I'm a DIYer with just enough skills to be dangerous. I'm planning on ripping out the carpet on the 2nd Floor (approx. 2,000 sf) and replacing with engineered floor. Like most people I don't want a hollow sound underneath. I'll check the substrate and use a good quality underlayment. I'm planning on floating for ease of installation. Am I better off glueing or stapling? Also, any suggestions for a good quality wide plank (at least 5") hand scraped hickory or maple? We'd like to use the distressed floor because of our three dogs and two children. Is it possible to find this type floor in lengths longer than 48"?

Thanks for your help guys and gals....this is a terriffic site.

VINTAGE flooring (Canadian company) make a hand scraped Hickory in a variety of colours. Five inch is available and is mostly 7 feet long boards, with some shorter ones for starters. Is a beautiful product and is engineered. (what they call "solid-sawn") It can be glued down, floated using T&G adhesive, or conventionally nailed.

If you don't want a hollow sound, you are definitely better off to glue down or staple down rather than float. Floating floors are always going to have a different sound and feel. You can make it less noticeable by upgrading from the standard 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 foam underlayment to a cork or rubber with better sound absorption, like Regupol.

Thanks for the help guys.

Anderson makes a very nice 5" engineered hand scraped product that can be floated, glued or fastened down. The last one I did I floated using Sound Solutions padding underneath with a serious attempt to getting the substrate flat. http://www.custom-surfaces.com/28.html