Need help matching engineered and solid hardwood

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Most of our house is over a full basement, but the family room is on an uninsulated slab (older home.) I want to keep the look of the floor consistent so it all looks cohesive. I’ll be removing the ceramic tile in the foyer and replacing with 3/4” solid oak and I would like an engineered wood floor for the family room to match. The 3/4” solid oak will also run through the living room/dining room and all of the upstairs so I will need a lot of it. A few years ago I went to Lowe’s and picked up a sample of engineered wood that I really liked but has since been discontinued. What I like about it is that it is made in the USA and it clicks together with no glue and according to the installation instructions, no underlayment is required, although I would most likely use one anyway. I have been unable to find another engineered wood that is made in the USA; they all seem to be made in Asia. My flooring installer says that if I keep the solid oak at 5” wide or less, no glue will be required. Here’s a pic of the sample that I like.

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Comments (5)

Helen
3 years ago
I don't know whether you will find something you find aesthetically pleasing but my engineered wood floors are from a Canadian company - Mirage. They use green methods in terms of production and harvesting - at least per their site.
A thanked Helen
A
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Helen,

Thank you so much. This is exactly the kind of imformation I was looking for. The Mirage website says that it is proudly made in North America and they have engineered flooring as well as hardwood flooring with the same finish! The only downside is that they don’t have them in matching widths, as the widest width for the hardood is 4 1/4” and the narrowest width for the engineered is 5” wide. So they won’t be an exact match but pretty close. May I ask what you chose (they have two different types of core for the engineered floor) and how the finish is holding up? We have 2 big dogs and my son won’t be easy on the floors either. Thanks!
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Kate
3 years ago
I have found that the engineered wood floors to not hold up as well as claimed and once damaged, not much can be done.
Helen
3 years ago
@KateThat is a blanket statement to make about engineered floors which have different quality levels. What isn't holding up? I have had both site finished hardwood and factory finished hardwood and the factory finishes seem to be more durable. Any real flooding would destroy any kind of flooring.

Fixing "damage" depends on the extent of the damage. Engineered floors have a wear layer. The thickness of that layer is dependent on the cost of the floors to a great extent since more expensive higher quality floors have a thicker "wear" layer. What this means is that the floors can be sanded and refinished based on the thickness of the wear layer.
dan1888
3 years ago
The sample you show is flat cut oak. The grain from North American white oak, q. alba, turns dark with stain because it's open grain. Think back to all the oak cabinets builders put in their houses in the 70s and 80s. That look hasn't been a popular choice for many years. This could be why you're not finding it offered anywhere. You have to rift cut or quarter-saw the log to avoid the open grain. European Oak doesn't have the dark open grain because it's a different species, q. robur and others. It can be used flat cut. If you look at Lowes and HD you'll find plenty of European Oak offerings. Here's more info. Wide plank engineered hardwood flooring in European Oak and Walnut (monarchplank.com)