engineer wood vs solid wood

[G Grasshopper]

For anyone looking for wood floors, there is a good review of flooring in the August 09 Consumer Reports. It reviews, by brand name, prefinished solid wood, engineered wood, plastic laminate, vinyl and linoleum flooring.

[loves2read]

I live in the DFW area and have seen lots of custom homes with what looks like real wood--not engineered wood--used for wood flooring...I see the unfinished wood strips that are later stained...
these are homes well over 500K in cost and with lots of area in wood...

are all these homeowners doing to experience the problems you are describing...

I am even seeing lots of wood in kitchens which I think is really asking for trouble with all the water hitting the floor there...

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by loves2read

I am even seeing lots of wood in kitchens which I think is really asking for trouble with all the water hitting the floor there...

Agreed. I have a friend who put oak on her kitchen floor. It looks really nice - just after a refinishing. She has to do that every few years. I wouldn't do it. I have another friend who put a particularly hard cork, well sealed, in her kitchen, and she loves it. Things don't break when dropped, it is somewhat soft underfoot, and it has remained sealed (she's just had it a few years, so time will tell.)