I'm reviving this. I have been having discussions with contractors and still haven't started the project yet. My likely contractor sent me to a flooring showroom. (Patriot Hardwood Floors & Supply.) He said they were the wholesale suppliers for the metro Boston area. I don't know if I actually believe that, but they seemed to have a decent selection to view. The guy I was talking to there didn't know all that much, but he pulled in a rep from Mercier who happened to be in the office then. I discussed my sagging floors with him. He insisted that I needed to: - level out the sags, with a leveling compound - then put another layer of plywood down, bringing the total up to 1 1/4", or at least 1". As I noted earlier, my ceilings are very low, so every little bit counts. I'll already lose 1/4"+ just going from laminate to engineered - more for solid wood. I certainly understand the leveling. Do I really need to add on top of that? At the showroom I was looking at my options. I want a very light look. Maple seems the best. And I want it to not have much yellow cast. Of the prefinished, unstained, there was noticable difference between grades and brands. The stuff they had that looked the best to me was Mercier - either the engineered or prefinished solid. They both have the micro-bevels. I would really prefer not to have those, but the only option for that seems to be site finished. I do think the toughness of the prefinished will be an advantage for me. I've gotted mixed impressions of the issues with the micro-bevels - my concern is "stuff" collecting in them and being harder to clean up. (I also don't like to look so much, but I think I can get used to that.) I did a search here and discovered boxers raising some concern about problems with their quality. The samples looked fine - better than the other stuff there. Expecially in the case of the engineered - they had a 7-ply product with the top layer being 4mm. Seemed far better than anything else. Also, they claim an anti-yellowing UV blocker. At the least their clear finish seemed less yellow than the alternatives. What other brands of prefinished (engineered or not) would be viable alternatives to Mercier? Finally, are the warranties that come with this stuff actually worth anything? I was looking at the Mercier warranty for the engineered stuff. It is for 35 years, which sounds impressive. But then I see it doesn't apply unless the finish has failed on at least 10% of the floor. I imagine that less that 10% of the average floor is in major traffic areas, or exposed to any special condition, such as sunlight. Also, I notice that they expect you to account for a 5% cutting loss and another 5% "normal defects" in what you order, and won't replace unless you exceed that. Are these terms normal? Is it a scam? Thanks in advance. I'm counting on you guys - I haven't found any other good source of advice on this subject.

You need to do a little more archeological digging still. You need to know the whole construction of the floor before you can decide how best to install something new. I'd take up that plywood piece in the kitchen and see what's under it. It's higher than the surrounding floor, so needs to go. You should also be able to see from there what subfloor is under the original kitchen hardwood. It's too bad the space under your entryway is finished, but I'd still do some exploring from below to see what's under there, and to figure out the fix to stop it from squeaking. Is it drywall below or a drop ceiling? I know it probably seems like a pain to tear out drywall, but if you cut out a clean patch, like 2' x the width of the joists, it'll be relatively simple to repair. Just make sure to cut it down the center of the joists so that there's room to screw the patch piece to it later. Cut the hole under the area that squeaks the most, if you can. Have someone walk on and watch the floor from below to see what's moving. It might be as simple as pounding in a couple shims from below, or face-nailing a loose board from above. You want to find out what's underneath the hardwood. It might be laid directly on the floor joists, or there might be 10" wide boards that the hardwood is nailed to. Another thought is to take out a board in the hallway, since that's not original and you want to replace it. See what the subfloor is there. I am a bit puzzled at why, when you've stripped the kitchen down to the original hardwood, it's still higher than the hallway floor. Is your current surface perhaps not the original kitchen hardwood? Peeling back the plywood area will help determine that. BTW, I haven't heard of that stop squeaking product you linked to, so can't offer any personal opinion. And don't pour self-leveling compound over top of hardwood. It needs to go over plywood.

Thank you HerrProfessorDoktor, I am glad you are letting others know about the issues you are having. It is too bad you regret the dark, perhaps you could restain them lighter in the future? I am very fortunate as I have had dark hard wood floors in my last house and plan to install them again in this house. I love the look and had no regrets last time with care so I think I will be okay. However, I do think it is wise of you to post as there are others who may not know the challenges of dark hardwood floors looking pristine. A rumba is always is a nice little feature to help with much of the dust. ~boxer Here is a great link / poll that talks about this topic. [light or dark hardwood[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/poll-light-or-dark-hardwood-dsvw-vd~5047868?n=235)

I take it you dont have a new home warranty? (They are required where I am up in Canada, but let me tell you, that 'warranty' isnt all its cracked up to be either). If you dont have a warranty, best bet it to get a 3rd party expert (or two) and serve your builder with copies and politely ask him again to remedy. If not, pursue small claims. (Sadly these are workmanship, not code issues, or I'd suggest you sick your building inspector on him). Good luck, I get what you are saying about yoru house - I'm waiting for a new home warranty claim to be resolved - spring came and my drywall got ruined due to a water intrusion issue! The warranty rep and GC are speaking to each other, but refuse to speak to me. (I have to wait for 'paperwork to come in the mail', grrrr...)