Okay, I think you have all convinced me to not create my own weekend from hell (by trying to pour leveling compound with just two adults ... and two kids under the age of five). Thanks for this! We have the hardwood on hand, and were already planning on a floating installation as it's recommended for the product (no nailing). So if we now switch and go the cork path - say with that 12mm option from the website you mentioned - that leaves me with a few questions: (1) My previous calculation - indicating the top of the hardwood surface would be almost half an inch lower than the top of the adjacent tile surface - had built into it using 3mm PergoMax underlayment (the "gold" stuff). Would I still use this stuff, on top of the cork and underneath the hardwood? I'm guessing no. (2) Perhaps tied in with the first question, I see that thinset is used to adhere the cork to the concrete. Is this correct? This will (obviously) add some thickness to the whole equation. I'm thinking now that - by removing the PergoMax stuff (-3mm) and adding thinset (guessing, +2mm) - it's pretty much a draw, which I then just float the hardwood on. Am I thinking of all of this correctly? Thanks again for all of your help. You are all much appreciated.

Some might scoff at real stuff next to fake, but I have a few areas of real next to fake in my home which look fine (stucco next to hardie board, real marble next to fake ceramic marble tiles, and wood tile next to real wood to name a few). My wood next to wood tile is running the opposite way and I think it looks fine and was a good tradeoff considering the functional improvement tile provides in combined kitchen/mudroom area and the difficulty of matching 100 year old douglas fir, however 1) The opposite direction run makes sense for the orientation of my kitchen, that is the tile runs with the long dimension of the kitchen 2) Its at natural room transitions, not an abrupt change in an open room 3) The two woods are clearly different from one another so not trying to "match" per se and missing but they are in the same tone family, that is (to my eye at least) both are a neutral brown without any significant grey/red/etc. 4) I carefully picked a tile with some texture to look similar to the 100+ year old original floors. In your case, I'm not sure it works so well. Seems like you have grey "wood" joining with the actual reddish wood in what seems to be an open(ish) area. Also one is sort of a distressed rustic sort of look whereas the other is a shiny smooth (I assume prefinished) look. Seems like you already bought your tile, not sure if you have the opportunity to still change your mind. If you are 100% committed to the floor, I'd do them opposite directions.

Ok...so engineered hardwood is an option because this is "ground level" and not below grade. If you do not want to heavily invest in the home's flooring (and after a big renovation you feel the pinch at every turn...I get that), then an excellent water resistant laminate (I hardly need to add "out of Europe"...) will give you an amazing floor for 15-20 years without much effort. Work with something out of Switzerland or Germany and you will be ASTOUNDED by the toughness and the handsomeness of the product. Quick....do it be Brexit! While all the tariffs are still "Zero"! I like water proof/water resistant laminates because you are in IRELAND...it rains there from time to time. Sometimes water comes in on your Wellies...and that just isn't good for regular laminate or wood. As water resistant as you can please. It will pay itself back 10 fold by the time you finish your second winter with your flooring.

I have vinyl plank with huge dogs in my walk out basement where they have free access to a large dog run it has been in for 11 yrs and still looks awesome. We have a laminate on our main floor that looks like slate and has also stood up to the brats for 11 yrs there is no way wood could have handled all that abuse. IMO laminate or vinyl plank in good condition is better than scratched up wood floor that would have to be refinished before sale. We now have a great pyrenees as our 2 old dogs have passed away and he really is rough on floors , no wood could possibly stand up to him.The pic is the laminate floor and the old dogs