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Message
Hardwood vs Engineered Hardwood?
Posted on 7/1/19 at 8:00 pm
Posted on 7/1/19 at 8:00 pm
Have to replace 1200 sq ft of real hardwood in my home due to a plumbing leak. Insurance is giving us $8.00sq/ft for material only (doesn't include pull out of old floors or installation of new).
We were totally against engineered hardwood and were going to go with real hardwood until I began researching. Apparently I can legally say I have "real hardwoods" in a real estate description, even if I only have engineered. I also read that engineered handles humidity better.
I'm now leaning towards an engineered with at least a 3mm wear layer. Figure I can save some money and upgrade some other things.
Any reason not to go with engineered vs real hardwood? Any recommendations on a particular brand or manufacturer I should be looking at?
We were totally against engineered hardwood and were going to go with real hardwood until I began researching. Apparently I can legally say I have "real hardwoods" in a real estate description, even if I only have engineered. I also read that engineered handles humidity better.
I'm now leaning towards an engineered with at least a 3mm wear layer. Figure I can save some money and upgrade some other things.
Any reason not to go with engineered vs real hardwood? Any recommendations on a particular brand or manufacturer I should be looking at?
10
Posted on 7/1/19 at 8:06 pm to SirSaintly
Will you have the house for good, or only for a while? It's a real bitch to "refinish" engineered.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 6:21 am to Tigerlaff
A good engineered floor will last about 10 years. With that in mine, some people get tired of a flooring and just change that out. Hardwood flooring, people just have it refinished. 
As posted above, y'all keeping the house or will be selling it down the line? If selling, hardwood will be your best return.
Another thing to keep in mine that a insurance company will cheat you on. If the old flooring is glued down and the sub flooring is plywood, by pulling it up, you will most likely have to refloat the sub floor with a leveler. More money there.
As posted above, y'all keeping the house or will be selling it down the line? If selling, hardwood will be your best return.
Another thing to keep in mine that a insurance company will cheat you on. If the old flooring is glued down and the sub flooring is plywood, by pulling it up, you will most likely have to refloat the sub floor with a leveler. More money there.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 6:34 am to fishfighter
quote:
Another thing to keep in mine that a insurance company will cheat you on. If the old flooring is glued down and the sub flooring is plywood, by pulling it up, you will most likely have to refloat the sub floor with a leveler. More money there.
They're giving us new subfloor as well.
The engineered products I've been looking at have a 25 yr warranty. Will they still only be good for about 10?
As for lowering value, how would your regular couple know they are engineered vs hardwood if I'm allowed to call them hardwood in real estate description? Just curious.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 7:46 am to SirSaintly
Current house has real hardwood flooring and I’ll never have that again. New house will have good quality wood look vinyl planks. Water proof and pet friendly.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 8:45 am to SirSaintly
It really depends on the quality here. I put engineered wood flooring in my parent's house to replace the carpet in 3 bedrooms, Brazilian Cherry to go with the existing hardwood floors. Extremely hard wood so the 20+ year old floors still look good with only minimal maintenance. The engineered flooring I put down has a 100 year warranty, requires a special Pergo/PCD-tipped miter saw blade because the oxide-based finishing system will destroy a carbide saw blade in a hurry.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 9:19 am to Clames
quote:
The engineered flooring I put down has a 100 year warranty, requires a special Pergo/PCD-tipped miter saw blade because the oxide-based finishing system will destroy a carbide saw blade in a hurry.
What brand floors did you go with?
Posted on 7/2/19 at 9:26 am to SirSaintly
quote:
The engineered products I've been looking at have a 25 yr warranty. Will they still only be good for about 10?
A lot depends on traffic. That and if you have a dog.
Had some that had a warranty for 25 years. Looked bad after ten years due to having two dogs. They scratch the hell out of it. 
Posted on 7/2/19 at 10:52 am to SirSaintly
I had the tile faux wood floors in my last place and loved them. I would highly recommend them.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 12:07 pm to SirSaintly
Real hardwood. All day. Don’t skimp on this...keep it as consistent as possible.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 1:10 pm to SirSaintly
I went with engineered hardwood for the humidity and moisture potential. They look good. Only real problem I see is if I wanted to refinish them in the future, but I don’t expect them to wear out anytime soon. I had them for 10+ years in my last house and didn’t have any wear issues.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 2:13 pm to SirSaintly
$8/sqft should get you hardwood floors and get them installed stained and finished.
An extra dollar or so to rip out the old ones.
An extra dollar or so to rip out the old ones.
Posted on 7/2/19 at 2:23 pm to fightin tigers
quote:
$8/sqft should get you hardwood floors and get them installed stained and finished.
I've been reading that pre-finished is the way to go. Is that not the case? Who knew buying new floors would be such a pain in the arse
Posted on 7/2/19 at 3:56 pm to SirSaintly
quote:
I've been reading that pre-finished is the way to go. Is that not the case? Who knew buying new floors would be such a pain in the arse
My opinion means absolutely nothing, but the guy that installed our floors said he preferred to finish after installing. But, we also ended up with engineered floating hardwoods since it was cheaper and i don't imagine we'll stay in this house for too long. Oh, and our dogs would obliterate real hardwoods.
This post was edited on 7/2/19 at 3:58 pm
Posted on 7/2/19 at 4:34 pm to SirSaintly
quote:
I've been reading that pre-finished is the way to go. Is that not the case? Who knew buying new floors would be such a pain in the arse
Just bought some myself and all I can say is that prices and styles are all over the map.
They are starting install tomorrow for nail down new pine. $5/sqft for install, sand, finish. Found wood prices from $2.00 to $7.00 for non exotic stuff. I personally went with real wood because I don't like the look and sound of engineered and the engineered finish always looks off to me.
Did the removal myself since I had time to do it. Think the tendonitis in my elbow might cost me more than the floor removal would have though.
This post was edited on 7/2/19 at 4:36 pm
Posted on 7/2/19 at 8:21 pm to nerd guy
Dogs would not be a problem with real hardwood if finished with multiple coatings if gym floor coating
Posted on 7/2/19 at 8:23 pm to Clames
The Brazilian Cherry we had installed was very soft. Had indentations from high heels, scratches from chairs etc. your mileage may vary
Posted on 7/3/19 at 5:48 am to joeleblanc
In my guest house, I had installed some Brazilian Rose wood in one bedroom. Very hard wood. The rest of the house is 100+ year old quarter sawed pine flooring. All flooring was free.
This is the pine flooring. Still have to apply Waterlux coating. Had just got it in, but been dealing with a new pup.
This is the pine flooring. Still have to apply Waterlux coating. Had just got it in, but been dealing with a new pup.
Posted on 7/3/19 at 10:26 am to SirSaintly
We got a nice engineered hardwoood with a dark maple finish. It’s also “heavy scraped”. This comes in handy with dogs and toddlers. We’ve had them for a year and have two scratches. Used a brown sharpie and you wouldn’t know they are there.
Posted on 7/3/19 at 11:45 am to SirSaintly
I have had engineered hardwood floors installed, glued to the foundation, and when we sold, that was never even a consideration to the buyer, and I seriously doubt real hardwood floors would have even mattered for me to ask any higher of a price.
With the floor being glued down, you could not tell a difference. Looked the same, sounded the same, and felt the same. I believe if you float the floor over a moisture barrier, it may have a different sound and feel.
We had small dogs, but the planks had a "handscraped" finish. Any damage they did, blended in with the finish. In any instances where I damaged the floor, as another poster mentioned, you can fill in the holes with a matching stain pen, and no one could ever tell.
I would install engineered wood flooring any time I need to do it in the future.
With the floor being glued down, you could not tell a difference. Looked the same, sounded the same, and felt the same. I believe if you float the floor over a moisture barrier, it may have a different sound and feel.
We had small dogs, but the planks had a "handscraped" finish. Any damage they did, blended in with the finish. In any instances where I damaged the floor, as another poster mentioned, you can fill in the holes with a matching stain pen, and no one could ever tell.
I would install engineered wood flooring any time I need to do it in the future.
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