Let's say we have decided to try a DIY gluedown engineered on concrete - following all advice on this web site & under the guidance of a hardwood installer as our consultant.

When we are choosing our flooring, can we make our installation easier if we choose one edge type over another? What about board width? Are there any other qualities to look for that will make mistakes less likely, make it easier to recover from a mistake etc?

Thanks

Lauzon Next Step with a square edge would be a good choice. The lengths aren't too long to make install difficult, and the square edge will make cleaning up the glue easier than a micro bevel. Also, Lauzon's quality should mean that you shouldn't have to muscle too many boards together, as normally it really fits together well.

Having installed lots of Next Step, I can tell you it has an excellent fit, perhaps the best of the square edged prefinished floors available. The lengths are short (18" and 24" ) but that makes installing it easier. The one downside is that the fit is so snug you often need to use a tapping block to lightly tap it into place. Most floors you pull together with your fingers. Not so with Next Step. It's put the wood in place, pick up a hammer and tapping block, tap into place, put down the hammer and tapping block, pick up the next piece of flooring, etc. Makes for a slower install.

I am glad to see you been reading up on this. Pay particular attention to getting the slab very flat, it will be well worth the effort.

Board width... 5" or under you should be fine., but an engineered longstrip floor would not be a good choice for a glue down.