The issues with most European White Oak comes from the FINISH or the stain and not the wood itself. A MATTE finish = people complain about HAZING or cloudiness of the floor AND they complain about 'foot prints'. These are FINISH or GLOSS complaints and not 'wood' issues.

People who purchase the WIDE planks will complain about the COST to install them (wide plank = MUST have glue or glue assist install). And then they complain that the wood 'splits' because it is so wide. The splitting is NOT a wood issue, it is a HUMIDITY issue (any wood will split if you don't have the right humidity).

Wire brushed finishes are A B!TCH to maintain! They get dirt into the little grooves and that dirt NEVER comes out. And they stain if oil hits them. Again the GROOVES grab the oil and get it to sink INTO THE WOOD faster. Again this is NOT a wood issue but a finish issue.

People who purchase oiled floors (UV cured or not...doesn't matter) have ALL the complaints above. Again this is a FINISH issue and not a WOOD issue.

Now IMAGINE adding ALL of these things together in ONE plank. It's common to find WIDE plank European Oak that is a FUMED and OILED finish in a house that does NOT have humidity control. Wow! That's an issue waiting to happen. Lots of human complaints about the total package...not realizing it isn't the WOOD. It is the FINISH they chose....

What product are you LOOKING at? Check to see if they are 'wide plank' or 'matte' finish or 'Oiled' floors. Then check to see if they are fumed or whitish in colour. And now check to ensure your home has the RIGHT humidity control for the plank you are looking at.

Thanks so much for your response SJ McCarthy! The Ones I’ve been considering are all wide plank with a matte finish, so you’ve explained the issues well. Floors I‘ve considered - Medallian collection from Naturally Aged Flooring, Bradford collection from Paramount Flooring, and The Affinity collection from Provenza Flooring. One I’ve been looking at recently is from Hurst Hardwoods, European French Oak 7 1/2" x 5/8" w/4mm Wear Layer Hardwood Flooring. I haven’t found many negative reviews on it, so it looks encouraging.

OK...stay away from matte and stay away from wire brushed and stay away from wide plank. You should be fine. The Hurst Hardwoods = WIRE BRUSH = matte = Aluminum Oxide finish. Thickness = 5/8" (snick more than 1/2"). You are picking all the items that get bad reviews. And I'm concerned about the price tag. I'm seeing 'discondintued' pricing at LESS than $6/sf. Yikes.

When looking at European Oak AND wide plank you really want to work with the $12-$15/sf range.

Quick Question: How GOOD is your home HVAC system? Can you add/remove humidity at the drop of a hat? With the push of a button? This is the SINGLE LARGEST part of the 'wide plank' equation that you MUST have to keep it happy.

If you do not have the HVAC system that can handle your local humidity conditions then you will need to pay to upgrade the system.

The warranty hangs on the indoor conditions. It is the single greatest reason warranties are voided and it is the single greatest reasons why we hear homeowners say, "I Didn't know! No one told me!"

I'm sorry but your choices/tastes are ticking all the 'red flag' boxes for complaints at a later date. Buyer be ware.

Did you go with the Hurst Hardwoods or something else? I really like their European Oak product as well.

In case anyone stumbles on this discussion in the future, one solid option is Haro's engineered wood flooring. All their products are manufactured in Germany - very nice quality.