Definitely go with an installer that does high quality work. Find one that is certified and has good references. A hardwood floor will last the life of the home and it needs to be done right the first time. Probably the most overlooked aspect of installing any hard surface floor is the often tedious job of leveling the subfloor. Even though this is time consuming work required in almost all homes, the subject is glossed over in the DIY shows and install literature. It was the most difficult part of my DIY install. Flooring suppliers- your installer will likely have wood suppliers they have experience with and trust. They also have the option of marking up the price they pay by whatever they like. That's just the way it works. For example, our auto mechanic charged us $20 for new lug nuts that retail online for $8. The Graf Brothers random width (3",4",5", 7") red oak #1 common flooring I purchased directly was not as high in quality as I would have liked. There were too many boards high/low on width and too many high on moisture content. It made my install a PAIN having to work around this. If I did it over again, I would spend more (I paid $3.30/sf delivered) and go with a supplier that offered higher milling standards and better moisture control. Saving money- white oak and black walnut are the hot American hardwoods right now. The price of both has gone up significantly in the last few years. Red oak, on the other hand, has not been popular and the price has dropped significantly. Stained, red oak and white oak are almost identical. Red oak tends to have slightly more color variability in the natural form and also more variability in growth rates (ring spacing). It's not quite as hard as white oak, but hard enough for any active family. Finishes- your installer will recommend a finish for the wear your floor will encounter. I went with a tung/oil resin mixture, but this has a MAJOR disadvantage of slow dry time and smell. The commercial water-based finishes are probably the best choice for most people. A random width hardwood floor is unique looking and very beautiful. We are still happy with ours after 2 1/2 years: Here is a link that might be useful: Random width R&Q red oak floor

We used masonite sheets over the rosin paper which really helped the tromping/scratching factor. And honestly, I'd rather take my chances with the cabinet installers (who are generally carpenters) hurting the floor, rather than the flooring installers (who are generally not carpenters) hurting the cabinets. :-) It's also a lot more work to cut around cabinetry that's already installed, so chances are the savings in square flooring footage will get totally eaten up with the extra labor time, anyways. And unless they are really skilled, you will wind up needing shoe molding to hide the small gaps between floorboards and cabs/toekicks.

Hi there! While we are not located in Detroit, I think we may be able to shed some light on a few of your questions... Humidity in hardwood flooring is not something to mess around with. Whatever you chose, solid or engineered, be sure it is properly acclimated in your home. A local dealer/contractor with NWFA ties should be able to make adjustments for the time of year that it is being installed. But, do not be surprised if you still see movement in the dryer months... if it is installed right the gaps created by a dry winter will close right up as summer comes around. Engineered floors will usually have better dimensional stability in a 5 inch plank. But, that's not to say that solid wouldn't preform. And, solid flooring will give you a structural improvement value on your home that you will not get from an engineered floor. Trust your contractor. Local contractors should be taking humidity readings of the floor and be prepared to give you a good answer to this question based on your weather conditions. I wouldn't want to speculate, as we are not based in Detroit. Five inch boards are much more widely available these days than they were just a few short years ago. But, finding that combination of species, colors, plank size, etc., is where using an informed flooring store comes in. All the online research is for not if you don't have a contractor/store that can give you good options that are based on industry knowledge. It sounds like you did find a store that you like but you are a bit afraid to jump in due to price. We would use this opportunity to remind you that in the $13 per square foot price (which is not an out of line price based on the information you have given) you have to factor in their knowledge, time, flooring options, etc. Remember you are making the choice to stay away from the Lumber Liquidators for a reason... local dealers' pricing will reflect that difference as well. As far as the straight edges versus the mirco-bevels go, If you go with a line like Mirage that is of a higher caliber manufacturing process then the straight edges are much better. Regular, run of the mill products may have issues arise from trying to get the look of a job-finished floor without the on-site sanding or better milling processes. I would suggest mirco-bevels if price is important. Once again, refer back to your local dealer. Thanks for the question! We wish you luck on your project! Champion Floor Co. Here are a few links to help with your search for information: http://woodfloors.org/ http://www.miragefloors.com/ENG/why-mirage-hardwood-floors.php http://www.flooring-professionals.com/how-moisture-affects-hardwood-flooring/

Help please: so this is CME's website where they say they've installed "thousands" of Ikea kitchens (as Traemand subcontractor I assume). http://www.cmeco.net/home.html  Is it a red flag to you that there's NOTHING about them online whatsoever, like they're some kind of fake company? I have messaged the other one recommended above, but so far I like CME's plans and would just as soon go with them. I did contact the Reddit person mentioned above, thanks. No reply yet.