I realise this is a nit-picking doesn’t really matter thread but I just can’t make a decision so thought I would take the advice of STW instead – plenty of opinions and quite a lot of DIYers.

I am having an engineered wood floor laid downstairs in my house. It is a small victorian terrace with concrete floor. The plan is to fit the floor by sticking it down directly, sanding then oiling.

Found a fitter who is a good guy. We agreed he would supply a square edge engineered oak flooring. The price is good at £30 and the quality seems good, it is 5mm oak on 13mm of ply. When I pulled out a couple of strips I was surprised to find the edges were not square but had a small bevel, here are a couple of pictures:

So I asked the fitter if he could swap it for a square edged version of the same but his supplier does not do square edged in engineered only solid floors (which would cost £150 extra) and considering it is an oldish house and being stuck down I think I should stick to engineered.

So then I looked for an alternative myself. From another thread on here I found British Hardwoods and ordered a sample of the square edged oak engineered. The price is the same but the make-up is 3mm of oak on 12mm of moisture resistant MDF, here it is:

Now I’m not sure which to go for, I think I will prefer the look of the square edged as in a small house I think the bevels might look a bit twee or rustic but will they also help hide any unevenness in the floor? Will the square edge look smoother and fit the small house better or will the joints be just as obvious as with the bevels? Also is there much difference in MDF versus ply base and as I don’t plan to live here forever do I really need a lot of thickness to the oak layer?

I know it doesn’t really matter and I should just get on with it by tossing a coin to pick the winner but before I do that any opinions welcome to help me make a decision!

You only need thickness if you plan to sand it every few years to get back to a new surface. If you look after it well and regularly clean and treat it, you won’t need to sand it. I went for a 12mm solid beech floor, but sadly neglected it and now it has loads of ingrained dirt and needs a proper sanding to get it back looking half decent.

If it warps slightly, the bevels will conceal tiny cracks and gaps. They’ll stick out like hell otherwise.

If you are undecided, go with the one your fitter supplies – lower risk to you.

Thanks several useful points so far. Keep ’em coming.

My floor was T&G and glued, so it would struggle to warp such that edges raised up differentially. As it is, it’s been down about 10 years and not warped at all.

we laid oak boards on concrete glued joints 7 years ago. Little bit of movement with a few joints opening up but its wood & wood moves. We love it wouldn’t change a thing. Oil it every 12 months & it takes everything we throw at it with kids, Dogs & wife.

What’s your sub-floor OP? Concrete? Chipboard?

You might want to ask your fitter if he has the kit to sand the square shouldered floor “flat” once it’s laid. I can’t understand him supplying a micro-bevelled floor when you asked for a square shoulder. It’s a pretty fundamental difference.

EDIT: oops, just seen that you have a concrete floor.

I’m not that sure about gluing an mdf backed engineered floor directly to concrete. Also, even if you’re fitting engineered flooring, you ought to be using a liquid DPM that’s mixed and rollered/troweled on before sticking a floor down.

The first floor you chose is more hard wearing, 5mm vaneer onto ply. The second will not be as tough,3mm vaneer onto mdf. It depends on the use of the floor. Say for instance it is going into a childs play room ,entrance hall ,then 5mm ply backed is what i would go for. If its little used or light use then go for the 3mm. It’s to do with durability .

Deffo go for ply based mate,… The ply is sooo much more stable than mdf. Any wet spillages etc and the mdf witth swell like a sponge & blow some boards (even though moisture resistant, it aint water PROOF, i know i use it a lot being a cabinet maker),if it was me i would certainly have the bevel edged,thicker veneered,ply based product,it should be no trouble after has been layed & will look just as a solid wood floor. ;))

Concrete victorian subfloor?
vapour barrier?

Have you had a moisture test? Any hydrostatic pressure?

Unless thats slabs relatively recent and has been insulated, its going to be one huge heatsink!

I’d skip mdf at every opportunity. Air quality fin addition to points above.

surely you gotta put a vapour barrier in ?

Quite surprised the mdf is only veneered one side. Whenever we veneer we always do both sides so as not to introduce an ‘imbalance’.
I guess it works fine though as they are selling it!

Almost went with the exact same floor from British Hardwoods.

In the end my fitter pursaded me to go with a pre treated ply based with a thicker layer of wood on, from a brand he is installs.

It actually works out cheaper too, oiler or lacquered. I chose lacquered, which may turn out to be a mistake given its a hall and I have 2 young kids…!

The brand is Xylo.

My mum has laquered & our kids have given it some abuse…. Still looks sweet!… Youll love it! ;))

Ive had lacquered oak in all my houses, and it is very tough – much better than oiled with kids.

Micro beveled is the way to go, having had both.

[cough cough]

Osmo hardwax oil

[/cough cough]

And I would avoid the bevelled edge stuff – it just collects rubbish along the bevels.

Won’t dirt get stuck in the beveled one? We are considering a new wood floor (have original pine boards sanded at the moment, but are taking a wall out). Choice for me is easy: Junkers 1 inch solid oak. We are not planning to move and my mum has this floor…….

Put down in 1981

Survived everything I have thrown at it as a Tom boy (wooden train set tipped on top of it, metal roller skates etc etc)

Not treated with appropriate stuff every year etc like you are supposed to (probably only a handful of times in 32 years)

Sanded and re varnished only twice in that time – last time (2011) when my mum changed the floor in her hall and open plan kitchen to match the living room. New Junkers floor bought which perfectly matches the one bought in 1981. Some taken up to make sure floor is in one piece and the whole lot sanded and varnished.

2013 looks like new

This floor will be in her will……

This it what I would have, and nothing else I’m afraid. May be a little more expensive to buy, but installation costs will be the same. If you are not moving I would get the best materials you can get, it will be much cheaper in the long run.

Simone

We had one laid recently

5mm oak on 10mm ply. From http://www.oakbydesign.co.uk
The fact its on Marine ply means shrinkage/ expansion/warping due to moisture isn’t an issue. Its laid on a existing wooden floor (nailed) in one room and on a yorkshire flag floor (floating). The floor is over a cellar so moisture a was big concern to us. Not anymore though!

We had the wood smoked for 8hrs to speed the ageing process (darker). Then applied junkers clear oil.

Ours is bevelled. Looks much better (IMO- we looked at both) but dust does catch in the groove. Lazy Wife 😉

The best thing… I ripped the existing skirting board off and new ones to covers the gap around the edge rather than have bead around the edge which looks really naff!

Keppoch, Im a wood floor fitter and I lay this type of engineered boards regularly, the 18mm board fully stuck down would last a life time, the MDF backed boards are usually made to be floated over a DPM backed underlay. However as pointed out by others, you would 1st need to check moisture levels in the concrete sub floor and in the base of the walls where they meet the sub floor, the relative humidity of the room @ 20 degrees should be between 45% and 65%.
A liquid DPM such as Sika MB or Lecol sealer should be rollered out and left over night to dry, then use the addesive from the same manufacturer.
The boards with bevelled edges are usually pre sanded so would only need a light sanding after installation and the best lacquer for a hall would be Bona Traffic, comes in matt and satin finish too.
But to be honest here, the chap you have to fit this, should be telling you all of this if he has any idea what he is doing.
cheers
Mark

Sorry forgot to mention that the beveled boards stand out more than the squared shouldered ones, I wouldn’t of said they are twee or rustic, just more visible.
Mark

Ye bevel looks best fr sure, ive got bevelled quik-step laminate in my kitchen…. Looks good (not as durable as engineered tho eh)

The bevelled one will look much nicer, the other will look cheaper IMHO.

Definitely go for ply based, MDF and spillages don’t mix.

Thanks all, really useful stuff and loads of points to consider especially the thoughts of someone who has had both fitted at some point. Having read all this I am minded to go for the micro-bevelled one. Opinion seems to be that it will look good and is a better bet should there be any small movement in the floor.

To confirm the floor is unfinished and the floorer will be sanding then oiling.

The point on damp and humidity is a good one. I will make sure to mention this. Just for my information how do you measure it? is it using one of those dampometer things using two prongs?

Either a Protimeter or Hygrometer.
This your fitter should have as it is an essential part of the preparation before any wood is fitted.

Also get some good oil to use once a year – Osmo or Biofa are superb.

Either a Protimeter or Hygrometer

Ah yes, a protimeter is what i was thinking of:

Osmo is good but don’t put it on once a year or you will have too much of a build up, it scratches really easily and can get a bit too shiny, you can use maintenance oils that Osmo make for helping to keep it looking nice.