Well, the floor I put in 17 years ago (3 1/4" number 3 red oak) held up fairly well over the years until a plumbing line let go. The water got to every room (its a rancher) so we have to replace all the hardwood in the house. After the first contractor came out and explained the need for pods and staying in a hotel, I decided I would do the repair myself.

So I have looked at some options, the first being it pretty much has to be pre-finished because in using that we can simply shift furniture to front of house, run the back, then shift it to the finished floor area to finish. Secondly, I really like the idea of the 5" flooring because it looks good, and different from most floors. And the fact that it will go in in half the time is very appealing. I have read a few old threads about the 5" but they were a little old. Cupping is a concern to some here, but some also say if it is done right the width of the board shouldn't matter. So just hoping to get some advice from the Pros here, and find out if going with 5" is a bad idea. I like our 3 1/4" floor, and not real keen about the 2".

Any advice as to who sells better flooring (I am in Virginia, close to Richmond) would be great as well.

Also curious if there is a particular vapor barrier that generally used today (I used roofing paper).

The last thing I would ask regards gluing the end joints. The thread I reviewed seemed to have a little dispute on that issue, but I look at it as, if it improves the floor I would be willing to do it.

Any help will be appreciated, thanks.

The fact about the wood is that the wider and thicker it is, it works more (shrinking and expanding), and engineered flooring works in all directions. But, if you will be able to control the environment (relative humidity, temperature etc.) in which the flooring is installed you can avoid or minimize that movement. When you do that you can install wood of any size, reading the manufacturer's installation instructions is very important!

The vapour-retarder you choose depends on where you install, on what subfloor and the environmental conditions of the site.

Before you buy the product, read the instructions and check the sample. See how well it is constructed. (thickness of wear layer, how many layers are in the core, from what material they are made)