many contractors prefer to stay away from sanding maple, but maple can be stained and finished nevertheless.
walnut it's a softer wood, indeed.
The fact that he "warned" you about things getting stuck between boards it's a red flag to me, because that's not true. He either doesn't know the product or is using boogie man stories to steer you towards something he's likely to make more money on.
Here is the proof, Mirage is the real deal.
We've installed the original Mirage flooring back in 2008 at the Trump Tower in Chicago. A while ago there was a bad water damage in the building and in multiple units the floors got completely replaced (more than 10). Not even one owner chose to switch to a different brand!!!
Also, we replace individual boards quite often due to dents, scratches etc. (which, by the way, is the biggest advantage you'll get from installing a prefinished floor over a site finished one) and as a result of it get to walk through many units in that building and I can tell you that after 8 years these floors look great, showing no signs that they'd need replaced or even sanded anytime soon (not for at least another 20 years).
So, I have to respectfully disagree with the final point made by Sabrina.
It is my honest believe that unless there is a major flood in the home (something neither hardwood nor engineered can sustain), Mirage floors will outlive their owners.
The only Mirage I do not recommend is their "lock" lines because there are better brands making click in engineered floors and their birch face floors because birch it's too soft to my liking.
But their tongue & groove floors are some of the best in the industry and overall will perform better than hardwood (including their hardwood, just so no one will think I'm just pushing Mirage), any day.
And, for what it's worth, if I did flooring in my own home tomorrow, even if I decided to stay in that home forever, I'd install a 5/8 or thicker engineered floor, instead of hardwood. It is, in my honest opinion, the superior option.
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comments on eng. wood in kitchen
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