Trying to do a budget makeover to sell the house in a few yrs upon retirement - but yet enjoy the new hardwood floors for a few years - thus, don't want to spend extra $$ for a high end product.

Have three estimates for engineered hardwood floors by Mercier ( Pro-Loc, 3-1/4” width, 3/8” thick, red oak”), Somerset (Color Collection, engineered, 3-1/4” x ½” thickness), and Boen ( about 1/2 inch thick - no other info). Any comments on which is best, pros and cons, etc?

Also, will be floating insulation in Dining room and living room over a concrete slab - is this the proper installation choice. Do floating floors creak or feel hollow to walk on - have seem comments in this regard ? Or does it really only bug folks that are very picky?

Thanks for any advice and comments.

Floating click hardwood/bamboo floors seem to have that squeaky problem. Better to glue it down.

Thank you, Stephen, for your reply. So if I am using oak - will I be okay?

The installation will be on a ground level concrete slab. Two installers recommended floating installation and one recommended glue down with some "special glue" that was very expensive. I am in the Metro Wash DC area and 99% of the houses in the areas have basements - thus, this installation is likely not common for the local contractors.

So in your opinion, is floating the way to go?

floating floors are easier faster and thus cheaper to install. GLuing down is what I would do especially if you are trying to avoid the squeak pop crackle sound of most wooden click lock flooring. the somerset product is not a click lock it would have to be edge glued which I actually think is a better way of floating an eng. floor(if done right of course). Make sure concrete moisture emission test is done and documented. this will tell you what you are really up against. the one other good thing about floaters is that you can put thenm over concrete with a cheap barrier and they tend not to have few problems regarding moisture migration with minimal cost.

Wow, your guys are awesome, thank you. Yes, I can see that glue down would

So if the moisture level is acceptable - then there is no issue with gluing down the engineered hardwood flooring to the concrete slab - is that correct ? Is there still some type of vapor barrier that they place over the slab - guess not, unless it is somehow stapled to the concrete slab.

What happens on those few days per year when it gets really humid and the concrete slab gets wet - I see this happening on the concrete slab in my garage - which is also ground level?

I've had similar questions related to the installation of engineered wood flooring and have tried both the "floating" option as well as the gluing option. Allowing the floor to "float" is definitely cheaper in that there is no adhesive involved regardless of the cost of the adhesive. However, I would agree that, if one wishes to avoid the snapping/crackling sound, I would choose some sort of gluing option. I would also recommend exploring the vapor barrier issue as the time would be well spent regardless of how one chooses to proceed.

The guy in that video doesn't know jack about hardwood. Most likely the reason he says not to try and refinish his engineered is because it is to thin a veneer to sand. There's tons of engineered you can sand. There is also lots of solid you can glue down, but thats another topic.

Makes me wonder if they are just buying some cheap foreign made stuff and putting their own brand name on it.

The video is made strictly as a sales push. In fact I've removed the link because it provides no value to any visitors coming here. Besides it smells of the poster just being here to drop a link or push his product. If you guys see similar links please let me know. Just click that red exclamation mark in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.