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Complete first floor (1650sqft) from carpet to hardwood - wich one?

6 years ago

Hello everybody!

We are slowly starting to begin the more concrete planning of our renovation/remodel. We have 1650sqft to cover on the first floor. The only current hardwood areas are the kitchen and the entrance/foyer (red oak, don't know the finish, very yellow/orange), the rest is carpet.

Our original idea was tile, but because of our location being Illinois and the added cost of prepping the subfloor, we are now looking at hardwood/engineered hardwood.

We want to stick to grayish/distressed/wire brushed styles. We don't have kids, but an60lbs dog, so scratch resistant/hardiness is a factor for us.

We looked at Bamboo (solid and engineered) where we found a couple of styles we liked, except, I'm missing the "real" wood grain a bit (see picture below, this one has some light brown tones in it as well).

I was trying to find similar gray tones (medium to light shades) in the distressed style in something harder than oak (Hickory maybe?).

We'd like a wear layer of minimum 2mm. And a price up to $10 per sqft.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

PRO

Cancork Floor Inc.

6 years ago

Janka ratings work for SOLID hardwood - not engineered. The reason: the wear surface (that they use the ratings with) is so THIN it doesn't offer the full DENT resistance.

Yes...dent resistance. Not SCRATCH resistance - only dent resistance. The Janka test is based on how much force it takes to embed a metal BALL into the wood. This has NOTHING to do with the scratch resistance. Think "bowling ball" being dropped onto the floor, not "dogs nails" on the finish. Two VASTLY different things. So many people have been fooled by Janka ratings - especially with engineered wood.

White Oak is just fine for "hardness". It really is. But if you insist on working with Janka ratings (which are useless) with engineered flooring, then you are welcome to keep looking. Hard maple will offer an option. Hickory is rarely stained "gray". That's why you are having such a tough time finding it.

Maple and hickory don't really like to take a stain. And the gray stains are the HARDEST to get to work "right". So add hardest to get to work with a difficult wood to stain = no one brings it to market.

I think you would enjoy the look of European Oak. It has a natural silver/gray tone to it.

And the thing you are looking for: Taber ABRASION test. This is the test for scratch resistance. That is the test that is the most important to the N. American consumer. Scratch resistance - not "hardness".

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Comments (12)

PRO
Unique Wood Floors
6 years ago
@Britta,

Thanks for your posting. Here are a few floors that fit your criteria well. Here are the links to them:

https://www.uniquewoodfloor.com/flooring/engineered-hardwood-flooring-mn/vintage-alaska

https://www.uniquewoodfloor.com/flooring/engineered-hardwood-flooring-mn/millcity-riverfront

https://www.uniquewoodfloor.com/flooring/engineered-hardwood-flooring-mn/french-oak-saison

https://www.uniquewoodfloor.com/closeout-items/boardwalk-husky

Hope this is helpful,
PRO
Aayers Flooring
6 years ago
Britta, Aayers North American Hard Maple Moonlight and Whitetail similar to this.

Aayers North American Maple Moonlight -The Rocky Ridge Collection · More Info

Aayers North American Maple Whitetail-The Bighorn Collection · More Info
Hard Maple is harder than oak. Find more wood species Janka rating please visit http://www.aayersfloors.com/index.php/home/floor/hardness/fid/4.html

We are based in Seattle/WA and our Display Dealers are located all over the US . You can ask your retailer for samples to view in your home, or order them yourself on our website.

Any help you need please let us know. E-mail: marketing@aayersfloors.com

Good luck with your project!
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PRO
Oak & Broad
6 years ago
Britta, I would look for a wear layer at least 4mm thick with your budget. That will allow for the flooring to be refinished again in the future. The subfloor will still need to be prepped for wood flooring. If its not flat and sealed to allow for adhesive you will still have problems.
Britta
Original Author
6 years ago
First off, thanks for answering!

@Unique Wood Floors: all four of your suggestions are really beautiful, my favorite is the boardwalk, but all of these are oak, and we'd like something harder than that (I know there is a difference between white and red).

@Aayers Flooring: The North American maple moonlight is very pretty and seems to pick up very similar color tones than the sample i posted above. Whereas the other one you suggested looks as rustic as i love it. I need to show those to my hubby an see what he says. Though Maple is still not as high on the Janka scala where I'd like to end up.

@Oak & Broad: you are totally correct as in the subfloor needs prepping for hardwood as well. But we were looking at 48" tile planks and compared to that, we are better off with the hardwood choice.

Can someone explain to me why it is so hard to get Hickory (and I might be too obsessed with the hardiness rating, I don't know) in these lighter grayish tones? Is the wood itself too dark to get them to these color shades?
PRO
Uptown Floors
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Britta:

Janka? Toss it out the window. It's such an over used gauge with inexperienced salespeople and the like in this business. Every hardwood has their pluses and minuses...and every job is different.

"Can someone explain to me why it is so hard to get Hickory (and I might
be too obsessed with the hardiness rating, I don't know) in these
lighter grayish tones? Is the wood itself too dark to get them to these
color shades?"

Lighter grayish? Kinda like greige? You can find Hickory in lighter gray.

Custom can be a direction. You may sneak in under $10.00 with the color. It's the distressing that needs to be dialed in better. IE: How heavy, light etc. Wirebrushed? Several types from light to heavy.

2mm or better? Damned well better get 5 mm for similar prices.
Britta
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Uptown Floors: yes, in the greige direction, like rain clouds (not a full blown storm/charcoal though :) ).

The distressing should be medium to heavy. I want it to look worn, but I don't necessarily like the "line" look of hand scraped. If you see the picture of the sample above, there are scratches and dents in the floor and I really do like a look like that + the wood grain though. I don't like smooth hardwood. It has to have texture that I need to be able to see and feel.

So what would you recommend as a hard flooring wood if not going by Janka?
PRO
Aayers Flooring
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
@Britta: thank you. Any additional doubt or info that you need please let us know. We are here to assist you. Here's the link to Janka ratings on NWFA page. http://woodfloors.org/durability--recoating.aspx

You can take a look at Aayers Hickory flooring. See more installation pictures please visit our website http://www.aayersfloors.com/index.php/home/about/gallery.html
Aayers North American Hickory Pumice -The Rocky Ridge Collection · More Info

Aayers North American Hickory Castle-The Bighorn Collection · More Info
Britta thanked Aayers Flooring
Britta
Original Author
6 years ago
@ Cancork Floor Inc.

Thanks so much for this clear and very logical post! I thought the Janka would be good for solid and engineered, but yes, your explanation makes perfect sense!

thanks also for the explanation in regards to the stain, I did expect something in that direction, since most hickories are stained darker if they are stained at all.

The only thing I'm hesitant about with Oak is exactly that, it's Oak. And that's totally superficial, I know, but somehow it doesn't sound "special" enough to me. I know that probably sounds totally stupid and ridiculous, but it definitely seem to play a role.

I'll show my husband a couple of the ideas posted above and see what he says.
PRO
Aayers Flooring
6 years ago
Britta
Aayers engineered floors collections have ultimate thick wear layer.
2mm -The Rocky Ridge Collection
3mm -The Bighorn Collection

Thank you.
PRO
Uptown Floors
6 years ago
Hickory is rarely stained "gray".

Welllll. I won't push anything I have, but here are some grey Hickory pics. The second one is much darker than what I see on this monitor.

I have to disagree with Cancork. Taber abrasion. It's just another gimmick in my opinion, but everyone has an opinion.

More beige, light browns than grey.

Similar. Hot too
Britta thanked Uptown Floors
Britta
Original Author
6 years ago
@Uptown Floors : yes, I did already look at these floors and the Nantucket and the Granite are my favorite by far. They both are on my list of possibilities.

Based on what I was told here and researched on top of that, I've been widening my species "collection" a little.

Does anyone of you have experience with Teka flooring?

Thanks so much for all the info and suggestions I got here so far!

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