Solid Hardwood vs. Engineered Flooring

irishguy

Trying to decide which to go with for our downstairs (Hall, living room and dining room). Ill be fitting it myself and its over a concrete floor. The solid wood looks very nice, but I am thinking it would get scratched very easy (high heals and the dog) also it seems a good bit harder to fit, going to have to install wood underneath to nail to then nail it all down.
Where as engineered flooring seems to be more durable and easier to fit.

Whats are peoples experiences?

Dinarius

Incredibly, I was about to post almost exactly the same question!

In my case, we're putting down a wooden floor in a kitchen/dining extension.

The advice we were given is that, for areas of heavy wear and tear (kitchens, halls etc.) the engineered floor is prone to less movement over the years.

Also, we were advised that oiled is better than varnished. The oiled floor develops a natural patina over time, whereas the varnished floor will just show scatching and flaking in a less acceptable way.

Finally, and obviously, a pale wood will show less of everything than a dark wood.

My question was in relation to the issue of movement. Would others concur? Should we go with engineered?

Thanks.

D.

Stevie Dakota

Engineered everytime, can't tell them apart and none of the hassle or movement of solid.

Martron

engineered the whole way. way tougher, way cheaper, looks great and easier to fit.

r0nanf

I layed a semisolid floor 18 months ago across the whole downstairs. It is a handscraped natural oak finish, and was an oiled rather than varnished finish. Semi was cheaper, easier to lay and ultimately a better deal than solid. Also I wouldn't go for the oiled finish unless you realistically are going to get down on your hands and knees every four months and oil the floor, never mind clean every time that you drop something on it. The oil finish is nice but honestly it just looked dirty all the time. Maybe if you were going for a dark board you could get away with it, but be careful in that instance that the boards are from a sustainable source. Anyway I gave up on the oil earlier this year and had the floors lightly sanded and varnished. Much better job!

Re the wearing of the floor, get a good varnish job done and it'll protect it from most gouges. A certain amount of wear is nice for character too.