I am wanting to staple/nail down an engineered strip flooring over a radiant system. The system is Warmboard or equivalent, which is wood with a thin aluminum layer to spread heat. This allows relatively low water temps.

Anyhow, I am looking for something with the following charateristics:

1) Quartersawn white oak, not peeled, but cut or sliced.
2) Adaquate wear layer
3) Engineered for stability.
4) Square edge on 4 sides
5) Prefinished or unfinished
6) Prefer long lengths (easier to dodge heating tubes in subfloor)

Owens plank gets mentioned as very good, but I have not found a "very good"price yet! WFI here at hardwoodinstaller has a similar product, but it says its not rated for going over radiant.

My budget is decent and I am willing to pay extra for quality, but not if I can avoid it!!!!

Thanks....

If it were me, I would shoot for an unfinished if you want a square edge product. My second choice would be a longstrip if the finishing is not an option. just my 2cents.

agreed that unfinished would be best. But if a prefinished can be had at same or less price, as seems to be the case, then it might be better option, so long as it ca´n be sanded and refinished in the future.

Long strip refers to the stuff that has smaller pieces glued to a single longer piece of substrate, right? That I can stand, but the stuff that has three separate strips all together and then ends together, that I don't like. I like a classic look. Short peieces is OK -- people have used short stuff forever, but no one ever put two butt joints side by side if it could be avoided.

Any long strip brand that are good, in terms of the stuff I mentioned.

Square edge prefinished engineered floors are not dyi friendly imo. I have never been too happy with the amount of over/under wood often found with these floors. even if it's slight it still bugs me and is prone to splintering. if everything is not nice and flat or any persuading has to be done to get the boards up tight its real easy to fracture the finish on the edges. Thats mainly why I suggested a unfinished or a longstip floater would be deep consideration with that radiant heat. Some manufactures will not warrenty their floors over radiant so be sure to tell them that it's going over radiant heat.

Kevin -- thanks for input. Why do you say that square edged prefinished are not DIY friendly? I take that to mean that a professional can somehow overcome the problems you point out? Why wouldn't longstrip products have the same issues?

I am also leaning towards a floated floor, but I'd like to do unfinished. I need to do some more research on the problems associated with sanding a floated floor. I imagine the weight of the sander can cause the floor to bow a little and that would wreck havoc..........