Will I regret 1/2" or 3/8" engineered hardwood?

11 years ago

I've been looking at engineered flooring for the entire house (75% over crawlspace, 25% over slab) and I need some assistance with the final choices. The DW likes darker floors (eg walnut), but more important priorities are durability and cost. We really like the look of the Shaw Camden Hills in Lasso. http://shawfloors.com/hardwood-floorsDetails/Hickory/Shaw_Hardwoods/Camden_Hills_SW433-Lasso

but we're concerned about some of the negative reviews online regarding delamination, etc. Another choice would be the Anderson Dellamano in Hickory Espresso http://www.andersonfloors.com/Hardwood.aspx?collection=3 It seems like their construction is about the same, 3 ply + a thinner wear layer, but Anderson supposedly has a better reputation. Some flooring sales people have pushed the even thinner 3/8" Shaw Epic line with the particle board center as a better alternative due the increased hardness and cheaper price. Should I take any of these options off the table? The total cost is important, but we want to do it right the first time. Thanks!

Comments (3)

UniqueWoodFloor
11 years ago
How do you like to install your flooring? staple, glue or float?
Floortech
11 years ago
Shaw would absolutely back any delam issue you would ever had and it is warranted for life. That is key. We have sold Shaw engineered for years and have never has one claim yet. PS Shaw owns anderson and most Shaw Anderson woods are produced in Anderson Mills which is now Shaw owned.
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newtoremodel
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the info, I didn't know Anderson was owned by Shaw. Are their hardwoods manufactured in the same mills?

I was planning to ask for glue down with a waterproof adhesive, but now I'm not so sure. We have both crawlspace and slab and in order to have everything leveled, we will need to install plywood over the subfloor everywhere. Does that mean that the plywood should be glued to the concrete (with the water proof glue) and the floor needs to be glued to the plywood? Would that cause moisture issues since the plywood is "sealed" on both sides?

Any advice on the EnviroCore by Shaw? Is it better, or just cheaper?

Thanks.