Sheen will not matter with how they clean normally, but will matter with how quickly they look dirty. Matte finish is more forgiving. High shine is being sold less and less as it shows every in-perfection or abrasion to the finish. Brazillian cherry is a product that most people love and do not get tired of the red. Brazilian cherry does change color quickly with age and sunlight. Beautiful wood.

Does Brazilian Cherry come in a matte finish? Is one brand better than another with engineered flooring?

Dee

I can not agree with "Echoflooring" more on all his comments besides the part about popularity of the higher sheen level floorings. It seems more acceptable to me now than a few years ago. I post along a link of Brazilian Cherry engineered flooring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Teka Twin Brazilian Cherry IdealLoc

... The most practical floor in the terms of needing less maintenance is a medium toned floor with a significant grain pattern in a satin or matte finish--thus the popularity of oak flooring. ....

I'm the one in a panic over which finish for my hardwoods (a thread from yesterday). Then I read the above in this thread and feel a little better. It's discussions like this that made me not want a glossy finish to start with, but then I talked with my builder's wife who said that they prefer to use semi-gloss for its durability.

Anyway, 2 coats of satin are already done (on white oak). Final coat will come after painters finish up in the house. Not having ANY experience at all with hardwoods, I just don't know what to expect. Will I be happy with the way satin holds up (we're not too hard on floors--no kids but will have 2 cats)? Should I switch to semi-gloss for last coat (and/or ask for an extra). Aaaarrrgh. Just this one last agony, and we'll be about ready to move in.

Thanks!

Low-gloss is a more forgiving finish in terms of not showing wear. The shinier the finish, the sooner you will notice dulling or scratching in high-wear areas. I would personally not go glossier than satin, and I would actually prefer matte myself.

Satin on white oak should hold up pretty well. White oak, assuming it's not stained a dark color, is a very forgiving wood IMO. The grain pattern and medium color tones hide a multitude of sins.

I want the engineered hardwood that is not smooth and feels like real wood. Something my dogs can walk on without slipping. Where can I find it and what is it called? No one seems to have a clue. I have seen it on the floor in Walmart...Anyone?

The floor you have seen in Walmart may not be real wood at all. There are several vinyl or vinyl-type flooring products that imitate the look of real wood by using high resolution image technology. Laminate flooring uses such technology to produce the 'papers' that have the design printed on them. I have seen some flooring by Tarkett and other manufacturers at flooring conventions that I had to get on my knees to examine to determine whether they were the 'real' thing or not.

Are you referring to a hand-scraped texture? During my shopping for laminate, I've come across several that have a texture that's supposed to better imitate real wood and that's what they were all labeled. I've also read that some of the luxury vinyl floors have the same texture and appearance as real wood, but haven't seen one myself. I'm not sure what Wal-Mart is installing these days.

walmarts use a solid vinyl plank flooring that is quite nice but not wood at all.

Be aware that Brazillian Cherry while hard will change colors dramatically after you install them. As mentioned the dark color and satin finish will show off ever little speck of dirt or smudge. Finish choice is also a function of how much light that room will get. If your sitting in the LR and looking down the length of your house you will notice things a lot more.

Wal mart uses Karndean, but it is not maintenance free and I do not recommend it.