ᐅ Affordable engineered hardwood flooring: Is a 2.5 mm wear layer sufficient?

Hello,

we want to install an oiled oak country-style plank parquet flooring in our single-family house. The parquet listed by the general contractor in the schedule of quantities does not appeal to us after seeing it installed, so we are looking for alternatives. Currently, we have two alternatives: Bauwerk Studiopark Oak 2-layer with a 2.5mm (1 inch) wear layer and HDF backing for about 70€, or Thede & Witte 'Boston' (3-layer with poplar backing, 3mm (1.2 inches) wear layer) for about 50€. The problem is that we prefer to avoid Asian-sourced products, which – due to the poplar core layer – speaks against the Thede & Witte in our opinion. We like the wood quality of the Bauwerk better and would almost be willing to pay the higher price, if it weren’t for the thin wear layer on the Bauwerk parquet. Do you have suggestions for parquet of similar quality to Bauwerk but with a thicker wear layer and priced similarly? Or is 2.5mm (1 inch) sufficient with HDF backing? We have underfloor heating, the parquet will be glued in all living areas including hallway and kitchen, and we have a small dog, so the flooring should be sandable at least once. I find it difficult because the internet often lacks detailed information about the exact construction/material of the core layers.
It would be great if someone could help.

Many thanks

2.5mm (0.1 inches) is definitely sufficient. Sanding is often mentioned as an argument, but in reality, this sanding might typically be done only after about 20 years. Oak is inherently a very durable material that can withstand a lot (in our case, a Bernese Mountain Dog for a few years, which didn’t cause any problems).

Correction: The Thede & Witte has a 4mm (0.16 inch) wear layer.

Is it not possible to sand down at 2.5mm (0.1 inches), or how do you see it?

I would have said at least 3mm (0.12 inches) before, but @nordanney is right, sanding is usually not done. If at all, it’s done when moving out. And then it doesn’t really matter, because either it’s a tenant – who just has to accept how it looks – or a buyer, who can then decide whether to sand it down or replace about 50% anyway.

claubiblau schrieb:

Is it not possible to sand down 2.5mm (0.1 inches) at all, or what do you think?

Yes, but probably only once at most.

2.5 mm (0.1 inches) can unfortunately be quickly worn through or scratched off. We had this kind of parquet flooring in our previous rental apartment, including the kitchen. With a toddler and a crawling baby, the parquet was damaged in many places to the point where the base material was visible. If the parquet is lacquered, it is less susceptible, but oiled oak is not durable enough for me to want to look at it for 15 years.