When it comes to hardwood, trends are something to ignore! Why? Because hardwood is pretty much a lifetime purchase, and unless yours is damaged in some way, you're probably not going to replace it. So, light wood vs. dark wood, wide planks vs. narrow planks -- that stuff's all going to come and go. With that in mind -- as well as the very real concerns about cleaning dark wood -- I'll vote for a nice, neutral midtone every time. Not too much contrast, not too red, and (unless it's a beach house) not too pale. I think this is the wood that's most likely to give you good service and stand the test of time.

Actually unfinished engineered is rare. And thus generally MORE expensive than already finished. It generally is only for domestic woods too. No exotics. I can find unfinished engineered oak all day long for $6-7 a square. And pre finished at the same quality level for less. Moving up the scale, you can find higher quality custom produced unfinished engineered, but you’ll. Be in the $15-$20 a square for that. Anything ouside the norm, or produced in smaller quantities, will be more expensive. Have your builder give you the $2 a square credit that he’s likely hiring out to hacks and have a flooring professional install prefinished. It will be days faster and no VOC’s to deal with. The Janka scale was not invented by the internet. What a ridiculous statement. That makes you look like either a wiseass or an ignoramus. And you are supposed to be in the wood field? An Austrian named Gabriel Janka created it in 1906, and it’s an ASTM standard and has been for years. But hardness only one small piece of the puzzle in how a floor wears. It’s not one to hang your hat on and live and die by.

Time totally depends on the number of workers on each job. Paint first, flooring next, trim last. Painting time depends on prep work necessary, whether the trim is removed/painted separately, and what kind of paint on walls and what kind on trim. Since the floors will be replaced/carpeted, removing the base molding is necessary(wood flooring) and can be a good idea if painted(carpeted flooring). One trim guy to remove/paint/reinstall trim/fill nail holes/touch up would take a minimum of 7-10 days total, with time between the removal/reinstall for carpeting/wood flooring. If door trim is included, add three more days minimum. Wall painting is two guys with minimum prep means about three rooms a day by hand(roller and cut in brushing). Spraying means taping/covering non painted surfaces, needs a couple days for just that process. Actual spraying can be done in less than two days(one coat) unless there are color changes, which adds a couple of hours for each change. Might run the complete job to four days. Carpeting time depends on the prep needed. Any flooring removal adds days, depending on the flooring needed to be removed/repaired. Two guys can do pad and carpet on the second floor in two days. Three max. More than three days means they are not experienced. Hardwood flooring takes much longer, again depending on the prep necessary and the number of workers. And the type/width of the planks. Wider planks take less time. Four workers might need a week to ten days for the install, three to six days sanding/staining(depending on the equipment). Finishing depends completely on the type and brand of the finish. But, 4-7 days. So, a week to ten days for painting, flooring can be done simultaneously. Then three days for carpet, two weeks for the hardwood(second floor trim can be reinstalled during that time if the trim guy can get all the trim upstairs and stay out of the way of the hardwood installers. Then another week for finishing/walk time for the finish. That is a total time of two weeks for paint prep and painting. Three days for carpeting, two weeks for hardwood, and a week for the finish to cure for stocking foot traffic. Most hardwood finishes need cure time before furniture/traffic. That can be up to more than a week. You can figure on at least 45 days to be safe, if everything happens without gotchas.

Oak, no idea on the stain.