What a tough decision. I don't think there is a right answer. All I can do is give you my experience. I've had both - high end laminate "wood" planks, and I now have engineered hardwood. The laminate wins in terms of durability - the only things that scratched/dented that stuff were things that you figure should do so. (Someone dragged a ladder across the floor with a nail under it, I dropped a glass bowl that shattered and it dented the floor in that spot, etc.). However, in terms of looking better, yes, I think the engineered hardwood just looks more like real hardwood. And for some reason, at least some people seem to think engineered hardwood is more desirable than laminate too - even though cost wise, good laminate can cost more than cheap engineered (or cheap "real" hardwoods too, for that matter!). Now that I've lived with both, I would pick a good laminate again in a heartbeat. Actually, my favorite flooring right now is luxury vinyl planks that look like wood, but that isn't one of your choices. Will they give you samples to test? If I were you, with a toddler and a dog, I'd try to scratch both of them and see which one holds up better.

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.

Thank you so much for your response! I agree that it would be best to rule out one of the variables and not feeling like we can probably the most frustrating part. The best we could probably do is move it to a different area on the wood floor. The environment is different- at the factory they are probably just randomly sitting on on the sofa expecting it to make noise. Is it right thinking that after 1.5 weeks of regular use a sofa could make noise but then after being sent to the factory not make noise or is that not likely? I feel the closest we have gotten to maybe rule out the floor as the culprit is having the couch sent back to the factory and the furniture sent a loaner couch. The loaner couch is smaller but it is in the same place as the couch we purchased was and we have not heard any noise. I guess that I feel that if it was the floors then they should make a noise with this couch on it as well. I guess it’s possible that the floors would make no noise with walking or with the loaner couch but all the sudden make noise with the couch we bought?? We did have the couch we bought half on an area rug and half on the wood floor (as we do with the loaner couch) so I guess we can try to put it all on the area rug. And the other thing is that there has been no noise in the beginning of using the couch we purchased. There was no noise until about 1.5 weeks after using the sofa....it seems weird that a noise would develop fairly consistently after some time...I guess anything is possible. I guess I’m just looking for insight on how much more likely it is to be the sofa or the floors since I don’t have much experience on what to could make either one of them become noisy.

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.