my cousin recently built a house. This is one area where it made sense to not pay the builder upcharge. They had the builder put in the cheapest carpet available, and then hired their own contractor to rip it out and put in hardwood flooring before they moved in. More choices, and cheaper. I think the builder even bought the carpet back from them.

Sophia Wheeler--no, it's not gall. Cancork promoted this as a DIY floor. We checked each step with them along the way. We hired a local general installer because there was not a specialist in the area, and Cancork said that was fine. The subfloor was within specifications. We checked that and, again, OK'd it with Cancork. Cancork told me at the time that they didn't tell me about adding a cork underlayment because "most people don't want to do it because of the expense, so we didn't think you'd want to." As for the peeling, it is not in one of the birdbath areas. The peeling is starting from a few very small spots (like 1x2 cm) in one area of the floor. The floor was prepped properly--exactly as per specifications by Cancork before applying the poly, and they specifically said only to vacuum carefully and then run a damp microfiber over it (no cleaning product) before applying the poly. They warned me against scratching the floor or abrading it before applying the poly. In fact, we had to prep it in sock feet to keep any abrasion from happening at all. I understand that things happen, but within 6 months, when we did everything as per Cancork's instructions and now they tell me that we didn't do it properly--that is truly gall.

I know this thread is a bit old but I wanted to chime in as people are continuing to debate and google-search the decision between wood floor and wood-look tile. I am a Realtor and I don't think this is necessarily "just a trend." Wood-look tile is continuing to change dramatically and can be quite impressive! I often see investor-flipped, new-construction, or standard pre-owned homes/condo's with updates, etc. In the past year, I have seen a big increase in wood-look tile. Sometimes it looks good, other times, just okay. When it is of lower quality, you may as well just do a cheaper tile. I absolutely think laminate is on the out, unless you are getting a higher quality. If you go cheap, it looks cheap and feels cheap. Families today often want updates, nice finishes/fixtures, and the idea of also having something that looks great, but also durable, is a big plus! So, I would say, go ahead and do wood-look tile, BUT, do it right! Invest in the higher quality product and be sure to take in consideration the grout color. A lighter color looks more obvious AND you have to seal it to help keep it clean. A medium-darker color is less obvious and easier to keep looking good year around. I am in the Fort Worth, TX area.

Choosing the right flooring type isn't enough for your living condition. You will have to consider the types of cut: flat sawn, rift and quarter sawn, quarter sawn or live sawn. Quarter sawn and rift & quarter sawn will be best choices, because expansion and contraction is along the thickness of the wood. You will need climate control all year round. 70 degrees at 40 % relative humidity is where you want to be throughout the year. The use of a humidifier/dehumidifier will be needed year round. Although, engineered flooring is more stable than solid. Using the wrong wood specie in your living condition can run the risk of de-laminating with engineered wood. If, the top veneer is more or less stable than it's core and backing. You will experience de-laminating in extreme humidity swings. Take in account of what the engineered flooring is constructed of: mdf or plywood. The width of the flooring will account for how much expansion and contracting also. 2 1/4" strips are the most stable. As you go wider, expect to see more wider seasonal gaps. Proper acclimating is critical, should be performed with a moisture meter. For 2 1/4" strip flooring , sub-floor and flooring moisture should be within 4%. For all other widths 2% moisture differentiation is allowed or should not be exceeded. Don't forget proper expansion gaps, which is the thickness of your flooring, example: 3/4" thick = 3/4" gap. Sub-floor type and condition will affect the performance of wood floors. All this needs to be considered for the proper and successful performance of your wood floors.