Engineered or Solid Wood?

[ATX Wahine]

My in-law's Allandale home flooded back in May so we just had it re-floored with ceramic tile. I have to say, it's pretty darn nice! They offset the tiles when they laid them and their entry and living room look really bright and cheerful now. I'd definitely consider it for heavy wear, kids, pets, etc.

[Rynldsbr]

Originally Posted by riaelise

I actually am a laminate lover (had laminate floors for 10+ years with no issue) but the previous owners installed wood, so wood it has to be

Looks like engineered might be the way to go. My only concern is about the deep scratches that iamwayne mentioned. If something penetrates the wear layer, then it will be pretty noticeable, especially with darker floors whereas solid has the same coloring throughout. Almost like thru-body porcelain tile vs. ceramic.

I haven't had luck with furniture markers, so I'm not sure how flooring crayons either. They never seem to match just right for some reason.

Most of the engineered are actually stronger than the real wood product due to the multi-layer construction process and the fact that the modern adhesives are stronger than natural wood fibers. As others have mentioned, the only downside is the thinner layer of finished material on the surface.

There are some newer products to use as underlayment that allow the real wood floors to be laid over concrete and they work as a barrier to moisture and temperature differences that have traditionally been a problem. I saw many of these used up nort' in basements where people wanted a wood floor in a lower level that traditionally would have been impossible. The problem is, this will more than double your cost to do with a high quality product.

The home we purchased last year has carpet and we have a large family and multiple pets o the life expectancy of cheap carpet is better measured in months rather than years. When it is time, I believe we will be looking at hard surface floors and more than likely they will be engineered due to the value compared to real hardwood.

[iamwayne]

The scratches you see is from the finish on the flooring. None are scratch proof. Once you get past that coat it goes straight for the wood. Our wood rocking chair really digged into the floor, good thing it was solid. Can't go wrong with properly installed solid floors. I have solid bamboo, on top of elastilon padding/barrier I got on eBay for $85 per roll shipped vs in store at $150+... You can lay the padding right onto concrete or wood.

No need for glue to dry or anything, no smell. Best choice on padding if you can get it cheap.

[cariadbach]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine

My in-law's Allandale home flooded back in May so we just had it re-floored with ceramic tile. I have to say, it's pretty darn nice! They offset the tiles when they laid them and their entry and living room look really bright and cheerful now. I'd definitely consider it for heavy wear, kids, pets, etc.

We came from the south of France where everyone has tiled flooring throughout the house. It's super easy to keep clean and helps with keeping things cool in the summer (no a/c there) and warm in the winter (they warm up).

We have engineered wood and laminate in our house here in Austin with tile in the kitchen. I prefer the tiles still.

[libbykt]

We just installed the hand scraped acacia in our office and dining room after water damage, and are about to pull up the rest of the wood in our house and replace it to match. Glad to hear all of the positive reviews!

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Not to get all "sky is falling" on you; but a whole bunch of folks are concerned about the use of aluminum oxide in floor finishes. Most problematic could be when the floors are re-finished; but there are concerns about exposure during/after installation and prolonged contact with the floor over time(bare feet, etc). When we were considering bamboo flooring a few years back, a few of the manufacturers were doing away with aluminum oxide altogether...in response to concerns about the health dangers in an otherwise "green" product(not always 'green' for other reasons, too). We went with cork, btw, and have been very happy(but our floors are in non-wet areas).

Just one more thing to think about!

Cork is awesome stuff. Probably the best "wood" you can buy as far as comfort, sound-deadening and sustainability is concerned. All of it is in the engineered category IIRC.

[Aquitaine]

We spoke to several builders before going under contract and all of them said the same thing: they won't even do natural wood in Central Texas anymore. The expansion and warping is too dangerous and so likely that even when customers insist on it, they won't go near it.

We had tons of tile in our previous home and while it was easy to maintain, we had to replace about 20 of them after 3 years due to foundation settling. Not terribly hard to do but a nuisance.

[BJB817]

There's lots of nice wood look tiles out there these days for people that like that look but want more durability. It's gotten pretty popular around here the past few years.

[ScoPro]

9 years ago we tiled our kitchen, living, 2 dining, & hallway areas with 18" ceramic tiles. Really love it and it's easy to keep clean - just get out the leaf blower & open the front door :





Installed solid 5.5" plank oak in my "man cave" library, and are fixin' to do the same for the master bedroom, guestroom, & office. It helps being empty nesters & no 4 legged critters: