As with anything else, this depends on the particular product. When someone says engineered is more durable than hardwood, what they’re really referring to is the finish. And the type of finish they’re comparing is pre-finished (aluminum oxide) engineered vs site-finished hardwood. Pre-finished coatings are (should be) tougher than site-finished. To further complicate things, for site-finished there’s water-based and solvent-based, with solvent-based being stronger than water-based once it’s cured, bearing in mind that solvent-based finishes take a long time to cure.
And then underneath the finish you have different types of wood, regardless of whether it’s engineered or not. Hard maple is tougher than soft maple is tougher than pine. That also affects the durability, as the finish protects against surface scratches but the hardness of the wood protects against dents and gouges.
Finally the surface layer of engineered wood determines how much it can be refinished. Different types of engineered products have different thicknesses for the top layer and therefore some can be refinished more than others. But also realize that once you refinish your aluminum-oxide pre-finished floor, it now becomes a site-finished floor.
Our home is almost entirely hardwood - it was built in 1925 so white oak. I hate carpeting. We needed to replace some berber carpeting in our 4 season sunporch, accessible from the dining room through french doors. We ended up with vinyl plank strips (?) that look very much like solid wood flooring.
Even has the “plank” look so that you do have to get down on the floor to question if they are individual planks or not. I’m very happy with it. We were told it was our best bet for over the concrete floor out there (the room can get cold on the coldest days in the winter).
I do have an area rug in the middle but no issues with dog paw scratching in the least. Its 3 or 4 years old and looks like new. I also hate the look of laminate - this looks nothing like it!
We have engineered hardwood in the basement, it is not a flooring I would choose for a nice finish in a grown up area of a nice house. It is nice enough for the basement.
We put LVP (luxury vinyl planks) in our connected foyer, kitchen, dining room, living room and study. We love it. Everyone thinks it’s wood, but it’s tough as nails and waterproof. Not hard or cold. It looks nice to have one type of flooring.
I would be careful with laminate, I do not think it’s waterproof.
I was so happy when one of the pets puked on it in the previously-carpeted living room and I just wiped it right up!
There is engineered hardwood and then there is engineered hardwood<<<
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Do tell @BunsenBurner ! Seriously I grew up in a 1969s split level that had carpet on every surface except sheet vinyl in the kitchen. I really feel like I have no interior design knowledge at all. Is it just the level of quality of different engineered wood?
And true the laminate is not as waterproof than vinyl planks but I don’t really envision standing water in these areas.
Don’t just think standing water. Also think pet urine, especially if it’s under an area rug and sits before you notice it (like overnight).
Another reason we got the LVP vs the laminate is the small bits of water that get tracked around the kitchen and near doors, and especially in the kitchen. I’ve seen water-damaged laminate and it’s not pretty.
There are laminates that handle water well- Pergo, for instance, has tested their version in veterinary offices and animal shelters. My dogs trot in from the backyard and the floor looks great (also handles me washing it!).
My response was to sybylla’s post saying that engineered wood is only good for the basement. Not true - there are gorgeous products out there. And it is wood after all, as it is made of wood veneers.
I have 17 year old laminate in our master bath and honestly it is only in the last year or so that I have seen a bubble from moisture. The rep did say that some laminates hold up okay to wetness if you get to it in 24 hours, so I won’t let that drive the decision if the laminate looks are better than the vinyl.
I just find that both products really turn me off - like I know they are fake.
BB - glad to know that there are nice engineered hardwood. I have it in my foyer and it is lovely. I would not put it in a basement where there might be water. I would definitely put the LVT in the basement - in fact that seems like a perfect use for it. Just not sure I want it in the “showpiece” part of the house!