Choosing the right flooring type isn't enough for your living condition. You will have to consider the types of cut: flat sawn, rift and quarter sawn, quarter sawn or live sawn. Quarter sawn and rift & quarter sawn will be best choices, because expansion and contraction is along the thickness of the wood. You will need climate control all year round. 70 degrees at 40 % relative humidity is where you want to be throughout the year. The use of a humidifier/dehumidifier will be needed year round. Although, engineered flooring is more stable than solid. Using the wrong wood specie in your living condition can run the risk of de-laminating with engineered wood. If, the top veneer is more or less stable than it's core and backing. You will experience de-laminating in extreme humidity swings. Take in account of what the engineered flooring is constructed of: mdf or plywood. The width of the flooring will account for how much expansion and contracting also. 2 1/4" strips are the most stable. As you go wider, expect to see more wider seasonal gaps. Proper acclimating is critical, should be performed with a moisture meter. For 2 1/4" strip flooring , sub-floor and flooring moisture should be within 4%. For all other widths 2% moisture differentiation is allowed or should not be exceeded. Don't forget proper expansion gaps, which is the thickness of your flooring, example: 3/4" thick = 3/4" gap. Sub-floor type and condition will affect the performance of wood floors. All this needs to be considered for the proper and successful performance of your wood floors.

I'm a fan of Hickory. Love it! I love it's STRONG variation! Yep. Variation is the word that can be used for Hickory. If you are going for "mid-tone" then it means the Hickory is stained. No problem. That's fine. Hickory takes a stain very nicely. But it will still have plenty of variation. The stain will even that out a little bit, but not entirely. The finish is UV cured urethane. I'm not very excited about that finish. If you are going for factory finish, you will want to work with the TOUGHEST finishes on the market (that's why you go with factory finished...for the TOUGH finish). The UV cured urethane is a ho-hum type of finish. Average would be the best way to describe it. The thickness of the plank is 3/4" = normal for sold. The plank width is 5" with random lengths UPTO 60" (5ft). That tells me there will be many planks in the 3' - 4' range. Again, this is ho-hum average. And with a wide plank product, it will need "glue assist". And Hickory certainly needs it because it has a bit more movement (less stable) than white oak. And then there is the "low gloss" format. The low-gloss finish on this depth of colour = nightmare to live with. It will show dust, etc as well as oily foot prints, sock prints, paw prints and will look hazy at certain times during the day. The "haze" is part of the chemical make up of the finish itself = that's how they take away the gloss...they haze it with a chemical additive. The haze goes away when you sand and refinish the floor. That's the only way to fix it. If you must have a mid-tone floor, I would recommend a TOUGHER finish (aluminum oxide or ceramic infused polyurethane) in a satin. Satin is FAR MORE livable. It offers a lovely glow without being shiny. It hides skin oils (like paw prints from dogs) because it is the same gloss level as skin oils....it isn't hazy....you get the idea.

What are the specifications for the wood flooring you are considering. I just finished a remodel using engineered wood flooring (in So Cal if that makes a difference) and there is a huge range of quality in terms of the specifications for engineered wood which will impact durability. Also your choice of finish and color will also impact durability - or at least how wear shows up. You need to consider the depth of the wear layer as well as the type of finish used. Good engineered flooring can be refinished although not as many times as solid hardwood. For most people that is not going to be particularly relevant as refinishing once or twice would be adequate. I personally would not purchase flooring from Home Depot but would take the time to go to several stores to look at all the varieties of flooring available. I would also do some research into how to differential low, middle and high quality engineered wood so that one can differentiate intelligently between choices. In terms of subjective advice, laminate is never going to be as attractive as wood - engineered wood is wood after all and in some circumstances it has to be used because solid wood would not be a feasible option. It is always going to be perceived as a higher end more aesthetic choice than even the highest quality laminate.

LVP: - Doesn't look as nice. - Is a bit more flexible and will conform to imperfections in the floor a bit better. - Is not water proof but will resist damage from moisture more than EHW. - You can get it in click lock now if you want to be able to take it up and put it back down in case of water intrusion like in a basement. Engineered HW: - Looks like real wood (because it is). - Is more stable than solid hardwood but will be damaged if water and vapor is not properly managed on a slab. You need to have an installer that REALLY knows how to prepare the substrate properly. - Is more rigid. It can be very hard to get cement slabs perfectly flat enough to not have bouncy spots if you float it. You'll probably spend more $$ in labor and materials getting the floor flat than the wood itself if you want a perfect install. - Unless you get the cheapo "click lock" kind, it is not removable in case of water intrusion in a slab without destroying it as it will be glued together on the edge. Overall, on a cement slab, the engineered hardwood will be a lot harder to properly prepare for, and it will not be as tough against water in the future. However, it does look much, much better if you are willing to pay for it.