We had wood floors in our kitchen in our old home and I LOVED them. When we bought the home we are in now, the previous owners had pulled up the wood floor and put down tile to sell the house and we are pulling that brand new tile up and putting wood back down......how sad is that???? The tile is definitely easier (don't have to worry about the kids dropping ice cubes and leaving them to be found as puddles hours later:) BUT the wood is so warm and inviting that I don't care about having to be a little more vigilant. I do have to say, that when they pulled up the tile floor and I moved the rug from under my kitchen table, I was horrified at how dirty the grout had gotten in just 9 months in the house!!!!

When it comes to hardwood, trends are something to ignore! Why? Because hardwood is pretty much a lifetime purchase, and unless yours is damaged in some way, you're probably not going to replace it. So, light wood vs. dark wood, wide planks vs. narrow planks -- that stuff's all going to come and go. With that in mind -- as well as the very real concerns about cleaning dark wood -- I'll vote for a nice, neutral midtone every time. Not too much contrast, not too red, and (unless it's a beach house) not too pale. I think this is the wood that's most likely to give you good service and stand the test of time.

I know this is a month old thread, but FWIW... I've had painted floors in my last (c1900) house , which was very common back then in the non-"display" rooms, such as bedrooms. The floors were painted 17" wide plank pine (softwood), and refinished very very nicely post-paint. It was easy to sand off the paint and then finish the wood with some poly. I currently have painted fir (another soft wood) in my kitchen. This was a choice that I made because 1) it's the underlayment, and was never in any kind of "finish" condition, and 2) it was not long for the world - we'll be taking it out soon to match the existing oak hardwoods in the house. It was always meant to be temporary. Paint is a good way to protect wood floors, especially softer woods, when finishing isn't really an option for whatever reasons. It's also about as reversible as any floor finish - that is, you can sand it off. But I'm obviously of the opinion that painting wood isn't scandalous, so... take that for what it's worth. Paint would stick IF you prepped the floor first (a light sanding of the existing finish - you don't need to take it off, just scuff it up). Also use a primer and make sure to use FLOOR PAINT, not any old paint lying around. If you apply and let it cure properly, it will provide a very hard, durable finish.

The acclimation you've been recommended to use is generally how we've done floors forever EXCEPT when using wider planks. As was noted above, have the plywood and wood checked. If they're too far apart the area can be dehumidified to bring the plywood moisture down and/or the wood will add moisture if it's particularly dry. Make sure the contractor is putting a vapor/moisture barrier (not retarder) between the concrete and the plywood. I don't recommend any barrier between the wood and plywood. Some pros have been burned using (probably cheap) water based finishes and refuse to use anything other than oil based. Others think you should use only the newest technology finishes and exclusively use water based. We use both. With a stained, hand-scraped White Oak, I would choose oil based polyurethane. No water based finish compares to the durability of oil modified. Considering the cost, it's a no-brainer unless you have special circumstances. As to staples vs. nails, we've used both and seen little difference in the performance. My preference would be for nails but the industry seems to have moved more toward staples.