Live in Miami, FL. Need wood flooring advice

5 years ago

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I live in Miami, Florida. We are going to be redoing the second story floor in our home, in the next couple of months. Initially, we went to a few local stores, but we feel that everyone seems to prefer and recommend their own brands, rather than suggesting what may be best for us. We are looking for a wood product (solid, engineered or otherwise) that:

- Can withstand pets

- Does not expand/shrink (meaning, we do not want issues with gaps post installation)

- Can withstand humidity (we have central AC but in SoFla, this is an issue)

Does anyone have any advice? Any product that may be recommended?

Thanks again for your time.

Oliver

Featured Answer

O B
Original Author

5 years ago

Thank you all for your valuable feedback. Our pets are small and they are definitely trained. But having nails, of course, means they may scratch the floor.

My biggest concern was regarding expansion and floors lifting up. Obviously, if you invest a good amount of money on something like wood, you do not want to see anything short of perfection. Gaps would, of course, make me question if the decision was a good one.

Feeling very strongly that engineered wood is the way to go.

Thanks again.

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Comments (8)

Bill King
5 years ago
Hi Oliver, l am not sure about wood. we intalled laminate and it has worked for us. Hopefully the experts chime in. Good luck
PRO
Uptown Floors
5 years ago
Pets. Withstand? Widely discussed.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/query/pets-and-wood-floor

Does not Expand/Shrink? Engineered

Withstand humidity? Most people look at this wrongly.

Products? Numerous.

Your budget? Style etc.
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cpaul1
5 years ago
If you want the wood look, but it needs to be durable for pets/kids/humidity/coming in and out from the beach/pool, then I would do a tile that looks like wood planks. But having said that, whatever you choose should to some degree be cohesive with what you have on the bottom story. And without knowing what that is, then I cannot comment further.
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Johnson Flooring Co Inc
5 years ago
Withstand pets? What are they doing? Are they eliminating waste, chewing on the floor or tearing around with nails extended. Not much will protect from the first or second and some things are better than others for the third.

Engineered flooring is more stable than solid but solid flooring has been installed in south Florida since people started moving here. Most people use a/c year round but indoor humidity still fluctuates. Engineered wood is constructed to hold in check the natural tendency of boards to expand when humidity goes up. It can be glued over concrete or wood and is less likely to have issues if your a/c goes out for a couple weeks after a hurricane.

Many companies buy similar products and put their own labels on them. Instead of focusing on labels, pay attention to the characteristics of the product (wood type, color, width, veneer thickness) to shop for alternatives. A trip to something like ProSource would be quite educational and productive. Looks like there's one in Pompano. https://www.prosourcewholesale.com/showrooms/fl-prosource-of-pompano
PRO
Uptown Floors
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Yessir, mine survived Irma and two weeks of ...yucky sweltering heat. Fortunately had a generator and gas wasn't very difficult to find.

Houston on the other hand got deluged with water last summer. That created havoc and yes most floors were ruined.
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Oak & Broad
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
O B, Engineered is going to be your best option in South Florida for all the reasons already mentioned. Keep in mind that just because a floor is Engineered does not mean it cant be custom :-) These are in Vero Beach.
PRO
WoodCo
5 years ago
Hello!

- Can withstand pets. All floors will show signs of wear with time. If you want to go with a wood floor, try one with a textured surface as this will make signs of wear less noticeable.

- Does not expand/shrink (meaning, we do not want issues with gaps post installation) Wood is a natural product meaning that it will move with changes to the environment. In the winter (dryer months) it is not uncommon to see small gaps in a wood floor. Engineered floors are more stable and will minimize this.

- Can withstand humidity (we have central AC but in SoFla, this is an issue) Again, Engineered wood floors are more stable and can withstand more than a solid wood floor.

Does anyone have any advice? Any product that may be recommended? I would recommend a high quality engineered wood flooring. Here are some links that will help you.

https://www.woodco.com/news/quality-check-engineered-wood-flooring/

https://www.woodco.com/news/6-questions-to-ask-when-buying-wood-flooring/

https://www.woodco.com/news/wood-floor-texture-do-you-know-the-differences/

https://www.woodco.com/news/custom-wood-flooring-manufacturer/

All the best with your remodel! Let us know if we can help further, info@woodco.com

Live in Miami, FL. Need wood flooring advice

O B
Original Author

Comments (8)

Bill King

Uptown Floors

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Live in Miami, FL. Need wood flooring advice

O BOriginal Author

Comments (8)

Bill King

Uptown Floors

Related Discussions

cpaul1

Johnson Flooring Co Inc

Uptown Floors

Oak & Broad

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O B
Original Author