Slab construction=Engineered. Above grade=Dealer's Choice. Below grade=vinyl or porcelain.

Greendesigns-- curious about your statement. When I did my woodshop it was slab on grade, but I wanted a wood floor, so I put down a sealed vapor barrier, 2x4 sleepers on their sides 12" OC, 3/4" plywood on top of that, then regular site-finished hardwood (a mix of ~10 species, but that's a different story). So far it's actually better behaved than the above-grade flooring in the house, rock solid with minimum movement, and quite fine with a lot of heavy cast iron machines being dragged around on it. I've cut a few holes through it while pulling wiring and see no evidence of trapped moisture (there's foam insulation, not perfectly sealed, under the slab as well). What's not to like about regular T&G hardwood on a concrete slab?

I tend to think of engineered hardwood as a level between solid wood and laminate (it actually IS a laminate, but the top is wood instead of plastic).

I would definitely do site finished, in whatever wood species you want. Do a darker colored stain in the bedrooms. As you've already experienced, real wood floors can be refinished. Engineered floors can be refinished once, but probably not more than that.

As for your lab - I have dogs and wood floors. I cut their nails at least once a week - as soon as I can hear them clickity-clack on the floor.

Thank you, all! I sent the builder a note asking if they could do site-finished hickory. Appreciate it!

I think you've made a good decision. If it's likely that you're going to beat up the floor, it's wise to buy something that can be refinished. Fairly regularly I recommend that clients put in a quality floor and not worry so much about the cosmetic aspect while the kids are growing up. Once they're more responsible (or move out) you can refinish it and have the floor you wanted.

Absolutely get the site finished. I much prefer oak to hickory. You won't listen but you will be much happier if you don't get dark floors as you have kids to raise and you don't want to be a slave to dark floors. Dark shows every speck.

I think narrower oak site finished, without a bevel, are timeless, classy and not a trend. No to five inch, no to pre beat up hard scraped (which, sorry, I think is a real stupid trend) and yes to elegance. Good thing your builder offers a dying art of site finished. I am now doing a 3000 s f house and same questions.

Westsider, I *am* willing to listen. :) Do you like oak better just because of how it looks, or is oak better than hickory for other reasons?

I have a follow-up question, because I think I'm confused -- I had thought that "pre-finished" automatically meant the floor was engineered wood, with either plywood or fiberboard core, and wood veneer top.

But the builder is telling me that all of Shaw's floors are pre-finished (no site-finished), and yet they do have solid wood options. (The site-finished floors that the builder offers as standard are apparently from another supplier.)

What is the difference in appearance, then, between site-finished solid wood and pre-finished solid wood? If we got the latter, can it be sanded and refinished later, or no?

Thanks, all, for your help!

I will jump in here with an answer to your can it be refinished question.

You can refinish a factory finished wood floor, but be aware that the cost of doing that will be more than refinishing a site finished wood floor. The aluminum oxide or ceramic-type finishes being applied to many factory finished products are resistant to being sanded off, so the extra time and materials needed to do that will be factored into the job cost.

pre-finished is a final coat applied in a factory. Site finished is the final coats applied in your home. Solid hardwood, as opposed to engineered or laminate, can be either factory or site finished.

Another element in the mix is whether there is a bevel or not. A bevel is an angle, usually just a microbevel or a small bevel between the boards. A sanding removes the bevel in most cases so a site finished floor usually has no bevels. I personally prefer a no bevel floor as I would be concerned that little specks of hard matter would get in the cracks (accumulate in the bevels). But my concern may not be real and may only be a worry. My dil has a prefinished, bevelled floor and has no dirt in the cracks. So i cannot say for sure, only what is my perception.

I think all engineered is pre finished. I think.

A dark stain shows dust, splotches, dogfur, waterspots, food, way more than a medium or light colored stain.

A shiny floor shows all that foreign stuff way more than a matte floor. A dark, shiny floor will look messier. Yet, the trend is now for pretty, dark, shiny floors. And nobody thinks that their particular floors will be subject to these general 'rules'.

A dark stain shows dust, splotches, dogfur, waterspots, food, way more than a medium or light colored stain.

A shiny floor shows all that foreign stuff way more than a matte floor. A dark, shiny floor will look messier. Yet, the trend is now for pretty, dark, shiny floors. And nobody thinks that their particular floors will be subject to these general 'rules'.