All are beautiful. Three and four look almost identical to me. My favorite is number 2 but I think I would want to find out how thick the veneer is. I don’t know anything about finished but if you ordered samples of all of these you could try A scratch test yourself to determine durabilty. Not to add to the confusing but I found this beautiful floor and it is around $5.50/sq ft. from the master crafts website. I saw a sampleand it’s lovely

I would kick out #2 because of the " Finish Osmo PolyX Hardware Oi "

Hardwax oils take +++ maintenance. If you do NOT know about or want a hardwax finish, you will be horribly disappointed at how much work they are (adding maintenance oil every 6 months + master colour oil every few years, water spots, etc).

You currently have a factory finished polyurethane finish. Stick with those types of finish. You are now down to three options.

You're welcome =;-P

supposedly #2 is a combo oil / poly finish...but I was wary about that...

https://osmo.ca/information/compare-osmo/

Trish Walter , we use a low gloss poly finish that looks like Oil but its MUCH more durable and you dont have to add oil for maintenance. Look for an American made product if you can. The longer term quality and performance of the floor is going to be much better than something made overseas.

Mixed Width White Oak Flooring and Ceiling in Washington · More Info

Here's what Osmo Polyx Hardwax Oil states for maintenance:

For regular cleaning, use Osmo Wash and Care to damp-mop the floor. For occasional refreshing and intensive cleaning, use Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner which can be used to refresh dull or worn looking surfaces very easily.

https://dedbe1f0-3e83-4799-9e8e-e0cfdce267ce.filesusr.com/ugd/b77903_b7daf966ce0c4b38a8720819bbd041c8.pdf

Osmo is a hardwax oil. It isn't much different than any other's on the market. It requires quite a bit of maintenance = falls to the homeowner = work.

Like other hardwax oils it requires 3 (THREE) maintenance products to be kept on hand at all times:

The oil Soap (Osmo); the Refresh (Osmo) oil; the Maintenance oil. If you have a coloured floor you need the colour on hand as well (can be purchased when needeed). If you have hardwater spots you need the LimeSpot remover and you will certainly need the Grease Remover.

So far I'm up to 6 products that are needed by the average homeowner to keep a Hardwax oiled product looking happy and healthy for a few years...let alone 25 years.

@Oak & Broad I can't afford your beautiful flooring. Thanks.

@SJ McCarthy thanks. The reply I received was a little misleading...

This particular finish is Osmo PolyX out of Germany....Yes, you have the option to refresh it and we recommend that after 4-5 years, but the maintenance is still easy. Plus it doesn’t show the wear and tear that large dogs can do. My floor still looks good, but with 2 dogs over 100lbs, those claws can still dent the wood. The slight texture of this floor hides it better. My floor was glass smooth so I can see just subtle dents in wood when light hits it right.

@Beth H. : in my neck of the woods, your brand is under Bella Cera. I haven't found one I like and can afford yet that isn't <3mm or <4 ft. lengths. They do have tons. I have asked about a few more.

Well you know what my vote is for :)

Biased because I have #1

I like the Cicerone Pilsner.

I LOVE Beths floor! I think had I know about her specific flooring when we were at that point in our build, there’s a good chance I would have chosen it...so pretty.

I like #1 of your possibilities.

nidnay,,,yours are nothing to sneeze at. I love yours! if i was doing entire house from scratch, I would have done those in a herringbone!

Love herringbone!

the only bella cera in my range is 1.5mm and short boards. ugh.

so #3 Cicerone failed my stain tests [texture is a little more rough so stains get stuck in grooves if makes sense]...

#1 Pravada has been unresponsive in emails to get samples which makes me nervous. IF they can't even reply for that, you know...

#2 Heidelberg I am concerned about mainteance [oil finish]....so went back to drawing board...

California Classic Floors are not available around here. It's belle cera around here and vary wildy in quality wear layer etc.

I have received more samples and been to every flooring store in my area. so over it... lol

I really like ADM Flooring Laguna Natural. It's based in California. It's 9.5". Still waiting for a couple more 7.5" samples from them [the ones I have are too light I think]... this is online only which makes me a little nervous.

So that's where I am...thankfully we had a long delay due to framing so I have a little more time.

It will be less Hassle to install unfinished engineered flooring and finishing it to your liking.

@G & S Floor Service

I've heard mixed reviews of installing unfinished....the stain isn't quite right or the installer messes up and leaves weird marks on floor, etc. I'm a little leary of that BUT I do like that you don't have the grooves that end up dirty [my floors 20 years later].

Finding a premium finisher will be easier than finding the perfect pre-finish engineered flooring.

You can start looking for a premium finisher by working with the industry leaders in wood flooring: the NWFA

www.nwfa.org

You can look up local Certified Sander/Refinishers in your area using the website. It will save you ++ time vetting 'guys'.

this is new construction. i think my builder would probably have to find someone.

Trish hang in there you will find the perfect flooring, just keep up the search. I hauled a sample of flooring that I liked but wasn't 100% sure to probably 10 different flooring places. In the end I decided there wasn't anything else out there better so I went with what I thought wasn't perfect but checked the majority of the boxes. I love my new floor and so did my installer!

Trish, Did you make your selection? I am in the same boat and looking at the same colors and price range as your options (which were really helpful - thank you!) Engineered wood flooring is a rabbit hole that I feel like I will never get out of. :) I hope you found something you really liked and are done with the decision.

@gra8fulgal we ended up with Hurst Hardwoods Engineered French Oak in Riverstone. Happy so far. When we bought it was on sale for $4.5/sf.

Hubby installed so we saved money there too.

@Trish Walter Wow, they are gorgeous! I love the amount of character and color and the plank width.

I ordered several samples of the Hurst Hardwoods Engineered French Oak, but the colors were way off from what was represented on the website pictures. I mean way off, like a completely different color...a grey rather than a brown. And what were supposed to be four very different colors all looked almost exactly the same. I didn't ask for Riverstone, but maybe I will talk with them about getting a few more samples and see if anything works.

My husband is doing the install, too, to save money. I don't want to get the HH unfinished and have him also have to do the staining and finishing on top of installing.

Thanks so much for sharing the info and the pictures. Enjoy your beautiful floors!

they are much more neutral than the sample I received also. It was super gray. Ask for a few samples if possible.

Also, they don't look all that busy in real life if that makes sense. I'll try to find some more pictures.

They appear pinkish in the photos. How pink are they in person?

@SJ McCarthy

don't really read 'pink' but lean more warm than the 'grey' trend. They are European white oak. Here are other shots of the flooring [not my house].

Hi Trish, are you still liking your Hurst hardwood? Do they only sell direct? I don't see any dealers in my area. I see you mentioned all of your initial options again except Hearthwood. Did you ever find out what the wear layer is and decided not to go with them? I am looking into Raintree but the colors are not going to work for my home. I see American OEM makes both Raintree and Hearthwood so just wondering if you did NOT pick them for a reason. thanks much!

@camsrq Heartwood Woodlands is what I was looking at I think and received this response when asking about wear layer "Our woodlands collection uses a 1.5 mm rotary face of either white oak or hickory depending on the color."

Still happy. They were scratched by idiot appliance installer [didn't put wheels down and pushed fridge across the floor ugh]. But because matte not as easily noticed as would be if shiny [i know but whatever]. Other than that, easy to clean up stains. Feel good and look good.

Only been living on them 8 months though...

I believe only direct.

Your floors are beautiful and exactly what I am looking for. Your house (and your dog) are gorgeous! Just scary ordering direct. I will contact Hurst and order samples. This flooring decision is worse than the kitchen and 2 bathroom renovations combined! Those were a piece of cake compared to picking out a decent floor. Thank you for your response!

@camsrq I hear you. I went to many stores and ordered many samples. I also toured a home with Anderson Tuftex and loved it...but wear layer was 1.5 also. don't know how important that really is. I had engineered wood in old house for 20 years and never refinished them...