ᐅ Engineered wood flooring instead of solid hardwood floorboards offered

Hello, actually a quiet reader until now, but I have a question.
I am renovating an old half-timbered house step by step and trying to base it on the original building materials.
Therefore, oak solid wood planks were planned as the flooring. Since the floor is still in quite good condition, with only some boards repaired, and the floor needs to be raised anyway because of the other rooms, the plan—discussed with the flooring installer—was:
to sand the old floor level and screw the new planks onto the old ones.
I want to avoid using adhesive, filler, or plastic materials.
Now he gave me an offer invoiced at €90 where he intends to glue 3-layer engineered parquet onto a filled floor at about €150 per square meter (approximately 14 dollars per square foot).
This does not correspond to the order at all and seems quite expensive to me (both per square meter and for the entire offer).
How should I proceed with this craftsman?
It feels like: he is creating an impossible offer that will never be accepted and wants to get paid well for it...

Welcome to the forum,
this is all quite confusing.
"Offer invoiced and payment requested?"
What is the initial situation,
what was offered,
what was commissioned,
what was carried out,
and what is the invoice for now?
Please clarify.

For an old timber-framed house, I would personally prefer bare floorboards. I wouldn’t screw them down but nail them instead, especially if they are going on top of old boards in a gallery or corridor. Nailing can sometimes cause squeaking, while screwing risks splitting the wood. For floorboards, I would favor beveled edges. You will definitely have shifting joints that can be very visible at certain times. It’s better to embrace this naturally rather than try to hide something that cannot be avoided.

I would be very meticulous to ensure that no worm infestation is visible where the old and new wood meet. If the worms have already consumed too much protein in the old wood, they might find the young wood to be an attractive source.

A construction likely involving chipboard panels in at least two layers in the corridor beneath a multi-layer parquet floor would allow for a floating installation of the panels, which only need to be screwed to each other. This separation makes the whole system independent from the movements of a timber-framed building. This way, you can achieve a perfect finish for the top flooring, just like in new construction. There is something to be said for that too.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Best regards from Gabriele

Thank you very much for the detailed responses.

Nida35a schrieb:

Welcome to the forum,
this reads completely confusing.
"Invoice for the offer sent and payment requested?"
What is the starting point,
what was offered,
what was contracted,
what has been carried out,
what is the invoice for now,
please clarify.

Hello,
The starting point is an old house with original wooden floorboards, onto which new floorboards are to be installed.
With a clear requirement: solid wood boards, no glue.
What was offered: 3-layer parquet, glued.
So far, nothing has been carried out.
After inspection, the flooring installer prepared an offer that does not meet the clear requirements at all. Also, I find the requested price of 150 €/m² (14 USD/sq ft) quite high.
For preparing this "offer," he now wants 90 €.
I am rather reluctant to place the order as it does not match my expectations. I am willing to pay for a reasonable effort, but 90 € for a proposal that has nothing to do with the specified requirements seems inappropriate.

@fach1werk,
There are no signs of worms or rot.
Particle boards, etc., are not to be used. A look like in a new build is not desired—it’s a 180-year-old house, and that character is meant to show.
Gaps are part of it, just like wear on cement tiles and uneven clay plaster.

I would simply call again and explain that you ordered a quote for solid hardwood flooring, not engineered wood, and ask for the appropriate one.
And does the €150 per m² (approximately $14 per ft²) include materials? Then the price is reasonable at the moment.
Currently, there are also significant delivery delays for solid hardwood flooring.

As far as I know, quotes are usually free of charge and non-binding. Only after prior notification and corresponding services/planning services can quotes be subject to a fee.