The more modern the hardwood the less hard the wood. I would stick with the original even if it doesn't match exactly...no one will notice and the quality is bound to be much better.

Ditto. If your original is solid wood, I wouldn't replace it with engineered.

Our house was built in '99 and we had hardwood installed in the foyer, kitchen, breakfast room and back hall. Last year we added hardwood to the dining room and sitting room. Our floor guy was able to get us the same flooring, but the bevel and sheen are a bit different. The new floors have less sheen and less bevel, but you really don't notice it. Here's a pic of the area where the foyer meets the sitting room.

I agree with the others, leave it. Just wanted to add that your flooring looks a lot like my white oak. Are you sure it's red oak?

Thanks everyone.....not only does it make sense budget wise, but hearing your feedback and seeing an example seals the deal for me.

Annz....All 3 contractors I got quotes from confirmed my floor is Red Oak....took them a while to decifer...they had to pull up floor registers and look at a cross cut of the wood to make the determination.

If it is real hardwood, I would keep it. I hate the engineered hardwood. I had real hardwood for years and now I have that "engineered" hardwood (leftover sawdust pulverized to imitate hardwood) and it is nothing like real hardwood. However, it is better than smelly dusty carpet.

patricia,my daughter installed Brazilian cherry engineered floors and they are beautiful; the tops are a sandable layer of the real actual wood....

But not all engineered hardwood are as beautiful as your daughter's, probably.

The engineered flooring I'm looking at is also very nice...I have a sample...handscraped...top layer is sandable also.

{{!gwi}}

We added white oak hardwood to original 1919 white oak. Oil based finished provided a very close match and now that it's aged a few years, it's almost a perfect match.

Keep the original!

I've read that there are some engineered floors that are more scratch resistant & durable than hardwood. They can be resanded one time? That would be my concern.
Your sample is beautiful. How wide are the planks?

Your hardwood people should be able to match the bevel in the original. I was able to match

I thought it would be impossible. Here's my pooch straddling the transition between 75 year old random plank, beveled rift sawn white oak and new oak. The variation you see is intentional, to emulate the color variation in the original.

Patricia, maybe you haven't checked out engineered HW lately. It's certainly not ground up sawdust! There are products out now that are equally as good, sometimes better, than the traditional hardwood flooring that used to be one's only choice.

It's a bit ignorant to make such a sweeping comment on something without actually basing your statement on the facts, IMO.

Is considering new wood for integrating your decor? New wood in my house would throw the style off. I'd keep the old wood if possible. Personal opinion to liking the character of what was and restoring if necessary.

Romy.....The Engineered Handscraped is 4 3/4" wide.

Gooster....Your floor looks great and your furbaby is adorable!

Technicolor....Actually we are planning to sell our house within 2 years, and the feedback I have received from Realtors has prompted me to do this.....yes the new color would throw all of my decorating off.

With all of your responses, I am pretty sure I'm keeping my old Red Oaks and going with a match.

In that case, I would do what works best for your decor & your taste. I believe the wider planks are currently more popular for new wood installations but you ever know what a new homeowner's preferences are going to be.