Yes very common. The sanding takes off 1/64 or so so any paint etc comes off with that process. You are welcome to pay to have them covered by ramboard but it’s not needed. Hopefully you have climate control so the I side conditions now reflect what the conditions will be once you move in

Thank you very much for your response. :)

Yes, it looks good overall, the thickness will not let a dime fit into the space. We just have some places where there is some sawdust that drops into the groves and leaves lines visible. We are just trying to see if we can do something to help on this

Tim, thanks for the information. Greatly apprciated.

Spills will work their way in between even the tightest fit planks. It is not a waterproof floor, ever. Your assumptions are incorrect, and your concerns are misplaced. ,

"I'd suggest 12 x 12 tiles for the walls and keep the 12 x 24 tiles for the floor."

Funny, I was thinking just the opposite, 12" x 24" on the wall with 50% offset and 12" x 12" floor laid on the diagonal.

"You'll want the tile to extend high enough on the wall to form a backsplash behind the sink"

ADA maximum sink top height is 34", so having 48" of wall tile will do the trick.

Lay the tiles lengthwise against to align with the longest wall. If you're going for a more modern look, straight set them and do the same for the tile wainscot.

Usuallybevel indicates prefinished flooring . Maybe you will need that and then finish it all at the same time.

Don't have high expectations for a patch match please, particularly with a prefinished floor.

So, I was able to locate a mill in Wisconsin who will be able to ship to make and ship to me in time. Once I received and like the delivery I will share the business. So, far a super positive experience.

Regarding bevel or not. Yes, I do have a significant amount of beveled natural bona finished oak floor. I do not want to rip out. Personally, I really like bevel. It makes the floor more interesting to me. I know this is personal taste. Perhaps if I went in a new house for wide plank natural interesting floor I might reconsider bevel.

I have the same bevel (3/16) in the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Never noticed dirt accumulation, even with vacuuming and clean only twice a week. To be fair, in the kitchen area I will do find a little bit more film like dirt in the grooves. But I never had to do more than once a year deep cleaning there either.

It looks pink and although there's some color variation, I see no boards with sapwood streaks that are indicative of White Oak. I think it's Red Oak but a closer picture would be required to confirm it.

I'd test Bona Red Out in a closet.

Everything you described as your ideal flooring, points you towards rift and quartersawn white oak. Uniform look, very little to no knots, modern not rustic.

Live sawn is all rustic. If, you are doing a farmhouse interior design, live-sawn is ideal.

Is this a good deal being that it still needs to be sanded and site finished?

That price seems quite reasonable

What are the pros/cons to site finished engineered hardwood. Generally speaking, what makes the pre-finished hardwood so much more durable against scratches?

Pros are that job finishing can give you the exact color, finish and sheen you choose and there's finish applied across the top so it might protect a little better from surface moisture. The cons are generally the cost and amount of time it takes. Prefinished floors generally have aluminum oxide added to the finish which is demonstrably better for durability.

Will a micro bevel trap less dirt if site finished?

Only if your house is a pigpen. I suspect it's not. At my old office/showroom we got a lot of dirt tracked in due to being on a busy highway and the French parquet patterns with deep bevels never had any issue with getting dirty.

Is a square bevel superior to a micro bevel or just personal preference?

Personal preference mostly, but smooth will providing a seamless flowing look where a bevel will highlight the floor more and potentially help hide wear over the longer term.

No such thing as a free lunch? Factory finished is almost always better. Almost...plus it should have a wear warranty? As for bevel.. I hate(yes I used the H word) how dirt gets trapped. Personally, in all of my specs, i use floating floor, pre finished. That's my 2 cents

There is just so much to learn so I greatly appreciate everyone’s amazing advice!

The sealer is to prevent tannin pull (dark applicator marks) and side bonding. Bona recommends either to apply a sealer or stain and then two coats of HD over any species of wood. A third coat is only needed for high traffic areas. Residential homes do not need the extra third coat. Information is on the bottle.

You are supposed to apply the nordicseal over the red out. Red out is a pretreatment, not a actual finish/stain. The dark boards will go away after two coats of nordicseal.

You will have to decide which is more important - pink or contrast. That sample looks like there is pink in it.