Engineered wood flooring vs. solid hardwood in Dallas (sales, per square foot)

[TheRedTelephone]

Thanks all & testmo your line of reasoning is very much in line with what I have researched. In terms of price, durability, ease of installation, and visual quality it's hard to beat engineered wood. I found the selection at ProSource impressive and obviously a step above the offerings at Lowe's/Depot. As you mentioned some are equal to or exceed hardwood prices. Doesn't look like a trend to me.

Bamboo would have been an option had it been available in the color I needed. Cork was another interesting ecological choice, but proved to be too delicate. The samples were easily marred with a fingernail.

I think hardwoods are the most beautiful option but also require the most care and feeding. It's looking like a high quality engineered floor is the way to go. BigD... why not glue them down? Wouldn't that make it feel more like a solid hardwood floor?

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by TheRedTelephone

Thanks all & testmo your line of reasoning is very much in line with what I have researched. In terms of price, durability, ease of installation, and visual quality it's hard to beat engineered wood. I found the selection at ProSource impressive and obviously a step above the offerings at Lowe's/Depot. As you mentioned some are equal to or exceed hardwood prices. Doesn't look like a trend to me.

Bamboo would have been an option had it been available in the color I needed. Cork was another interesting ecological choice, but proved to be too delicate. The samples were easily marred with a fingernail.

I think hardwoods are the most beautiful option but also require the most care and feeding. It's looking like a high quality engineered floor is the way to go. BigD... why not glue them down? Wouldn't that make it feel more like a solid hardwood floor?

Glued-down floors are hard to remove.

[TheOverdog]

Glued-down floors are hard to remove.

Who cares if it's hard to remove? It's a floor -it's supposed to be there forever. Just make sure they install it correctly, and it will be there forever.

And glued down wood is easier to remove than cemented down tile on the scale of terrible remodelling work.

[Moorhen3]

We installed engineered wood in our bottom floor but not in the kitchen. I never thought how water would affect the floor but I accidentally spilled some water I had in a bucket for mopping and the wood kinda warped. We did not glued it but instead is floating. So I was glad that we could replace the part of the floor that was damaged with the water without it being a big hassle.

[txgolfer130]

Bamboo has a lot of colors that are now available to mimic many colors of hand-scrapped woods. I would look into them for their durability and scratch resistance.

[Double-G]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Who cares if it's hard to remove? It's a floor -it's supposed to be there forever. Just make sure they install it correctly, and it will be there forever.

You obviously don't have large dogs and children. Or maybe you do and they are all ballerinas.

'Engineered hardwood' (hardwood veneer in truth) does wear out with heavy traffic and you get a couple of sandings before you have to replace.

[TheOverdog]

You obviously don't have large dogs and children. Or maybe you do and they are all ballerinas

If your household is that rough on wood floors that you are really concerned about maintenance, then you should be like La Quinta and put down the tile that looks like wood. Every estimate I've gotten for refinishing my wood floors (to change their color from something that doesn't look like the '70s) is in the multiple thousands of dollars range, not that much less than putting in new floors.

Plus the person specifically mentioned 'cheap condo' and 'resale value', so I don't think they are planning on living there long enough for children or pets to be a factor.

that's just my opinion.

[Double-G]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

If your household is that rough on wood floors that you are really concerned about maintenance, then you should be like La Quinta and put down the tile that looks like wood. Every estimate I've gotten for refinishing my wood floors (to change their color from something that doesn't look like the '70s) is in the multiple thousands of dollars range, not that much less than putting in new floors.

Plus the person specifically mentioned 'cheap condo' and 'resale value', so I don't think they are planning on living there long enough for children or pets to be a factor.

that's just my opinion.

And it is entirely valid.

Veneer is the flooring equivalent of DA/SA pistols.

IMHO.

[Texas21]

How much did you pay for your 2000'sf? Still trying to decide for a concrete slab in South Texas.

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by TheRedTelephone

Thanks all & testmo your line of reasoning is very much in line with what I have researched. In terms of price, durability, ease of installation, and visual quality it's hard to beat engineered wood. I found the selection at ProSource impressive and obviously a step above the offerings at Lowe's/Depot. As you mentioned some are equal to or exceed hardwood prices. Doesn't look like a trend to me.

Bamboo would have been an option had it been available in the color I needed. Cork was another interesting ecological choice, but proved to be too delicate. The samples were easily marred with a fingernail.

I think hardwoods are the most beautiful option but also require the most care and feeding. It's looking like a high quality engineered floor is the way to go. BigD... why not glue them down? Wouldn't that make it feel more like a solid hardwood floor?

I put engineering bamboo floors on my home in Houston ($400k price range). The manufacture of this product was highest ranker flooring for a kitchen area according to Consumer reports. In Houston downstairs flooring is subject to threats of some moisture as a kitchen is. The finish on the bamboo was made it look like Oak flooring and came in various colors like unlike bamboo. It was awesome and sold my home in fast order at this price point. On the other hand it wasn't a bargain floor, I bought a home in W. Plano with hand-scrapped hardwood flooring downstairs other than two bedrooms. I replaced the carpet bedroom floors with a matching real wood, it was less expensive than the engineered floor in Houston. But I would not have changed what I did in Houston as it was the best fit for that climate downstairs and looked and sounded very much like hardwood floors only more adaptable to that use.