Regarding fading...Can organic_donna or anyone comment on how well Mirage Floors UV protection works? We have newly installed Mirage Walnut hardwood with a cashmere finish in the medium/dark Savanna color. We have large view windows in our Great Room that we cannot cover completely and prefer not to have window coverings anyway but we're a bit concerned about the possibility of the wood color fading as the room faces East and gets direct sunlight in the morning. Our windows are Low E and Mirage does have UV protection but we're wondering if that's enough protection over time. Can anyone give any feedback on their experience regarding Mirage and/or Low E glass? We do have friends who have Mirage Red Oak in a room with south facing French doors without window coverings, and after many years in place it's still impossible to see any difference in the floor color when comparing the rug covered areas to areas of exposed hardwood. This was so impressive to us that we went with Mirage in part for their UV protection. Now with our new flooring in place we're wondering if their experience was typical and if our Walnut will hold up as well, or if it's best we find some way to cover those windows, at least in times of direct sun. Any comments or advice anyone?

I was going to go with engineered hard wood--BR111, amendiom fooring. I LOVE it. It is beautiful. I went back and forth to the stone yard, etc., to make sure it was the one I truly wanted to go with my kitchen cabinets and granite. Then, I heard the final quote from Lowe's for my kitchen, dining and living room area and hallway, which desperately needs new flooring. I figured since I was redoing the kitchen I may as well....I also wanted to eventually do hardwoods in those rooms as they are all open to each other. I wanted to make sure the the hardwood would be the same dye lot, etc. I was going to go with the engineered hardwood in the kitchen, dining area, living room (it is all one big room) and the hallway area. The quote for the engineered hard wood, materials and labor was almost $10,000! That was a far cry from the $3700 Lowe's first quoted me (of course, not on paper). I could have just cried! Now I am too looking at laminate again. I have had wood laminate in the kitchen, (before the demo), and the bathrooms and laundry room. I have an Armstrong one that looks like tile--25 year warrenty. My CG hates laminate, but he won't live with it (I will be the one, not him) nor will he install it. His, in his house, was ruined by a water leak in his kitchen. He has forever sworn off the stuff. I have had my wood laminate for about 5 years. I have loved it! It is easy to clean and maintain. Still looks new. If there is a ding in it, it comes with a putty kit to fill in the ding. I have only had one ding, put in by the installer! I don't have small children nor pets, however, my neighbor has wood laminate in her entry way, dining and living room area. She loves it and has grandchildren and a rather large golden. It looks great and she loves the upkeep as it is very easy. I really, really wanted the engineered wood for resale value. Once you see the depth of real wood, it is hard to go back to a "picture" of wood. It just doesn't have the same depth. The installer who came out to measure my house stated to go middle of the road with the warrenty for engineered wood. Don't pay more for the 25 year one, go for the 15 year one. Said the finish was the same for engineered wood, only difference as the thickness of the wood. He stated in 15 years, I would probably be tired of it anyway and would want a change. Also, even the 25 year warrenty floors will show wear and tear after 15 years. (Don't you hate the "throw away" mentality? But I probably won't be living in this house in 15 years and will be in a skilled nursing facility by then) However, you can refinish the thicker engineered wood a couple of times if you want. So, I am looking at the Pergo and Armstrong wood laminate floors. For the Pergo floors for the 30 year wood laminate, it does have a thicker coating on it. I took a screw to the samples this morning to see how they scratched. I didn't press real hard, but no scratches--or at least none that I could see. I am looking at a medium tone walnut. I do know that when I have inadvertantly dropped things on my wood laminate in the kitchen in the past, (glass bottles of things like grapeseed oil) they didn't break. They would have on real tile and I would have had to worry about keeping the grout clean. Ugh! So, I am trying to soothe my broken heart with the laminate and will ask again why the engineered wood (same price as the laminate or cheaper) costs so much more to install. I know they do level the cement slab prior to install. My GC stated one of his wood floor people he uses, could install a distressed wood floor in my kitchen for about $500 total cost for material and labor. I just didn't like the "distressed" floor samples he had. I am very tired of the country look and am going for the transitional look instead. I have done country for the past 35 years. I need a change! I have a very small kitchen and the flooring size is about 9 X 8 feet. Lowe's price was $1600 for the cheaper (15 year warrenty) engineered wood (materials and labor)! I am not sure the person there knew what she was talking about. Stated the vinyl that came with the house, which is glued to the slab floor of the kitchen would have to come up for the wood floor to go down. Then she was stating it might have asbestos! I said, oh please, it is the same cheap stuff they happen to have as one of their samples at the store! I thought the last part in my head and didn't state that out loud. I don't know what haz mat thing she was thinking! I showed her the cheap vinal I had. I asked if Lowe's sold something that had asbestos in it. I still may have to go with carpet in the dining and living room from Lowe's. They are having a special right now and I am just broke from my remodel of the kitchen. I will find out the cost of the laminate this morning when I am over there in a few minutes. I am sad about the whole thing. I was so happy to have finally made up my mind on the engineered wood. It really was going to be very pretty.

I'm a fan of Hickory. Love it! I love it's STRONG variation! Yep. Variation is the word that can be used for Hickory. If you are going for "mid-tone" then it means the Hickory is stained. No problem. That's fine. Hickory takes a stain very nicely. But it will still have plenty of variation. The stain will even that out a little bit, but not entirely. The finish is UV cured urethane. I'm not very excited about that finish. If you are going for factory finish, you will want to work with the TOUGHEST finishes on the market (that's why you go with factory finished...for the TOUGH finish). The UV cured urethane is a ho-hum type of finish. Average would be the best way to describe it. The thickness of the plank is 3/4" = normal for sold. The plank width is 5" with random lengths UPTO 60" (5ft). That tells me there will be many planks in the 3' - 4' range. Again, this is ho-hum average. And with a wide plank product, it will need "glue assist". And Hickory certainly needs it because it has a bit more movement (less stable) than white oak. And then there is the "low gloss" format. The low-gloss finish on this depth of colour = nightmare to live with. It will show dust, etc as well as oily foot prints, sock prints, paw prints and will look hazy at certain times during the day. The "haze" is part of the chemical make up of the finish itself = that's how they take away the gloss...they haze it with a chemical additive. The haze goes away when you sand and refinish the floor. That's the only way to fix it. If you must have a mid-tone floor, I would recommend a TOUGHER finish (aluminum oxide or ceramic infused polyurethane) in a satin. Satin is FAR MORE livable. It offers a lovely glow without being shiny. It hides skin oils (like paw prints from dogs) because it is the same gloss level as skin oils....it isn't hazy....you get the idea.

I prefer aluminum oxide on a hickory floor for toughness. If you want a floor that is tough (doesn't get soft) then go with solid. An engineered hardwood is made up of layers. Those layers are the top 'hardwood' layer and then multiple layers of 'plied wood'. Those plies can have small voids. If you feel that some of the current planks are 'softer' it is entirely possible. Your current floor is a veneer (the top layer) made up of many different planks. Which probably means your acacia is short leaf. The short leaf is not as hardy as the long leaf. And short leaf is known for being easier/cheaper for manufacturers.