So yes I realize there are a bunch of threads about LVP. I’ve read them all. I just want help talking me off my personal cliff. Please allow my brain dump.

For a new home, I’ve always and forever thought I’d choose solid hardwood. Not a fan of engineered so for the sake of my dilemma please don’t consider engineered. I have my eye on white oak with a natural finish and hey! I just happen to have a friend at a floor store to give me the employee discount. These floors are a steal.

But I keep thinking maybe I love the IDEA of hardwood more than I love hardwood. Our current hardwood looks like crap. We have 2 young wild things and 2 senior dogs. Our previous kitchen hardwood was ruined by a previous senior dog who developed Cushing’s. When it came time to replace, we replaced with hardwood. But alas.....another floor, another dog developing urinary issues. My kids haven’t messed up the floor much other than a couple skateboarding incidents (not kidding) but I did by spilling a whole gallon of water...even though I cleaned it up right away! This damage isn’t pretty damage like a reclaimed floor. It’s just....not pretty damage.

We don’t plan to ever move from the new house. I don’t want to stress about the BRAND NEW floors, I don’t want to panic when my kids or dogs (will always have dogs) or I mess it up. I also don’t want to spend a lot of $ just to see it get damaged within a year. Our new home will be on a working farm. So maybe LVP makes sense? We are looking at Provenza Sweet talker for about the same price sq/ft as the white oak. BUT, will I regret LVP? Can I get over the fakeness? Resell is not an issue, but I still don’t want to “cheapen” the house we‘ve waited so long for. Our house will be high end for our area. I know we could always put in hardwood later, but really I suspect what we go with will be what we keep. I love the idea of the floors lasting 100+ years and being a part of the story of our family home when we’re gone. I love the feel of hardwood. But would it be the impractical choice?