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However, I have to take issue with one statement on that page:

For many people, engineered wood represents a great compromise between durability and authenticity. 

In fact, after a couple of years with it I've come to the conclusion that engineered flooring is about the least durable flooring you can buy. The manufacturers claim that the finish on engineered flooring is much harder than the job-site applied finish (i.e. urethane) over a typical solid wood floor. That claim may be true but it's disingenuous as an overall durability claim. What they omit is that engineered flooring is a LOT more prone to dents and gouges than either a hardwood or laminate floor. A hard finish won't prevent that.

One of the most popular Google search phrases sending people to this site is some variation of "dogs+engineered flooring". Metaphorically, that might as well be "oil+water". The two definitely do not mix. Neither do engineered floors and women's stiletto heels.

While the top layer of an engineered floor may be real hardwood with a very wear-resistant finish, the plywood substrate beneath it is soft. That hardwood layer is simply too thin and flexible to resist denting by itself.

Worse, engineered floors can cost as much, or even more, than a solid hardwood floor. Online, I paid $5.50/sf for the Mannington stuff I used here. I could have bought solid, pre-finished oak t&g flooring for about the same price. In the end, the installation job would have been about the same as well. Instead of a pneumatic stapler I would have used a floor nailer.

My advice to anyone considering engineered flooring is, "forget it". Or at least until they produce engineered floors with a carbon fiber or kevlar substrate. Unless you have no animals and you walk around in stocking feet, go with solid hardwood.