Engineered wood flooring vs. solid hardwood in Dallas (Howe: wood floors, apartment)

[TheRedTelephone]

I'm refinishing an inexpensive condo. Subfloor is solid concrete and I am favoring a glue-down engineered wood floor which has the perfect finish. However, I'm having a tug-of-war with the designer who believes all engineered wood flooring is analogous to polyester suits and thus may jeopardize my resale value. Really now?

Most flooring companies suggested that I *not* do hardwoods for a variety of reasons: Formaldehyde/varnish/urethane vapors, elevated floor height & awkward transitions to/from the area, reduced sustainability, easier to dent/scratch, increased thermal & moisture sensitivity, having to redo the baseboards, etc.

Cost is about the same for either option, but I can't make up my mind. Honestly, the designer has rather antiquated ideas about ecology and what construes luxury in 2012 (i.e. drives a Lincoln Town Car). I'm coming from a more modern perspective. This sums it up well...


Audi - Goodnight Commercial - YouTube

I think the designer's one-size-fits-all opinion is stemming from a personal bias. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, but I'm favoring the engineered route. Let me know if you've had to face this decision. Lots to consider!

[Double-G]

Real hardwood costs $. I mean actual hardwood planks not what people now call hardwood which is about 8mm of hardwood glued to medium density fiberboard.

For an inexpensive condo I'd get laminate. There are some highly attractive and affordable laminates out there if you look around.

IMO the worst of all worlds is the faux-hardwood that is in fashion right now. It's not the real deal and is typically good for 2 sandings. I just ripped out 500 sq feet of that crap...and it was glued on. Sidebar: ripped out 'wood' glued to concrete is enormously time consuming and annoying.

[TheRedTelephone]

Originally Posted by Double-G

For an inexpensive condo I'd get laminate. There are some highly attractive and affordable laminates out there if you look around.

IMO the worst of all worlds is the faux-hardwood that is in fashion right now. It's not the real deal and is typically good for 2 sandings. I just ripped out 500 sq feet of that crap...and it was glued on. Sidebar: ripped out 'wood' glued to concrete is enormously time consuming and annoying.

Laminate? I haven't found any laminate that looks "right" yet. Scratches can't be repaired, no sanding option, and the reflection of light across the surface looks... odd. At least the "faux hardwood" (engineered wood) is an actual layer of pre-finished wood on top.

Both techniques use the same tongue-and-groove approach, so I wonder why anyone would choose laminate if the cost is comparable?

[Double-G]

Originally Posted by TheRedTelephone

Laminate? I haven't found any laminate that looks "right" yet. Scratches can't be repaired, no sanding option, and the reflection of light across the surface looks... odd. At least the "faux hardwood" (engineered wood) is an actual layer of pre-finished wood on top.

Both techniques use the same tongue-and-groove approach, so I wonder why anyone would choose laminate if the cost is comparable?

I put some laminate into a rental apartment about 5 years ago that was far tougher than wood. You could bang it up all you like and it didn't show damage the way wood does. I daresay you could have treated it like an ashtray. Unfortunately I don't remember the manufacturer (it was French). It was computer designed to create non-uniform patterning to make it look like wood.

It was also a fraction of the cost of wood.

If you can find one that looks right it might make financial sense for you as you said it's an inexpensive condo..

[TheRedTelephone]

I appreciate your 2c. Finding that particular laminate might be difficult, but I'll ask ProSource.

If you don't mind, I'd like to know more about why the engineered floor you removed wasn't to your liking. Wouldn't it have been an easier option to leave it glued down and refinish it?

[BigDGeek]

Get a very high-quality laminate or a good engineered hardwood (and don't glue them to the floor). Hardwoods in a cheap condo = lipstick on a pig.

[TheRedTelephone]

LOL good one. Actually, the property is nice and a handful of units have hardwoods, but in this condo it seems like overkill to do that + baseboards, plywood underlayment, staining, sanding, etc, etc.

No glue? I guess floating is easier to do (and repair/remove), but I hear some people complain of the "hollow" sound and feeling underfoot. Like it isn't fully solid. Hmmmm... so many tradeoffs...

[Leopard3]

Bamboo floors are quite nice--you might want to check out the price and see if you like them.

[testmo]

someone was actually suggesting laminate over engineered? how "cheap" is this cheap condo? like real low-end rent cheap do laminate. otherwise do engineered hardwood. engineered hardwood can be as expensive as actual hardwood (solid planks). for "cheap" do engineered hardwood from LL

engineered hardwood does better in a lot of Texas climate than hardwood because the way it is made (criss-crossing hardwood planks with vaneer on top) allow for more movement in constriction and expansion than actual hardwoods. they can also be a lot stronger. you want something pre-finished which most engineered hardwoods are. engineered tend to take moisture better than actual hardwoods (part of that constriction/expansion issue)

if you do bamboo get top of the line (teragen) which will be at least $9-10/sqft. not cheap, but the healthiest and strongest out there. the idea that bamboo is the strongest wood out there isn't really all that true. it is more of the process the floor is made from. lots of crap bamboo floors out there

i just did nearly 2,000sqft of engineered hardwood and had a bi**h of a time finalizing my decision. i did glue down since it was directly over a concrete slab and of course I laid on a vapor barrier first (like a thick paint) plus the appropriate glue. I looked at a home with the floating wood floors and they were starting to shift and separate. I have heard of that happening when you simply glue perimeter and snap the rest together

[ggolf]

2nd house with engineered hardwood and no issues

had laminate done once and hated it

looks fake, hollow sound when you walk on it

face it, hardwood is the best, but you pay for it