ALSO, Anyone have any reviews/experience with Lumber Liquidators? We have one around the corner from the build site and are considering some of their "in stock" bargain flooring....

I have a big dog too (and two itty bitty dogs) and I knew she would be hard on the floors. I chose white oak and left it unstained. Lighter floors don't show the scratches as bad. also, I used waterlox for the finish because it is spot-repairable. If you get a bad scratch, you can just lightly sand that spot and touch it up with more waterlox. It has very bad VOCs though, so you cannot be there while it is being applied or for probably a week after the last coat (since you are pregnant). My floor is scratched. My grandson loves driving his tonka truck in my house just as fast as he possibly can. My dog tries to control herself, but sometimes she just cant control her happiness and runs, scratching the floor. I decided before I even moved in that I was not going to get bent out of shape over something as silly as perfect floors. But if they ever get so bad that they need a touch-up, I know I can fix every scratch there is. Life is too short to stress about little scratches.

I considered tile....too cold and hard. And too hard to keep clean. I considered laminate. It doesn't handle spills well at all. It can become ruined by an unnoticed doggie accident or spilled sippy cup. I considered carpet for about half a second...I can't stand the stuff! I considered vinyl and do plan to use that in the sunroom. But in the end, hardwood won because of the look, the warmth, the way it feels underfoot, and the durability.

Good luck with your decision!

what great feedback, ccombs! i have also decided not to get bent out of shape about scratches, and i feel like the only way i can let go in that way is to know that with real wood, it can always be repaired.

what is your experience with a lighter floor and stains? dog never has accidents, but my daughter has spilled cranberry juice on my current dark flooring, no issues. would a light wood that had a factory finish pick up any color from juice or food spills?

just realized the rental i am in may have laminate? i noticed in the mls listing that the floors are listed as pergo, and pergo only sells laminate????

Pergo is laminate. Some laminate looks great and you can get some sound-deadening cushions to go under it. Also some laminates are a little more forgiving about moisture than others. Most laminates do not handle wet spills well at all though. The more expensive laminates seem to do better. So if you like the floor you have now, do some checking around for moisture-resistant laminates.

I would not think cranberry juice would stain most floor finishes. I don't know for sure though.

talked to the real estate agent, it was a mistake. real exotic teak. of course i love the expensive stuff.

Of course you do! lol!

Have you looked at really high-end vinyl? Some of it looks nearly identical to hardwood. I mean, so close you need to touch it to see that it's not. It's not cheap...real hardwood is actually cheaper, but vinyl is kid proof and dog proof. I am putting it in my sunroom for that very reason. I want one room in the house where the grandkids can do craft projects, spill drinks, etc. I want a place where my dogs can go if they have piddle problems when they get old. I want to be able to walk inside from the garden with muddy boots on and not worry about it. Vinyl is not like it used to be!! Mannington has a gorgeous line of vinyl and so does Congoleum. Like I said...it's not cheap. It runs $25 to $30 per yard. But man, does it ever look great!

ccombs1 makes a great point on this.

You make want to look into luxury vinyl tile and plank. It will blow you away if you do some research on it. With the registered embossing they can do on this type product you both see and feel the knots in the simlulated wood. Also, there is no other floor than can compare to it's performance. Just a thought.

Do a search on this site for Lumber Liquidators. You may want to reconsider. Just a thought, even though you are building with the intention of staying a long time, Your best bet for resale will be with wood floors. I don't think I would do a vinyl in the whole living space. We have Hickory, Prefinished, and I love them. Best wishes!

i just posted another question. I need more help...the floor dealers here in pensacola are telling me NOT to get real wood because it can warm in this climate! they are even telling me that if i insist on real wood they will not back it with a warrantee!
i don't want preengineered!

anyone in FL have real wood with no warping?

should I use this company to get my wood? is ash okay?

I would install an engineered wood that can be refinished at least twice and has a sawn cut so the top layer is the same as the top layer of solid wood. My BR-111 engineered Brazilian Cherry floors with 3M of real wood on top look like solid wood and feel like solid wood when walking on the floor.

i keep hearing about BR111. I am new to engineered flooring, but from what i hear it sounds great.

Can you tell me where to find it and any more about your experience with it?

If you search a little you may learn a bit. Engineered is real wood and is much more stable than a solid. It can recoated many times and doesn't need to be sanded. Your getting bad info. Look at a good engineered floor and you won't be able to tell the difference between 3/4"

oh i see your response on this thread. i didnt know why you were getting so mean on the other thread. i appreciate your help but your attitude on my other thread was completely unnecessary.

You are like a lot of people shopping for hardwood. I was the district mgr for Bruce Hardwood. You are getting bad advice. Your reasons for wanting a solid is based on inaccurate info. That was what I meant. The first link provided to you is an out of state hardwood company. They of course will sell you anything you order but won't stand behind it. At least the other company is Florida based. Its just important for you to understand the difference and all engineered is not the same. Suggest you search this forum for Advice from a Hardwood rep for those shopping. I wrote that several yrs ago. You need to get better information. There are valid reasons for wanting a solid but you should also understand why your local dealers are advising against it. Sorry if I sounded harsh.

no problem boxers. i read that advice your wrote for shoppers and it made me feel better about the possibility of engineered wood. if it is thick enough, it can be sanded and will hold up better in my weather.

the first link IS out of state, but only a half hour from where I live. i am right on the state line, so a lot of places just down the road are in AL. he is the only NWFA ceritfied inspector and one of few NWFA retailers. i tried pulling more on the site for pensacola but only got him. he will stand behind everything, he claims, and is trying to sell me a product in my pricerange called Howell Hardwood engineered. any thoughts ?

I would trust his judgemtn if he has the credentials you state. I'm familiar with some brands but not all. Go with the dealer who will back the installation as that is very important. Good luck with the search.