restoring the Floor's finish.

SCRATCHES, INDENTATIONS AND GOUGES
Indentations:
The species of wood used to manufacture the Flooring is resistant to deep scratching and indentations (impact compression). However, the amount of impact pressure is determined by the object’s weight and the size of the impact area.

SPIKED HEELS:

A 125 pound lady wearing high heel shoes can exert as much as 3500 pounds of pressure per square inch. The size of the indentations are usually 3/16" to 1/2", thus the pressure on wood floor may exceed 7,000 pounds.

LEGS OF CHAIRS, TABLES AND FURNITURE:

Felt pads should be glued to all legs of chairs and furniture. These pads should be checked once a month for wear and see if they have filled with grit. Replace as needed.

Use floor protectors and wide load bearing leg bases or rollers to minimize scratches, gouges and indentations from heavy objects. Rollers or casters should be at least one inch wide and made of non-marking hard rubber. Metal or plastic types should never be used.

ROLLER CHAIR CASTER DAMAGE:

The only type of rolling caster recommended by the Manufacturer and the NWFA is a wide barrel type roller made of non- marking hard rubber.

SCRATCHES AND GOUGES

Micro-fine particles of aluminum-oxide have been added to the finish and are suspended in the layers of finish to provide the Floor with years of wear protection.

There are no finishes available to the wood flooring industry that will not scratch, indent or gouge. The Manufacturer does not consider these issues to be warrantable.

USE OF MATS AT EXTERIOR ENTRIES

Place mats with stiff bristles at all exterior entries to the house. A softer area rug or mat should be used on the room side of exterior doors. They will help collect the dirt, sand, grit and other substances such as oil, asphalt or driveway sealer that can otherwise be tracked onto the Floor.

USE AREA RUGS

Use area rugs in high traffic areas and pivot points (e.g. Room entries, stair landings), especially for pets or a large family.

DON’T ALLOW WATER TO STAND ON THE FLOOR

Do no allow ice cubes to melt on the Floor. Check in front of the dishwasher, sink, and refrigerator and around the pet’s water bowl. Don’t track snow or water onto the Floor without immediately drying it up. Look for water leaks under doors to the outside and near sliding glass doorways.

Alum oxide finish is IMO the best BTW wood look tile is already a dated idea and never looked like wood . The info from Jan could put anyone off wood floors but honestly they are no harder to look after than any other floor ask what the care is from the finish you are getting And enjoy the new floors even in the kitchen . If the care scares you get vinyl plank , of course wood floors need claening like anything else so if you go that route just follow the the cleaning that is reccomended for the floor you buy.

Is there a specific brand, mill layer, etc you recommend. We are planning on this being the last remodel we do. So many I have looked at look like a plastic layer on top.

@sj, In light of what you are saying re Oil finish, what are your thoughts on this claim by Log’s end French cut Oak floors “The natural oils used to pre-finish these floors are specially designed to compliment the age-old European beauty of French Cut wood. They are 100% environmentally sustainable (containing 0 VOCs) and unlike standard polyurethane finishes, can be easily touched up and repaired. The oil bonds molecularly with the wood making it more durable, not to mention more beautiful with time as continued use brings out the natural patina of the wood.” https://www.logsend.com/collections/french-cut-euro-oak/

Does anyone have a favorite brand of engineering wood flooring - easy care, great longevity. As I look at post I see negative reviews on just about every brand we have looked at. Makes me skeptical about putting in wood in lieu of porcelain. Looking for a lighter shade - maybe a French oak European look. Retired in Texas.

@ gettingnowhere - The maintenance requirements are hidding in plain sight. You just have to read between the lines, "can be easily touched up and repaired."

The words "easily touched up" means the floor's finish (the oil and the colour) can be easily DISTURBED. And the "...and repaired" is a way of saying, "You have work ahead of you."

And here is the coup de grace, "The oil bonds molecularly with the wood making it more durable, not to mention more beautiful with time as continued use brings out the natural patina of the wood.”

The 'continued use' is tagged to the use of the OIL...not use of the floors. That means you need to use the oil over and over and over and over again for it to GAIN the 'natural patina' as well as 'gain' the 'more durable' part of that sentence.

So...what have we learned? The hardwax oil (or Oiled floors or UV Cured Oil finishes) are trying hard to PROVE their value. The 'easy to touch up' sounds awesome...until you realize the WORK you have to do. The 'making it more durable' requires MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS of the maintenance oil AND the Master Colour Oil (yep...there are MULTIPLE OILS you have to use!!!).

Can a UV Cured Oil finish offer 30+ years of service? Most certainly. But inside those 30 years, you - the person who put it in your home - will have applied the Maintenance Oil several DOZENS of times. And you will have applied the Master Colour about a dozen times (that brings us to 3-4 DOZEN 'whole home' applications in 30 years!!!). And then there is the cleaning oils (a few times per month) and the emergency stain removing oils (which then requires spot repair with the Master Colour) which could be HUNDREDS of times in that 30 year history.

Whew! That's a lot of work for 30 years of service.

A three-coat finish using Bona Traffic HD or Loba 2K Supra At will get you 25+ years. And if you work with the 3 coat system you will NOT need a buff and coat after 15 years. The 'work' you need to put into a polyurethane finish? Sweeping 3-4 times per week. Damp mop (water only) 1/week. Floor 'cleaner' damp mop every 2 weeks. No touch ups. No maintenance oil every few months. No 'whole home' application of Master Colour every 12 - 18 months...nahdah.

Anyone have any experience with Bella Cera - Villa Belize Collection, Licata. It is 1/2”, 2MM wear layer, 8 layer UV alum oxide finish, European Oak. I would prefer a higher wear layer, but, I am not interested in refinishing. Would want something that will last around 12 to 15 years. It has a 50 year warranty.
I think you could probably find negative comments

Bella Cera comes from Asia if that means anything to you. Mass produced and sold in hundreds of locations. Typically shorter boards. Fine for those that have a tighter budget. What is it priced at?

Uptown floors photo gallery - 3/4" engineered priced from $ 7.80 per square foot

@sj wow, thank you for the interpretation and education, guess I won’t be buying this product. I believe the spurs 3 coat system you are talking abt is for on site finished, what do you recommend for pre-finished engineered hardwood? Or what type of finish should we be looking at?

Look at LE flooring. I had these floors laid a year ago. They look the same as day one, very durable and easy to take care of. Mine are from the Glenbury Collection and are European white oak.

Thank you. Is LE the manufacturer/distributor or retailer?

@Uptown, love your floors, too bad you don’t sell north of the 48th.

MB Sorry, it's LM flooring not LE. That's the brand. They have a website. They're the same as Laurentian flooring in Canada. Just look up LM Flooring. They have aluminum oxide finish.

Hmm...not I’m Canada. Where is LM flooring?

@HU. Found it. Thank you for sharing. Wasn’t able to find mill layer or the
Collection you installed. Maybe Collections are offered by region.

LM is the brand. I live in Texas also. I bought mine at a local floor shop. I have them in the kitchen, living area, halls, and utility room with no problems so far. We also have a dog. They're 3/4" thickness with aluminum oxide finish. LM has a lot to choose from as far as plank size and finishes. Look up LM Flooring. They have good reviews and also a good warranty. I have a great floor guy and he said they were good quality floors. I've also had other engineered hardwood floors that peeled like a layer of plastic when they scratched like you said above.

I'll look on an extra box and see if I can find it.

The company is located in Plano, TX. You could contact them for mm layer.

Thank you HU