I'm interested in installing an engineered wood floor on a concrete slab. I've read all the posts/concerns regarding moisture content with slabs and am plan to have the RH tested and go from there....so right now, I'm in the research stage of determining which manufacter/product to use.

I've read numerous negative posts about products LL sells. Most seem to deal with click together/floating floors. Products being poorly milled and clicking and popping after install. Since I'll be glueing down, is the quality/precision of the milling as critical...ie, will I regret buying a cheaper product in the long run.

This is the description of the Schon engineered product as described from the salesperson: " Our Schon engineered woods have 1/8" veneer of real wood attached to a medium density fiberboard. The Schon 30 year finish is a five layer aluminum oxide/ semi gloss polyurathane finish, which 2 mils thick in the 3/8" products, and 3 mils thick in the 1/2" products. "

Questions:

1. Schon says they use MDF??? I though engineered products were ply? Is this an indication of quality...or lack of?

2. Does anyone have any experience with glue down Schon products?

3. Does anyone have any recommendations of a quality engineered product in the 3.00-4.00 price range. My wife and I really like the chocolate walnut type color. We'd prefer to avoid the stained oak look, as it tends to nulify any natural variations in the wood coloring. I've seen a couple Brazilian Walnut products made by both Schon, Artisan Floors, and Heritage Woodcraft.

I'd hate to put in a floor and regret not spending the extra .50 cents a square foot that would have made a tremendous difference in the quality of floor.

Sorry for the long post and appreciate any reply. Floorguy, if you're out there (and I suspect you are), I'm very interested in your input...as you seem to be knowledgable and have some experience with the products LL sells.

Thanks again,
Jason

I thought that was a click-loc floating floor, since it is made with MDF. I have only seen it installed as a floater.

The website says it's a nail/glue application, so I assume its tongue and groove. The saleperson emailed me some more info when I asked about the MDF. This is what he said: "In our official description of engineered floors it is decribed as real wood veneer bonded to plywood backing or MDF, so if you are interchangable they must be equal in specifications and durability. " Seems like a rather vague answer to me...it can't be both...can it?

The fact that they don't advertise the exact specs: wear layer, plys, number if finishes.....makes me a little leary.

I've found another product from Artisan Floors that's Brazilian Walnut, 1/2" thick, 9 plys, 2mm wear layer, Alum oxide finish (not sure on coats). Is 2mm an acceptable wear layer? That species has a Janka hardness rating of 3680, which is pretty hard. Could one get away from a thinner wear layer with a harder species? They're asking 4.29 per foot on 5" wide planks....25 year warranty.

Thanks for the reply...look forward to more.

Jason

You should understand that warranties are not worth the paper they're written on. The floor needs to self destruct before you'd have a claim. And then, getting the manufacturer to make good on it is another matter. Only the biggest and most widely distributed manufacturers honor their claims. So if you buy something made over seas, "forgetta bout it". Buy flooring from reputable distributors and well known brands is your best bet when it comes to honoring claims.

Yeah, figured as much. Have a recommendation for a more reputable manufacturer that I can get into a engineered walnut product for around 4.00 a square foot??

The janka scale, does not apply to engineered wood, where it is only a thin slice or rotary peel. One, the plies of engineered were of the same species of wood, but that is not done anylonger. The plies can be and are mostly of poplar, rubberwood, and birch, with much lower Janka scale numbers.

I'd stay away from anything with MDF cores, unless it is a floater. They are saying you can nail down an MDF core??? WOW!

Price point stated: 4.00 per sq. ft.

That price point limits selection. Trying to meet that price point and expect High End Solid Wood Quality is not reasonable.

At that price point you will limit yourself to laminate and paper cores, unless you can find an exceptional bargain someplace and then I would have second thoughts.........

For the price you are willing to pay;;; the product you chose is as good as any.

You're going to have a tough time finding a high quality engineered flooring in a retail store @ 4 a square. But the internet is a different story.

I've found more that a few places than are in that $4-5 range that are sawn face 3 mm plus top layers.

The cheaper stuff has a "rotary peeled" face that is 1-2 mm thick, and it looks more like laminate flooring that anything else. My advise is to spend an extra .75 - 1.25 a square and get a better quality product to begin with. Labor and glue are expensive, and doesn't make much sense to skimp on the product.

jperryrocks,

Thanks for the reply. I have yet to find anything with more than 2mm wear layer in my price range. Most of them don't say, but I assume it rotary peeled. I'm doing approx 1350 sq feet...so every dollar I go up affects the total cost greatly. I'd like to do the floor for about 6,000...that being said, if simply upping my budget by 1000 or so makes a huge difference in the quality of floor....I'm more than willing to do that. I'll be doing the install myself....I'm fairly competent and feel it's within my skill range.

Do you have any specific recommendations as to internet suppliers????