Engineered Hardwood Flooring (I think) Advice

[GleamingHeels]

I was sure that this question must have been asked a zillion times, but I have done an advanced search and can't find the answer!

I am about to replace carpet for wooden flooring in a couple of rooms (not kitchen or bathroom) and I understand that engineered hardwood is the most hardwearing - do please correct me about this if necessary!

I really want a polished shiny finish, similar to the attached image.

It was hard to see from the samples in my local store, labelled 'matte' and 'sheen' whether they would look like this - do you know if it's possible with engineered hardwood or should I choose something else?

Solid wood is the most hardwearing; you can sand it and resand it again and again. But it's also expensive.

I'd be wary of a very high polish. It will show every scratch, and can even be dangerously slippy if you aren't careful. It really depends on how much time and effort you want to put in to keep it like that. Most surfaces I've seen on wood floors aren't as shiny as that picture. Matte definitely wouldn't look like that. 'Sheen' could mean anything, as it's not really defined, but usually means something somewhere between gloss and matt. You need to see an actual sample.

It's not that engineered is more hard wearing, it's that it's more stable and less prone to warping during temperature changes/damp than solid wood is. Solid wood and engineered are exactly the same on top, it will be about the finish you choose. For a finish like you've shown you'll be wanting a lacquered finish I think, or unfinished and you can choose a suitable glossy varnish to go on top.

@CellophaneFlower

It's not that engineered is more hard wearing, it's that it's more stable and less prone to warping during temperature changes/damp than solid wood is. Solid wood and engineered are exactly the same on top, it will be about the finish you choose. For a finish like you've shown you'll be wanting a lacquered finish I think, or unfinished and you can choose a suitable glossy varnish to go on top.

Good points. We have had engineered once, because we wanted underfloor heating (solid wood is not suitable for that). It was fine, but wouldn't have taken as many sanding cycles as solid wood. It would still take a lot more sanding than laminate, though.

It would still take a lot more sanding than laminate, though.

Well you can’t sand laminate at all. It’s just a photo of wood with a varnish/coating on top

It depends on the thickness of the top layer as to how many times engineered can be sanded. However, I'm assuming it's quite a big job, so not something that would be done frequently, therefore I'm guessing engineered would last a long time. Personally I think you have to embrace the marks that are bound to develop in wood over time. I feel they give it depth and character. If you're very precious about things like that, it's probably not for you 👍

Go for a lacquered rather than oiled finish if you want sheen, with as thick a top layer as you can afford.

In a medium traffic area you'll get a good few years of wear before it needs to be sanded and refinished.

Wow that’s shiny! I haven’t seen a floor like that in anyone’s house to be honest. Not sure how en vogue it is? Not that that really matters but you might find it harder to find. That to me looks like glossy varnish which I’m sure could be achieved with engineered wood. Some types come unfinished then the layer puts on the varnish or oil or whatever.