Hi to all. I'm new around here and have a few questions regarding my first wood floor install. My home is built on a concrete slab (7 years old), so I'll be going with an engineered floor. I want to put the wood in the front entry and hall, dining room, and living room (the DR and LR are adjoining). About 430 sq ft. I have not yet checked for flatness or mositure, so any answers you give will hinge on those results. Lets just assume the floor is flat and moisture is acceptable for now. I really like the looks of Santos Mahogany and Brazilian Cherry. Though, I don't want to deal with the color changes of the Cherry. I also like traditional gunstock oak (if the price is right). This home is my starter, though I started late, and I will move in the next 4 years. So I need a good blend of durability and lower price. The next home will get the really good stuff!

Seems like quality is all over the place. By that I mean that price does not always indicate quality. So, it holds true that the highest priced products may not be worth it, as well as having lower priced products that are really good buys. Can anyone make a few recommendations as to the best quality for the least money? BR111 seems very popular though it has a few drawbacks such as a thin wear layer on the 5/16.

In an effort to save money I will install the flooring myself once I feel I have a handle on how to do it. I expect I will end up gluing the floor, but I have noted several comments stating DIYers should leave gluing to the pros. Why? What are the issues surrounding a glue down installation? Gluing seems to produce a solid feel to the flooring while floating may make it feel or sound hollow.

My home has the original builders grade carpet right now and it looks terrible. Would it be better to install better carpet than a cheaper wood? I expect the slightly higher cost in wood would pay off much more when I sell the home in just a few years. But only if I can get a good enough product for a good enough price!

Thanks in advance for your answers and opinions.

rtbrick:

Spend some time on the pages at the link below and decide for yourself.

http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwo ... n-prep.htm

Gluing a floor directly to concrete is probably the most difficult type of install. Types of DIY problems include:
1) slab dirty, glue not bonding
2) slab damp, floor cups
3) slab uneven, hollow spots, boards lifting
4) failure to install flooring in the time period allowed for adhesive, bond fails
5) gapping during install, failure to tape the floor
6) getting glue on the floor and unable to remove it.
7) using cheap material and expecting a quality job
8. failure to roll the floor; bonding failure.
9) crooked install results in gaps.
10) failure to stagger end joints properly

These are just a few of the problems associated with gluing to concrete, not to mention that it is harder on your body than a wood subfloor. I'll take a nail down anyday over a glue down!

Looks like the message board is a bit slow on the weekends. Eveyone installing hardwood floors, I suppose. LOL. The glue issue was addressed, but how about my other questions. There's a wealth of experience here ranging from the pros to the DIYers who have just completed their first install. Please comment on what you know, what trends you see, what you've learned or just what you think. Thanks.

If you were to come into my shop, I'd ask you a whole lot of questions before I sold you anything......Kids?(present or future), Dogs (p or F), Do you walk-in from the back forty with your boots on, etc..........
There are all different reasons for considering or avoiding different floor coverings, but gambling on what may happen in 4 yrs shouldn't be high on the list. 4 yr plans often go 10 or 15, and sometimes less than 1. Even if you are on schedule no 2 buyers' tastes are the same, and who knows what will be in style.
Ultimately, after considering your lifestyle requirements, you should get what you'd like.

That said... know that wood on concrete is very hard(although still my preferred product for the areas described)... and even among pros glue downs have the highest rate of failure.

As for brands; I don't believe anyone on the site has been shy about their favs, and unless you have someone knowledgeable to go shopping with, I wouldn't stray from them. There are often some great deals that come around, but the quality of these lessor known products are often batch or shipment dependant.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Andrew.

Hardwood flooring is proving to be a difficult choice. On the one hand, I do not want to spend a great deal of money, but then I don't want a cheap product either. I can afford a better floor if I do it myself, yet the glue down situation gets in the way. I've not walked on a residential installation of floating, but the showroom floors I've seen have sounded hollow. I don't want guests walking on my floor and saying "Your floor makes a weird sound." I also don't want to have such an inexpensive floor that I feel as if I have to "tippy-toe" around the house.

I have been looking hard at the BR111 5/16 engineered. The wear layer is extremely thin and that concerns me, though the price is low. It does seem to be very popular, both from pricing and from quality. Can anyone speak to this?

As far as lifestyle goes, I have two underage boys, a small, but fat, dog, I do wear boots every day. I have been informed that the boys and I WILL remove our footwear regardless of what flooring we install. Since my boys are older, they will not be playing on the floor like small children.