I've been doing some flooring research as well... Before I closed on my home, I looked at a bunch of town homes and condos and the like, and was interested in upgrading from carpet to hardwood. Few places allowed hardwood (some did on 1st floor only), but most did allow engineered wood, though, and I couldn't really tell the difference from the spec models, as it is of course real hardwood on the top veneer. I think part of the decision may be based on the floor condition that already exists--sub floor, existing flooring, etc.--and what you're planning on doing there, as a solid hardwood floor is thicker than an engineered floor. I think as long as you are getting decent product and follow the installation instructions regarding subfloor prep and moisture content and allow aclimating time as required per the install instructions, shouldn't matter either way--wood is wood, and both solid flooring and engineered flooring require proper prep and installation for a good result.

I am learning so much from reading the above entries. I am having some people come out in a couple of days to measure my living room in anticipation of laying solid hickory flooring by Allegheny Wood, which is FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council). The local flooring company that handles Allegheny only does on-site finishing and I have been reading that prefinished flooring has an aluminum oxide finish, which is more durable than on-site finishing, so I am concerned about that. I have not made a final decision on the floor, so I have some questions about whether to go ahead with this flooring. Has anyone had any experience with Allegheny, which is owned by the Hickman company in Pennsylvania. I talked to Dennis Hickman over the phone and he seemed very nice. I looked at the hickory flooring that was laid down in the flooring company that handles the wood, and I am wondering if the large variation in colors in the hickory flooring, (sapwood. vs. heartwood, I guess) that I saw would be appropriate in a living room vs. a family room, since it looks kind of rustic, I think. Maybe I can inquire about a stain that I like because I just think the natural finish looks too rustic for my living room. The flooring company also told me that maple does not do as well as hickory or oak in a dry climate like we have here (Denver), or I would have gone with maple. Any advice on these concerns would be much appreciated. Marlene

Well...do you want to risk damage to your flooring?...or damage to your cabinets? A careful installer is not going to wreck your cabinets. However, if you have no say at all in who the builder hires for the floor work, then you might have some worries in that department. I think either way is fine, but doing the floor first does open the floor to damage from all those 'trades' that will be marching through your kitchen...you know, plumbers, drywall installers, trim carpenters, countertop installers,...and, of course, electricians. Don't forget the appliance delivery people! What a disaster they can cause! If you don't take steps to protect your new floor from compression damage...from moving heavy appliances across your new floor or even pushing it into place...how many times have I seen this type of damage to new floors!

If you have headroom in your basement I think installing a normal split system and boxing in the ductwork would be the way to go, the attic is the problem you may need to put one or two ductless splits there Here is a link that might be useful: Air Conditioning and Heating Repair Made Easy