Options for wood floors over concrete

Our entire home has original, solid oak floors except our living room which is a converted garage with a concrete foundation.   We really like the functionality of wood floors and we needed to get rid of our carpet so we went a quest for alternatives.

These are some of the products and issues we considered in our making our decision:

Laminate

Pergo is one well known brand. Laminate floors come in easy to install sections which can “float” or be glued down over concrete. A moisture barrier/sound proofing padding must be installed beneath floating floors. 

Pros: Easy to install yourself, durable, typically inexpensive

Cons: You can get “clicking” or hollow noise when you walk on the floor (good underlay reduces this).  For stairs and transitions you have to buy special pieces which can be expensive and, to me, look a bit weird. It cannot be refinished so if it does stain/scratch it is permanent.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is basically plywood with a wood veneer on top. It comes in pre-finished sections that, like laminate, can click together and float or be glued down. 

Pros: Good match to existing hardwood floors; relatively easy to install

Cons: Options for stair treads and thresholds can be limited in design and expensive (the stairs were a big issue for us)

Wood

Traditional wood floors typically come in ¾ inch think tongue and groove strips that are nailed down to the subfloor and sanded and finished after installation.  Since our floor is above grade, we could have used solid oak but since wood needs to be nailed down we would have needed to lay down a moisture barrier and a layer of plywood. 

Pros: Matches the oak flooring in the rest of the house; can be sanded and refinished; can make stairs and transitions out of the same material with woodworking tools

Cons: Raises the height of the floor by the thickness of the plywood; labor intensive installation

Bamboo

Bamboo floors are made from small glued together strips of bamboo. Unlike other engineered wood floors, color and appearance are consistent throughout the material. Bamboo can be installed like wood floors but, because it is not solid wood it doesn't expand and contract so it can also be glued down to a subfloor.

Pros: Stair treads and transitions can be made out of the same material; considered an eco-friendly choice since bamboo is fast growing; easy installation

Cons: Dents and scratches somewhat easily; can be more expensive

Ultimately we decided on bamboo floors and have been quite happy with them for the last six months.  For us, the appearance of the stairs was a big factor. If you have stairs and are considering laminate or engineered wood flooring, be sure to investigate the price of the transition and special stair pieces.  I was surprised by the limited options and expense.

Here is another online resource with additional info about wood floors: http://www.floorfacts.com/