It’s been a long time since the last post here — I’m wondering if a good quality, wide plank, engineered white oak floor will be able to withstand the weight load of a mechanical wheelchair + DH. The combined weight of the wheelchair and user approaches near 400 pounds. Our builder would get the raw floor from a highly regarded local mill. We can specify the thickness of the top oak layer. We like the live sawn (Euro) look. The boards come in various lengths (all in excess of 6’) and are 7” wide. Can we strengthen the floor by getting a thicker top oak layer? By using any special underlayment? So far, DH has only used the mechanical wheelchair in our 2d home, a condo which has large format porcelain tile floors laid over a thick concrete structure (on a high floor). We’ve had no problems with the floors there. We have another small condo now near our work with wood floors — he has only used a lightweight wheelchair here (DH and chair = 220 pounds). We’re planning to sell both condos — we’re in the process of building a new house and want to have wood floors in the main living areas and DH plans to use the mechanical chair when on the first floor (plywood over wood joists). The architect that designed this universal access home gave no warnings about weight restrictions for any of the flooring materials. When I’ve asked the people that supply and/or install the flooring materials, they’ve told me that it something they’ve not faced before and beyond their areas of expertise. If we can’t use the wide plank, can we use solid narrow 3” or 4” wood? Porcelain? I really don’t want to use vinyl — but don’t let that get in the way of giving your best advice. 😁 If any of you have knowledge about this topic, I would very much appreciate your input. Thanks in advance. PS. If we can use wood without the boards cracking from the weight of the mechanical chair, we’ll deal with scratches. The plan is to use 3 layers of the top grade protective Bona Traffic HD finish over the sealer and refinish when necessary.

I think a light or honey-ish color hardwood floor would look great in this area! If you're wanting to stick with carpet, the color you have now is nice!

What I'm considering is a four-season sunroom added onto the back of my house, which will become an extension of the kitchen. This is the extent of where I'm at. I'm on what is my step 1, which is the floor. Do I have a contractor pour a concrete floor and gloss it up, adding two steps for stepdown from the kitchen to the sunroom? Or do I have them bring it two steps up, thus no steps at all, and do a wooden floor? Anything else will require my coming back in about three years, once I have the plans drawn and a couple of quotes from contractors. A real estate agent recommended I come here for some good ideas, and that it would be easy to separate the wheat from the chaff, as far as commenters go. All of this being said, this is my first question and it's already exhausting and tedious. I didn't realize it would be so hard to get a conversation going and spitball some ideas around with people who have "been there, done that." I'm done with this site and especially these boards. I guess it's my bad to expect people to simply have a conversation w/o using flash cards, a precise drawing from an architect, and color chips already in place. Sorry to have bothered you with my mundane desire to just discuss.

I've sanded old pine floors before, and they didn't smell like Christmas.