We're planning on replacing the upper floor of our home (currently carpet) with either solid hardwood or engineered. I'm planning on doing the install myself. Initially I was leaning towards engineered due to the ease of install, but after doing some reading here, it appears that the cheaper engineered flooring products aren't worth considering. When I start looking at some of the recommended brands, the price differential between engineered and solid hardwood gets much smaller (and engineered will require some type of foam underlayment correct)?

For the solid i'm assuming installation isn't much more difficult except that i'll need a flooring nailer, and I won't be able to pull it out nearly as easily (and the floor must be flat)If

Is there any reason not to go with a nailed in hardwood floor vs. engineered?

What are some quality low priced brands of both solid hardwood and engineered floors? I've seen recommendations for BR-111 and Mirage (not low priced). What else would some of the installers here recommend? I found my way here by looking at some of the options on low priced websites such as LL, and BuildDirect, and then learned that those would probably not be the best way to go.

there are some deals out there right now, make some calls and just ask " anything on special" if your a little flexable you can save a ton. Flooring inventories are starting to build as the peak construction season is on the way out. As far as entry level eng floors go Ive had a lot of good experence fron the Versini hwds which is also sold under the LM flooring. There 3/8 by 3" is south of three bucks at most retailers ive seen. Its a peeled veneer so there is alot of cathedral grain patterns but other than that it is milled very well and has a nice color selection.

Thanks so much. I'm assuming the flooring you mentioned is engineered (since it has a veneer)? Another other reputable brands to look out for, or suggestions on solid hardwood vs. engineered?

Subfloors/underlayment has to be flat not matter which type of wood you buy eg engineered vs soilid. And engineered does not need any other underlayment than a solid requires being fastened to a wood substrate besides 15lb felt.

Depending on if you live in an arid zone vs a more stable zone is a great way to define which wood you buy.

This is my take on the deal...


You are going in upstairs with this, over a wood substrate. That leans me to a solid wood. Had it been downstairs over concrete, I would recommend engineered.

If you live in a climate with drastic weather changes and seasonal humidity changes and you like to have the windows open, I would suggest an engineered.

Cost wise, I solid will always be less expensive to produce than it's engineered counterpart.

Personally, I'd stay clear from LL. Their kiln operators are sleeping on the job.
Exotics are nice. Some are priced right, but they are not from this region of the world and have special needs to keep from moving a lot.

Muskoka Hardwood is really nice and priced right
Mullican is another

You can always do unfinished wood and choose a finish that fits your lifestyle and visual pleasure.

If you're concerned about having to tear the floor up in the future you might want to consider a floating engineered floor. You can achieve the same look as a solid hardwood without the nails or glue. Also, it works great for above grade floors.
What type of climate do you live in? If you have a lot of moisture and temperature changes you will probably want to either A.) go with engineered, as it is much more dimensionally stable, or B.) go with a naturally stable solid hardwood.

I would suggest going with solid. Solid floors can be refinished more time in the future. Also, a solid floor will feel more solid than a floated floor. A good fair priced brand that I like is Aacer. Appalachian is also not too bad.

I just had a big problem with Appalachian Jatoba. had to send 1300sf back. It was the worst milled product I have ever seen. I don't think any 2 boards were the same width. Switched over to BR111 and couldn't have been happier.

One of the best things to hit today’s home improvement market is the engineered hardwood floors. Engineered hardwood is not produced from the expensive solid wood. Engineered wood flooring has a ton of great benefits over using the solid hardwood flooring and it is also a choice which is very beautiful. It is not as expensive as hardwood flooring. engineered wood floors have a lot of practical applications and are some of the most versatile choices you can make for a home.

Not sure were you get your flooring but I find solid is usually a better choice and less expensive unless purchasing a HD or LL floor