Also checking into engineered hardwood for a below grade concrete floor. I don't know about the Prolex. Their website has very little information and looks like it is from the '90's. Doesn't scream innovation at any rate. I also couldn't find their site straight away. I had to go via a Yelp listing of all things. Any eco friendly brands of engineers hardwood out there? No formaldehyde, no toxic glues? Use of post consumer content in the manufacture? Moisture resistant? Pergo, it seems is famous, but garbage. A shame because I saw a really nice looking "Pergo Outlast+ 10mm Laminate Flooring" with "spill protect." The color was Applewood. I don't know what "spill protect" is, but hey, I spill stuff all the time. It's supposedly waterproof, which probably means it's vynl or something. Looking at the picture I took of the label it seems the "core" is 10mm in the fine print.

I'm a fan of Hickory. Love it! I love it's STRONG variation! Yep. Variation is the word that can be used for Hickory. If you are going for "mid-tone" then it means the Hickory is stained. No problem. That's fine. Hickory takes a stain very nicely. But it will still have plenty of variation. The stain will even that out a little bit, but not entirely. The finish is UV cured urethane. I'm not very excited about that finish. If you are going for factory finish, you will want to work with the TOUGHEST finishes on the market (that's why you go with factory finished...for the TOUGH finish). The UV cured urethane is a ho-hum type of finish. Average would be the best way to describe it. The thickness of the plank is 3/4" = normal for sold. The plank width is 5" with random lengths UPTO 60" (5ft). That tells me there will be many planks in the 3' - 4' range. Again, this is ho-hum average. And with a wide plank product, it will need "glue assist". And Hickory certainly needs it because it has a bit more movement (less stable) than white oak. And then there is the "low gloss" format. The low-gloss finish on this depth of colour = nightmare to live with. It will show dust, etc as well as oily foot prints, sock prints, paw prints and will look hazy at certain times during the day. The "haze" is part of the chemical make up of the finish itself = that's how they take away the gloss...they haze it with a chemical additive. The haze goes away when you sand and refinish the floor. That's the only way to fix it. If you must have a mid-tone floor, I would recommend a TOUGHER finish (aluminum oxide or ceramic infused polyurethane) in a satin. Satin is FAR MORE livable. It offers a lovely glow without being shiny. It hides skin oils (like paw prints from dogs) because it is the same gloss level as skin oils....it isn't hazy....you get the idea.

We are very pleased with the Scufresist finish on our Shaw floors. We were boxed into the brand and limited in choices because we built a tract home, but I have to say that we are as happy as we can be with a prefinished hardwood. We have a 74 pound yellow lab. We do nothing to care for his nails other than walk him twice daily, but he has not put one scratch on the floor. He is older...so not running around much....but I still think that’s impressive. The floors at our last house were covered with scratches, and we were prepared for that here. Actually, we are especially surprised because Shaw’s ENGINEERED hardwood has gotten such terrible reviews. I’ll attach photos for you even though it’s not one of your choices. It’s marketed to builders as Solid Advantage 3 1/4” in saddle color. I think it is also called Golden Opportunity. You can see from the pics that it is what I believe is called “character grade”...knots and such but not an overwhelming amount. I included those specific planks so you would know. Both pics are of the same flooring taken at the same time in different parts of the house. I could do without the bevels, but site finished was not an option for us. Also, here is a link to a thread with photos of a Shaw wire-brushed solid hardwood floor. I believe the last photo in the thread may be an engineered variety. Shaw’s Epic engineered hardwood has a reputation for splitting and chipping. The veneer is very thin. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4937448/shaw-solid-hardwood-floor ETA: I would not pick a flooring based on any online photos. Highly recommend you view samples in person.

I'm not a fan of click together engineered hardwood. This is not something I would recommend - especially in an uncontrolled environment like a cabin. The click edge is the part that holds everything together. It turns out a plied wood click edge doesn't have a lot of holding power. In fact it down right fails 99% of the time. This is why you are having a hard time finding a plied wood centre. The fibre board is much stronger for a click edge. That's why it has been used for decades with laminate...and some who wish to use hardwood on top. I don't recommend that one...but it's your choice. Hardwood has a very specific way it expands/contracts. It does this across the grain. This is VERY different from the fibre board. Fibre board moves in all 6 directions (yep...6). The more swings you have in humidity and temperature the greater the movement the wood is going to do. And the fibre board will also be moving but in several OTHER directions as well. Oh dear. Now imagine a home that is NOT climate controlled. A cabin for instance. Imagine the wood and fibre board are happy with each other at 20 C and 40% humidity. Now winter comes and we have -10 C and 15% humidity. And then summer comes again and now we are at 35 C and 65% humidity. It is highly possible your wood surface will have peeled off of your fibre board centre. The wood moved in a different way than the fibre board and they tore themselves apart. With your price point, you are better off getting a very narrow plank hardwood (2" or so) and have it laid and then site finished. You will still pay around $4/sf for the wood and $3.50/sf for the sanding/refinish but it will be a floor that lasts. It will still move and twist and shrink and expand. But it will do it in such a way that keeps the floor functional. Or go with an SPC/WPC vinyl core and enjoy your cabin.