Hardwood Floor Types
There are two basic types of hardwood. Solid hardwood and and engineered hardwood. Solid hardwood can be purchased in 3/4” finished or unfinished boards or 5/16” finished boards. Engineered hardwood is real wood, but instead of one solid piece it consists of thin layers of wood, called plies, that are assembled and glued in a cross-ply construction.
Solid Hardwood 
Solid wood is just that – one piece that is milled from lumber. It comes in a variety of widths, from 2-1/4" to 5" wide. It also comes in different thicknesses: 3/4" is standard, but you can also find “thin profile” solid that is 5/16” thick which can be glued directly to concrete floors without a sub-floor if the moisture content of the concrete is not too high. (see more about this important issue here) Unfinished hardwood boards come in different qualities. These include clear, select and better, #1 common, and #2 common. The clear has no visual blemishes or knots and is extremely expensive. The select and better quality has some small knots and very little dark grain, while the #1 common and #2 common have more knots and more dark grain. When buying an unfinished solid wood floor make sure you know which quality you are buying.
Keep In Mind:
Moisture and extreme temperature changes can cause solid wood to shrink and expand, potentially causing gaps between boards during colder or dryer seasons.
5/16" thin profile solid wood can be installed directly over concrete; 3/4" can’t.
All solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished if needed (required every 15-20 years).
 All urethane coated floors can be recoated as needed to renew the surface of the floor. This is more economical than sanding and refinishing.
Engineered Hardwood
Engineered wood is real wood, but instead of one solid piece it consists of three to 10 thin layers of wood, called plies, that are assembled and glued in a cross-ply construction. The top layer of wood can range from 1/16" to 1/6" thick. Overall board thickness ranges from 1/4" to 3/4". Due to its multi-ply structure, engineered wood is much more stable than solid wood and is less susceptible to shrinking and expanding with changes in temperatures and humidity.
Keep In Mind:
Engineered wood can be installed directly over concrete and can also be installed below ground level.
Engineered wood with a top layer thinner than 1/10" cannot be refinished; however, it can be recoated to renew the surface of the floor.
Site-Finished vs. Pre-finished Hardwood Floors
Prefinished
A pre-finish, or factory finish, creates a no muss, no fuss installation. There’s no dust from sanding, no fumes from chemicals, no waiting for the finish to dry. These floors are warranted to last longer than site-finished floors–typically 15 to 25 years, versus three to five years. This is because factory applied urethane finishes are much tougher and longer lasting than site-applied finishes.
With all the color choices available in pre-finished hardwood flooring, there’s no need to custom stain site-finished floors to get just the right look for your home. If you like the look of site-finished flooring, but want the durability of pre-finished flooring, choose a product with a square end and edge. When properly installed the square boards will have no visual crack or grove between the boards and will appear to have a more traditional site finished look.
Site-Finished
Advocates of site-finishing like the fact that the floor can be sanded after it’s installed to even out any imperfections. Site finishing also gives you the widest selection of stain colors to choose from. However, on-site sanding and finishing can produce heavy fumes, messy dust and significant waiting time from when the floor is laid until it can be enjoyed. In addition, labor costs for on-site finishing may drive up your installation costs.
The All important Hardwood look!
The look is what is all boils down to. Do you want the traditional elegant look of rich oak floors that stretch across the room with a smooth-as-glass finish with no visible seams or cracks? To get this look you need a professional installer to use 3/4” hardwood finished on site. Some people may tell you that you can get this look using modern pre-finished materials, but if you want the look of a grand hall, do it the old fashioned way.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a great floor that looks better than anything but a site finished floor, your choices are almost endless. You can have exotic woods, easy to install woods, woods with a rustic or distressed look, easy to clean woods. You can install some of these woods directly to concrete. They can be nailed down or glued down and are best for a do-it-yourself project. Keep in mind, choose wisely and carefully because that floor will be around for a long time.
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