How is the simplefloors.com quality? I'm looking at a 1/2" handscraped hickory engineered. Max Windsor has one that is about the same, but $1 more per sq. ft.. I'm doing the whole house, so it adds up, but don't want to buy something we'll regret.

Ask simple floors if they actually manufacturer any of that flooring they sell. The question you ask cannot be answered as it is written.

My opinion of American based manufacturers that produce over seas changes by the day. Stick with a smaller mill in the U.S that actually makes the product here that they sell. There's a lot of them. Ask even Max Windsor where they're product is made.

There is a move on nationally to stop all the trash engineered hardwood being sent into this country.

I have installed some flooring from simple floors that a client of mine had picked up on their own and I was not impressed. Their seemed to be a lot of short boards and the overall quality was less than average.

Max Windsor is a great product, tough to beat, good chance it's worth a buck a foot extra.

I used their product in a rental of mine, so I can speak for the engineered product but none of the rest. I got a scraped hickory floor, its got a darker stain and is holding up to my renters two 50lb dogs. People were friendly and the product seems to be holding up really well. I would make sure you talk to someone about what type of floor is best for you, I got the hickory because it was harder than the oak I was looking at. Have not been disappointed!