icenet, I am not an expert but I would not go below a 2 MM veneer layer. I am aiming for a 3 MM minimum wear veneer layer unless I find a great price on the Mirage Lock flooring and then I may take a chance with a 2 MM wear layer. I am still going back and forth between BR-111 Brazilian Cherry (love but fearful will be a problem with resale since more of my two room home office floor is covered by furniture and cabinets then not covered so there will be a major difference in color if I ended up moving and selling with no furniture), BR-111 Amendoim, Mirage Lock Red Oak Natural, Mirage Lock Maple Auburn (but may clash so this may not be good despite loving the color), or a stained Engineered Rift and Sawn Floor.

It is my tax season, so I have to try to put this decision out of my mind for another week but I can't help but visit this site to take breaks in between my work since I seem to work from the moment I get up until I go to bed. Of course today I am working around doing my laundry and washing my birthday male Maltese so I could cut his hair to put medicine on him to stop him from scratching his itchy back. Skeeter turned 10 years old today which is amazing since he has seizures and is on Phenobarbital. I thought I would lose him a few years ago. He seems to have developed skin allergies and it is so difficult to cut his hair or nails due to his deafness but today I was determined to help him stop itching. Of course, I did not tackle the nails (but managed to cut the hair on the top of his back and a little bit under his chin while he kept trying to bite me) since I need my hands to type. :)

What stain are you planning on using on the Maple floors?

Also it is not just the veneer thickness that is important, it is the finish on top that determines how easily the floor can be scratched I have found out from having so many samples here.

So Floorguy, a 2 MM veneer is OK to buy for an engineered floor? What do you think of the Mirage Lock? If I went with a very light floor, would there get skid marks on the floors from clients heels? I can't ask my clients to remove their shoes. I guess that I why I wanted a medium colored floor but maybe I am wrong.

Floorguy,

Are you saying the 2mm will wear the same as the 4 mm veneer?

Lynn,

I don't plan on stain the wood. My only concern is durability.

Thanks.

icenet, I am not Floorguy or a professional so I can't answer your exact question so I will wait for floorguy to answer it a little better than I can.

But I do know that if there is deep scratches or pee stains that can't be removed a 4 MM floor most likely can be sanded down to remove the damage without replacing the floor. Maybe floorguy can correct me if I am wrong.

I had a 2 MM engineered wood floor here that lasted 18 years in my townhouse that did get very worn out looking losing most of the finish on time and eventually got totally ruined from the water damage when my central air conditioner failed and squirted water that flooded the floor lifting the veneeer in layers along with the plywood and that is when I found out my floors were not solid oak floors. The finish really did only have a 15 year life like the Bruce Engineered Glen Cove Flooring Planks's warranty says it had.

The finish on top along with the hardness of the wood and the thickness I feel from my samples all determine the quality of the floor and how long it will last but then again you have to compare the cost of sanding down a floor and refinishing it to replacing planks that cost less.

I hope Floorguy comes back to answer the question more accurately and maybe some other flooring people since I am also curious being that I will be buying an engineered wood floor after my busy season ends. For now, this was my break and now I have to get back to work despite it being a Sunday and holiday.

I love Maple Wood but having it unstained would be too light for my home office I feel despite showing the beauty of the grain and keeping the room light and airy. We'd love pics.

Happy Easter to those that celebrate. It is still cold today which is amazing since it is almost the middle of April. But it is sunny outside and that brings light into my room making it easier to work.

Lynn,

18 years is pretty good for 2mm! Did you have any problems with dents from furniture? I know the other layers under the veneer are strong but does that really matter with all the direct contact going to the veneer?

I'm in a small condo (700 sq ft) so I need a light wood. Also, I'm selling my place in the next few years. I would rather not spend the addition money (2k) on the 4 mm if I don't have to.

Happy Easter and don't work too hard. :)

icenet, the engineered wood flooring was just in my two small foyers. The rest of my home had wall-to-wall beige carpet except for the Linoleum floors in the kitchen and the utility tiles in the small laundry room and tiny utility room since I live in a townhouse.

After 15 years (the finish on the engineered wood floor has a 15 year life and they are right) the Bruce Engineered Rotary Peel Hardwood floors were in bad shape and needed to be replaced but finances did not allow that to happen since I had to buy a new washer and dryer and a new refrigerator and my little dog and me both needed eye surgery.

Hence, I only had clients walking in on the floor (that got very worn.... no chairs or furniture were on the floors) and in the middle foyer it was in between the powder room (clients used), coat closet, utility room and garage. The middle foyer is the area that got flooded from my central air conditioner unit failing and squirting water everywhere and had to be replaced. Since the other area was in such bad shape from being so warn out and I knew I would not be able to match the rotary peel floor that I never liked and I wanted both foyer areas to match each other, I replaced both area with porcelain tile.

If you are selling your place in a few year, 2 MM should hold up fine since the floor was inn great shape when I bought my townhouse when it was only 7 years old.

icenet, have you decided which wood floor to buy yet (manufacturer, width, etc.)? I am having such a rough time since putting off the decision until my busy season ended. The floors I love have the grain I like that is not busy but may get too dark for my home that does not get a lot of light. I love Maple but a light floor may show scruff marks since I can't ask my clients to take off their shoes. I never had a dark floor before so I am afraid to go dark but so far the only wood I seem to like in my home is the BR-111 Brazilian Cherry samples I have here due to the not too busy grain in the 3.25" width planks. I also love the Mirage Lock Maple Auburn but I think it may be too orange for my cherry furniture.

My other choice is a rift sawn engineered stained oak that is a medium color with a hint of red that I like if I can find something like this that is not too expensive since I have three rooms to do. I plan to do tile in my kitchen.

Most of the townhomes in my complex are installing engineered wood floors in 3" to 5" widths or sub-floors with solid wood floors with skinny planks to avoid problems with only one townhouse installing laminate so far so I am afraid to install laminate despite liking the Bruce Park Avenue Makore laminate flooring. I prefer the Makore Laminate over some of the rotary peel oak floors that are being installed.

The condo's in my townhouse complex (28 townhouses and the rest of the 100 units are condos) are instaling mainly laminate with only a few installing engineered wood.