Solid or Engineered flooring

[derol4]

Hi All,

I ordered 81/4" solid american black walnut from a company about a month ago. The day before yesterday the girl calls me up to confirm delivery of my "engineered" flooring. I said hang on here - I ordered solid......

She said it was a misunderstanding but that the engineered was a "better product" and if she was putting it into her house she'd put the engineered.

What should I do? She delivered the engineered on the condition that I could return it if I was not happy. It's got 7mm of solig walnut on an MDF base. I put a few boards together and it looks fine - doubt i could tell the difference when the entire floor is down.

Should I go for this (it's not any cheaper than what she quoted me for solid). She says I could sand and varnish several times.

Any thoughts?

Derol4.

[r.p.mcmurphy]

what a rip off!! SEND IT BACK QUICK!!

Steve

[Grunff]

Return it.

Are you sure it's on an MDF base? If so, deffinitely return it. Most engineered floors are on a ply-type base, with grain running at right angles. This gives them dimensional stability, and resistance to warping. There are advantages to using this type of flooring instead of solid timber in some situations, such as locations where humidity is very variable.

But either way, what you have isn't what you ordered, it's a product which should be significantly cheaper.

[derol4]

It's definitly on some kind of MDF base - I had 2 carpenters looking at it. They both said they would prefer if it was on a plywood base instead. The MDF does seem to be flimbsy .

[Grunff]

I don't think I'd be happy with that, especially if I'd paid the same kind of price as I might have paid for solid wood.

[T N Nurse]

Send it back. You're being ripped off. Solid walnut would be way more expensive than MDF and a constructional veneer. You've paid for an expensive item and they've shipped you a much cheaper one.

Engineered stuff probably is more practical but you shouldn't be paying the same price as you'd payed for solid. Anyway, as others have pointed out, the backing should be ply so not only have you been shipped something different to what you ordered, you've been shipped a cheap lower grade version from that particular product range.

[r.p.mcmurphy]

don't forget to 'NAME and SHAME' too!

Steve

[antgel]

Is there really much difference in price between engineered and solid wood flooring?

[Grumps]

If it's on a MDF base return it. If it's on a ply base such as the Khars or Tarket range they are usualy very stable and hard to tell from a solid floor, but one thing I always point out to a customer is a solid floor is for the life of the house as it can always be resanded and polished a few times. Grumps (timber floors for 35 years)

[Grunff]

Depends where you're buying it from, but generally I'd say there's a

20-30% difference.

[Grumps]

Decent engineered flooring can be more expensive than solid!!! Khars engineered Walnut 2-strip trade price is £39:95 + vat per mtr. Solid 22mm thick American Walnut 95mm wide trade price £33:60 + vat or 127mm wide at £46:40 + vat but remember these have to sanded and polished after fitting. Personaly my favourite is Prime Oak 130mm wide at £29:95. Grumps

[Bob Mannix]

Listen to them. You asked for solid. "Very well* engineered floors *might* be an acceptable alternative. This is not. You don't think it is, two independent carpenters don't think it is and we don't think it is. Send it back and start again looking at solid and engineered floors and make a calm decision (again) on what to get. You have to decide what you get, not the supplier! Even if you end up going for a (different) engineered floor it must be a free decision taken by you.

[Andy Dingley]

Depends what you paid. If you've paid "MDF price", then it might be a reasonable product for a reasonable deal and it was just a misunderstanding during ordering.

If you're paying solid prices (which I think you'd have noticed), then it's a shameful rip-off.

If it's the first (as I expect), then consider how good a product it is for what you need, and whether it's still worth having. It's probably a perfectly adequate product, so long as there's no risk of damp or spillage - which an MDF base really won't like.

[Tony Bryer]

He has got 7mm of solid walnut so it presumably would take some sanding and refinishing.

[Grumps]

7mm sounds ok and you could probably sand it properly once! remember that if you reduce the hardwood top layer you are weakening the floor so any heavy furniture or stiletto heal could go through the top layer into the softer ply backing (I have seen it happen). It would be interesting to know what sort of price Derol4 has paid for his Walnut and who from (name and shame) Grumps

[derol4]

Guys, thanks for your replies..... the company i'm dealing with are called Trunk Flooring from Northern Ireland. The price was =8065+vat (i'm buying from Ireland and I have a vat number so I don't need to pay the vat). I've bought french oak off the same company (just being layed this week) and it looks great. In fairness to them she did say I could return the walnut if i don't like it - I suppose she is doing her best to get the sale . I will return it (thanks for all the advice everyone) and get something solid instead.

Derol4.

[Grumps]

Hi Derol4, When you get sorted try Havwoods at Preston 01772 315500, they are probably the biggest hardwood supply firm in England, all orders over £100 are delivered free of charge. All be good Grumps

Derol4.

[Pete C]

Hi,

Engineered flooring should cope a lot better with seasonal changes in humidity. If in a high traffic area I'd have thought it better to protect it than let it get to the point where it needs sanding.

Maybe if you want to keep it get some other quotes and ask for a price match, otherwise it's like a 'bait and switch' type thing.

cheers, Pete.

[Chris McBrien]

Please 'Name & Shame' these people. Everybody is entitled to know who these people are.

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