CR tested a number of flooring products and even the best performing engineered wood floor (Bellawood Artisan 5/8 in. Geneva White Oak) did poorly in scratch and dent resistance so, I would think, you'd have to use floor protectors on furniture, not have pets, and keep spikey things (high-heeled shoes?) away from the floor, etc.. Laminate floors (recommended: Home Decorators Collection Nobelford Oak 56807 Flooring*) performed much better but of course, they're not real wood.

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*discontinued but 64697 may be the same??

Thx for the comment, but I am interested in installing engineered wood (not LVP or laminate). Anyone here in SoCal that is happy with their white Oak engineered wood floor? If so, would love to hear the brand name/color.

I think Beth is in So Cal. Hopefully she will weigh in.

I'm in SoCal. We installed UrbanFloor product maybe 7-8 years ago. It's great.

Here's what you need to do if you are that concerned about warranty:

1. Understand that as a single consumer, you are most likely not going to actually get warranty satisfaction, as Minardi says. Just look through all the horrible trauma that so many consumers go through. Some do, in the end, get satisfaction, but dang, there are so, so many who post here and have to jump through such hoops.

2. Remember that the warranty is only going to cover the product itself, right? Here in SoCal, install is as much $$ as the product, most of the time. So, look at your risk.

3. This is most important of all, imho. Get your floor from a local, in -person store that has been in business for a long time, and is preferably family-owned with good reviews. Don't go to some chain unless they have stellar reviews. And have the store install your floors!

When a long-time small flooring business has good reviews, it means that they carry flooring lines that the business trusts and have a good working relationship with. In other words, the supplier will accommodate/honor warranty with a company they do a lot of business with.

This is what we did, and I'm oh so glad. The install was incredible. The local business sent their "A-team" as I requested, and they did all kinds of things with my floor that I requested, some people may not have thought of:

-picture-framing the hearth

-laying the wood and thicker-tile against each other with no transition strip-really awesome to have no transition strip

-no quarter round against the baseboard

-moving all the furniture

-pleasant guys, long-time flooring installers who knew their stuff, quick, efficient, effective. No need to remind them to inspect each piece or what offset to use to achieve a random-looking plank sizing, etc.

Good luck.

Mrs. S. has made some excellent points. It’s a very practical approach for homeowners who want their flooring project done correctly the first time. As a wood flooring specialty dealer with 20 years of experience, our company unfortunately deals with a couple of complaints each year. In 90% of cases, the issue is related to job site conditions. Since the homeowner purchased the product and service from us, we owe them a satisfactory resolution. As Minardi and Mrs. S said, if we are not familiar with the product and haven't established a supportive relationship with the supplier of that particular brand, it can be a huge challenge to help our clients and ensure their satisfaction in the end.

Here are my tips for homeowners:

1. Use a local, reputable flooring store that specializes in the type of flooring you plan to purchase and install. Even though the cost might be reasonably higher, the quality and service will be worth it.
2. Order a box of the flooring you plan to purchase instead of relying solely on the showroom sample, as it may not exactly match the lot you will receive.
3. Discuss warranty issues openly with your sales representative to understand how they handle potential problems.
4. Offer to give a good review after the job is completed to show appreciation and help others make informed decisions.

I hope these tips greatly increase your chances of having a successful wood flooring project. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

"All have reported issues of scratching, not honoring warranty, etc."

"Thx for the comment, but I am interested in installing engineered wood (not LVP or laminate)"

You wanted a floor that didn't have "issues of scratches" but in CR's of 10 engineered floors, none achieved above a mediocre score of scratch resistance. So in requiring an engineered floor, you may have to sacrifice that attribute. Most of the comments above are about the vendor (e.g., "the install was incredible"), not the product.