Bill/Mongo...I'm installing a Kerdi foam base in a 3x5 shower, I used HD's Rapidset Motar mix to level the floor, nothing in one corner to about 1/2" or so a the far corner...It was probably not the best levelling job as I think I made it too thick and it did not spread well and being rapid set did not help...In the end, it is fairly level but I am now questioning if I have to worry about how well it is actually bonded to the ply underneath... I was going to thinset the foam to this with HD Custom Blend. I also have a slight gap all around the foam

Hi Everyone, I've grown up with traditional wood floors as my parents loved them and made this there passion to bring to others to enjoy. Now I am carrying on the tradition and would love to help share some thoughts on your decision. Its very interesting to me to see what others have said about your desire for Cherry flooring, good quality cherry will last for generations and there definatly arent any durability concerns. Pine flooring still remains in good condition in many of the Early American architecture and is a highly saught after and beautiful floor. Cherry is much harder and everybit as durable. If you aesthetically love the look of Cherry you shouldnt change this direction. Cherry has been used in homes all over the country for a long time with fantastic results. Your childeren will add character to the cherry, the extent to which this happens will directly correlate to the finish that is used. I am a proponent for a softer finish that allows the normal aging process and doesnt look like plastic plus maintains the beauty of the Cherry. There is no issue regarding the floors durability, yes you can use Ash or Oak but make your decision based on the look you want. The difference in the wear and durability will be negligible to you and both floors will be there for another generation to enjoy!

As millworkman states. I HATE engineered bamboo. I mean the stuff that sits on FIBRE BOARD that clicks together. There can be sooooo many issues with this type of product that I don't have time to tell you everything there is know about this. Suffice it to say, bamboo NEEDS interior STABILITY. That means the HUMIDITY must be kept CONSTANT! I mean within a 10% range (40%-50% is a "10%" range). First things first: check your HVAC system. Do you ALREADY HAVE the humidity control? That means you touch a button and adjust the humidity up or down and then press "Set" on the touch-pad controller mounted on your wall. If you DO NOT have this feature, you will need to do one of two things: #1. Find something else (no bamboo, no hardwood, etc) #2. Purchase and install the additional hardware needed to be able to control the internal environment ($6K should do it). Your location and and local external environment (West Coast, East Coast, Deep South, High desert, etc) will determine the TYPE of extra hardware needed. Once you decide to do all that is necessary to add bamboo, you will then look for SOMEWHERE ELSE to purchase your products. Lumber Liquidators is NOT the place to shop if you want quality - of any sort. It is where you go when WANT new flooring every 5-7 years ('cause it only lasts that long). Bamboo *SHOULD cost $9/sf for "mid-grade" product. The "good stuff" starts at $12/sf. And you would purchase such products from places like Calibamboo or a high-end hardwood flooring shop run by a Ma&Pa operation that has been in business for at least 25 years. They will have seen the bamboo trend "come and go and then die". They would have seen many failures and many successes. They will ONLY carry the 'successes'. That's how you find bamboo. But please check your HVAC system to find out what needs to be added for bamboo and hardwood. Good luck. Keep us posted.

I am not familiar with the product but I can read the label in the photo. These are BIG WIDE PLANKS!! They are 7.5" wide. That's pretty wide! They can be floated or nailed/glued. A wide plank like this will need glue-assist or glue+nail in place. That's a more expensive install (costs more for the labour) than a 3" wide plank. The thickness of the plank = 1/2". That's "OKish". The gold standard is 3/4". Some of the nasty stuff is 3/8" thick. The OK stuff starts around 5/8" or 11/16". This one is in-between 'nasty' and 'kind of OK'. The THICKNESS of the wear layer is the telling sign. A decent engineered hardwood will have 3mm wear surface. That's 1/8" thick worth of real hardwood. A thinner plank (like this one) may not have the have the 'room' to offer 3mm (1/8") of space dedicated to the wear layer. It's possible, but not likely. A 7.5" wide plank product in a decent thickness with a thick wear layer (3mm - 6mm) should start around $8/sf.... How much is this product?