We are beginning to remodel our kitchen this month and in the process will replace the entire first floor, ~1200 sf with OSB subfloor and 16 OC joists, with either an engineered wood or solid wood floor. From our research there are pros/cons to each and it may come down to personal preference but I am concerned with the area directly in front of the wood-burning insert fireplace. We use it to heat the main level during the winter and it blows out some serious heat when fully stoked. The hottest area is about 3'-4' in front of the fireplace where it can get so hot that if I leave the metal poker stick lying there, it's almost too hot to handle. I did put a thermometer on the floor last night and it was measuring in the upper 80s directly under the hot air draft while the rest of the house was around 72.
We are planning on putting in hickory. We will probably put a throw rug over that spot during the winter to help dissipate the direct heat a little bit but not sure if it really makes a difference. The various dealers pretty much make it sound like there will be no problems with any of the options so I'm still skeptical. We currently have carpeting here but our concerns are:
- Solid wood - 5" planks are more susceptible to cupping, 3-1/4" would be better but it appears only 5" is available in the style we want. Besides the seasonal expansion/contraction gaps, will the higher heat in this immediate area cause issues with the solid wood?
- Engineered wood - Will the higher heat concentration here cause delamination that wouldn't normally be experienced throughout the rest of the house? That is my biggest concern.
I appreciate any comments or experiences you may have had.