Hmmmm...

[ban-all-sheds]

Regarding the finished floor surface, you say 'engineered wood flooring'.
If by this you mean a length of 'real wood veneer' with blocks/strips underneath to give it rigidity I would advise you to avoid it like the plague!
I paid over £30 per metre for this stuff, was told I could sand it and re-stain when it needed it and that it would take hard knocks like children running/playing on it etc.

Fitted it strictly according to the instructions and really took my time to make a professional job of it. Got lots of favourable comments from floor layers/carpet fitters etc and was very pleased with it.

Then my granddaughter knocked over a glass of plain water which was little more than a quarter of an inch full. Went into the kitchen to get a mop and 30 seconds later walked back in to find 4 lengths had lifted along the edge. These boards were tongue and grooved with interlocking ridges on the tongue and also glued with the glue supplied from the manufacturer.
The shop I bought it from, (a local DIY shop with emphasis on DIY), sent their salesman/surveyor round to have a look. His opinion was whilst it had been laid correctly it was not a job for a DIY enthusiast and as such he would not recommend a refund. Got an independent flooring specialist in to have a look and he said the boards were not constructed to withstand every day living in a family home. In his opinion these type of 'engineered' boards were nothing more than a piece of veneer with some random backing strips glued on and he wouldn't use them in a childs play house, never mind a normal family home. It took over 3 months, the threat of legal action and then a report from the independent surveyor on headed note paper before they gave me a full refund.

Either, use real wood which has been seasoned and treated to be used as flooring or go for a good quality laminate floor. With the laminate type ask for a test sample. Take it home and immerse it in a bowl of hot water for 30 mins. Take it out and let it dry on top of a radiator over night, if it is still in good shape the following morning go ahead and buy it. If not move on to the next one that takes your fancy. I did this, paid £16.99 per metre and its still down and looking good about 9 years later.

Really?

 

[tony1851]

Personally, I don't see the point of laminate flooring, or engineered wood or whatever.
It's noisy, pretentious and often problematic.
What's wrong with floorboards, lino, vinyl, carpet etc?
When I was a kid we just had coconut matting on floorboards - didn't do me any harm - and apparently I learned to walk very early-on!

 

[crazydaze]

Regarding the finished floor surface, you say 'engineered wood flooring'.
If by this you mean a length of 'real wood veneer' with blocks/strips underneath to give it rigidity I would advise you to avoid it like the plague!
I paid over £30 per metre for this stuff, was told I could sand it and re-stain when it needed it and that it would take hard knocks like children running/playing on it etc.

Fitted it strictly according to the instructions and really took my time to make a professional job of it. Got lots of favourable comments from floor layers/carpet fitters etc and was very pleased with it.

Then my granddaughter knocked over a glass of plain water which was little more than a quarter of an inch full. Went into the kitchen to get a mop and 30 seconds later walked back in to find 4 lengths had lifted along the edge. These boards were tongue and grooved with interlocking ridges on the tongue and also glued with the glue supplied from the manufacturer.
The shop I bought it from, (a local DIY shop with emphasis on DIY), sent their salesman/surveyor round to have a look. His opinion was whilst it had been laid correctly it was not a job for a DIY enthusiast and as such he would not recommend a refund. Got an independent flooring specialist in to have a look and he said the boards were not constructed to withstand every day living in a family home. In his opinion these type of 'engineered' boards were nothing more than a piece of veneer with some random backing strips glued on and he wouldn't use them in a childs play house, never mind a normal family home. It took over 3 months, the threat of legal action and then a report from the independent surveyor on headed note paper before they gave me a full refund.

Either, use real wood which has been seasoned and treated to be used as flooring or go for a good quality laminate floor. With the laminate type ask for a test sample. Take it home and immerse it in a bowl of hot water for 30 mins. Take it out and let it dry on top of a radiator over night, if it is still in good shape the following morning go ahead and buy it. If not move on to the next one that takes your fancy. I did this, paid £16.99 per metre and its still down and looking good about 9 years later.

Really?

That lot, really is full of an awful lot of presumptions and accusations.

Get yourself to a GOOD flooring specialists and ask them to explain the differences between laminate, engineered and solid woods. You need to spec the suitable product to the use of the area, and it's especially important to choose the top coating that suits your requirements, laquered, oiled, UV oiled or unfinished, one of these finishes will strike a balance between aesthetics and the practicallities that you are looking for.

 

[footprints]

Ah! remember shag pile with a rake to keep it in good fettle bathroom carpet and Flowtex carpet in kitchens (seems you can still buy it)