“Engineered or solid wood flooring?”
One is not necessarily better than the other. You want to find out which of the two better fits your needs.

Engineered wood is composed of a thin finish wood layer that has been applied to a lesser grade wood core. The result is a product that is more environmentally conscious in comparison to solid wood. Wood naturally expands and contracts depending on temperature and level of humidity. Because of its construction engineered wood is more dimensionally stable than solid wood. It is less susceptible to moisture. For this reason engineered wood can be installed even below grade while solid wood can only be installed at and above grade.

Engineered wood can be installed over concrete slab; solid wood on the other hand can not. Solid wood needs to be nailed down and therefore needs a plywood sub floor.

Most engineered wood comes pre-finished only. Because of the relatively thin finish wood layer it does not sand well. Solid wood is available both pre-finished and unfinished. It can easily be sanded and refinished. Most pre-finished products come with finish warranties of up to 25 years. In general, an on-site finish is never as strong as a factory finish, which includes 7-10 coats of aluminum oxide that add beauty and durability.

“Which species, what color?”
Each wood species has its own qualities in terms of hardness, grain, and color. The harder the wood the less likely it will dent or scratch (please see the RELATIVE HARDNESS table) for high traffic areas or households with kids and pets you definitely want to pay attention to the wood hardness and chose something that is appropriate.

In some wood species like maple the appearance of the wood grain is very subdued. In others like Red Oak or American Walnut it is very dominant. This will determine how busy your floor will look.

In terms of color, some species lend themselves to staining (e.g. Oak); others are most beautiful in their natural tone (e.g. Cherry). It is said that dark floors make a room look bigger. They certainly add drama and contrast to any setting, contemporary or traditional. If you decide to go very dark be aware that dirt will show right away. Mid-range colors are more forgiving. Light floors will generally look more casual and contemporary.

“What size, what finish?”
There are more decisions to be made when selecting your wood floor. What width do you want your planks to be? Typically you can get them anywhere from 3” to 5” wide. Some products offer random widths. You can also choose the length of your planks (regular, extra long, or random) depending on the product. What finish do you want? There is a whole array of distressed finishes from antiqued to hand-scraped to wire-brushed. You can also choose if your planks are beveled, micro-beveled, or if they should have square edges.

Wood floors add warmth, richness, and value to any home. There are many colors, textures, and sizes to choose from making it a very flexible material to work with.