thickness has absolutely nothing to do with durability. You will never in two lifetimes ever walk thru the finish. Aluminum oxide has been tested to be over 10 times more abrasive resistant than site finished. This does not mean you will never mar or scratch the finish but if you do you can easily screen and recoat the floor without resanding.

Then why is Mirage's finish (which, despite the claims of "nano" technology, is in the end some kind of aluminum oxide) is purported to be superior? Is there such a thing as one aluminum oxide finish being actually demonstrably better than some other aluminum oxide finish? Is there a number of coats that differentiates anything?

We are getting pre-finished for the statistic you mention. No problem there. And I don't think we could/would ever let the floor get down to bare wood (!). But my questions, I guess, center around comparing different aluminum oxide finishes (for durability).

What about the spiel regarding "aluminum" oxide versus Lauzon's "titanium" oxide? (I smell pure marketing going on here, I think....)

its all aluminum oxide. Could you define a 'coat'? Yes its pretty much all the same and yes its all marketing. With Bruce and Hartco some products did have a higher concentration of aluminum oxide crystals so they were more durable. AO make the finish a little cloudy so some put it on then put a few coats of urethane on top without the AO. It just depends on how the mfctr does it.

Um, well no, I don't think I can define "coat" actually. Hmmm, good point.

So Mirage's finish is pretty much the same as anyone else's? (Because I always thought that is why everyone says Mirage is so fabulous. That, and the milling.) And assumptively there is no actual titanium in Lauzon's finish?

Does any publication or group actually test the wear resistance of the various brands' finishes? (If not, wouldn't that be a handy thing to see?)

And shame on Mirage for (I think possibly purposely) obscuring the difference between "finish" and "wear layer."

Mirage has a new finish with NANO technology. Stronger and more scratch resistent then the finished use by all others.

Wear layer has never been a term, refering to the topcoats of finish.

Mirage is coming out with a new glueless floating floor. It is made just like laminate flooring, with a real wood "wear layer" Other companies that have tried this, have had some success... Some. The HDF core, can be a big problem, if the wear layer wants to cup

Floorguy: Should I be wary of the not-glue-down version? (especially if there is no track record...) I'm asking because not having to glue down would be a good/interesting option if we end up having to diy.

Is there typically a longevity difference between glue-down versus click-together? (I know it will potentially sound different.) I would imagine the click-together would be easier to repair.

Do you have any opinions about Mirages click-together shape? (It looks markedly different than others I've seen.)

Also, where would the average homeowner find the kind of comparison of finishes like you state? Is there such a thing, or is it mostly real-world-experience kind of sentence? (On the Mirage website they say their finish is UP TO five times more durable than other finishes. Other finishes...like site finished? I thought all aluminum oxide was like some large amount better than site finished in general, so what does Mirage mean? Is this just the Canadians being their understated selves?)

Just today the installers finished putting down the floor in our new house. We went with Mirage engineered maple in an Auburn stain. It is gorgeous. I'll post a picture soon.

I too was worried about the relative thinness of the engineered product (I think it's 11mm) but because of the relatively high moisture content in our area (we live near the beach in So. Calif.)and because a small part of the floor covers concrete slab, two different dealers recommended engineered over 3/4-inch solid.

We heard that Mirage is the Cadillac of engineered flooring -- I assumed that was a good thing ;) -- and pulled the trigger on 1800 sq.ft. for the downstairs floor. It feels great, looks great and should, I hope, last. It worked out to a little over $14 per sq. ft installed and we got an almost identical quote from two different dealers.

Cheers!

^What is the status of your floor after one month of living on it? Interesting that two dealers pitched engineered over solid. Manhattan, Hermosa- solids in most homes right next to the water.

Almost everyone that visits my home on a concrete slab in the middle of preserved wetlands also recommends engineered wood over solid wood due to expansion and contraction potential problems.

kennethv, have you had a chance to post pictures? You may not even be a member but I am trying to decide between BR-111 Triangulo Brazilian Cherry and Mirage Maple Auburn Lock or Mirage Maple Auburn Engineered Floors.