Three engineered hardwood lines, three different answers to the same question: how much real wood sits above the core, and how wide do you want the planks to run. Our engineered hardwood collection carries all three. Choose the Top Floorings European Oak line for the widest plank here, 7 1/2 inch, on a 3/4 inch board with a 3mm or 4mm top layer, from $4.29 to $4.79 per sq ft. Choose Vidar white oak for a 6 inch white oak plank at the same 3/4 inch thickness, from $4.33 to $5.07 per sq ft. Choose the Bruce handscraped board for a 5 inch plank in a lower 3/8 inch profile, at $3.99 per sq ft.
Which of the three lines fits your room?
| Line | Plank width | Board thickness | Top layer | Species and texture | Price per sq ft | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Oak, 7 1/2 inch, 4mm top layer | 7 1/2" | 19mm (3/4") | 4mm | Oak, wire brushed | $4.79 | Open main floors, the most wood for a future sand |
| European Oak, 7 1/2 inch, 3mm top layer | 7 1/2" | 19mm (3/4") | 3mm | Oak, wire brushed | $4.29 to $4.39 | Wide plank look at a mid price |
| European Oak, 6 1/2 inch, 2mm top layer | 6 1/2" | 19mm (3/4") | 2mm | Oak, wire brushed | $3.99 | Bedrooms, hallways, tighter budgets |
| Vidar white oak | 6" | 19mm (3/4") | Ask us for the Vidar board you like | White oak | $4.33 to $5.07 | Rooms where a 6 inch plank reads best |
| Bruce Calico Brown | 5" | 10mm (3/8") | Ask us for the top layer of this board | Oak, handscraped | $3.99 | A lower board and a rustic surface |
Prices checked October 17, 2026. Material only, before installation and tax.
What does the top layer mean when you refinish a floor?
An engineered plank is a stable core with a slice of real hardwood bonded on top, and that slice is the top layer. It is the wood you walk on and the wood a sander touches years later, so it decides how much of a refinish the floor can take.
A screen and recoat adds a coat over the existing finish without cutting into the wood, and it works on any sound floor. A full sand and refinish takes the old finish and a thin layer of wood off and builds a new finish from bare wood, and that is the job the top layer pays for. A 4mm top layer holds roughly twice the wood of a 2mm one.
Weigh that against how long you plan to keep the floor. In a first home you may sell in a few years, a 2mm or 3mm top layer gives you the same look for less. In a house you stay in, where a hallway, a kitchen and a front door take traffic every day, the 4mm tier keeps your options open.
3/4 inch or 3/8 inch: which board thickness do you want?
Our European Oak line and both Vidar colours are 19mm (3/4”), the same height as solid hardwood. Bruce is a 10mm (3/8”) board, a little under half that. What matters in a doorway is the top of the floor, because that is what has to meet the floor in the next room, clear the bottom of the doors and sit below the toe kick of kitchen cabinets.
A 3/4 inch board is the easier match when the rest of the house has 3/4 inch hardwood, since the two floors meet level at a threshold. A 3/8 inch board sits lower, which helps when you are laying over a flat surface or would rather not trim a door. A thinner board leaves less material above the subfloor, so the subfloor has to be flat and firm and the fixing method planned for the board you pick. Every colour in our European Oak line is nail-down. On Vidar and Bruce, settle the installation method with us when you order.
Plank width: 7 1/2, 6 or 5 inch?
Width sets how many plank lines run across the room. In a room 12 feet wide, 7 1/2 inch planks lay out in about 19 rows, 6 inch planks in about 24 rows and 5 inch planks in about 29, before the last row is trimmed. Fewer rows means fewer seams to line up and longer runs of grain, which is why the widest board belongs in the biggest room.
In a 10 by 10 bedroom the same plank gives you about 16 rows, so each board carries a lot of the floor, while a 5 or 6 inch plank divides the space into more, narrower strips.
Plank length matters too: the 7 1/2 inch colours with the 3mm top layer come in about 70 percent full-length planks and the 4mm colours in about 40 percent.
Wide planks also show the flatness of the subfloor, and in a dry Toronto winter a wide board moves more with the season than a narrow one. Our guide to wide plank against narrow plank European oak covers room sizes in more detail.
Wire brushed or handscraped: which surface suits your home?
Wire brushing opens the grain with fine wire, so the surface is softly textured rather than glassy. Light scatters across it instead of reflecting, small scratches blend into the grain, and dust and footprints show less than on a smooth finish. Every colour in our European Oak line is wire brushed, which is one reason it works in kitchens, hallways and homes with pets.
Handscraping is deeper, with wider marks and gentle waves that give a floor an older, reclaimed look. Bruce Calico Brown is our handscraped board. Its deeper grooves catch more dust, so it wants a vacuum brush head and a well wrung mop.
White oak reads differently again. Vidar is white oak, with straighter grain and a softer, more even tone than a character grade European Oak, so the two look different side by side at the same 3/4 inch thickness. Put a sample of each on your own floor in daylight and again in the evening. Our comparison of wire brushed against smooth engineered hardwood covers how each surface wears.
What does a 300 sq ft room cost in material?
Boxes differ in size across these lines, so compare the whole order rather than the box price. The figures below cover a 300 sq ft room with 5 percent added for cuts and a spare, so 315 sq ft, rounded up to whole boxes:
| Board | Box price | Coverage per box | Boxes for 315 sq ft | Material total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Oak 7 1/2 inch, 4mm top layer | $93.02 | 19.42 sq ft | 17 | $1,581.34 |
| European Oak 7 1/2 inch, 3mm top layer | $83.31 | 19.42 sq ft | 17 | $1,416.27 |
| European Oak 6 1/2 inch, 2mm top layer | $80.76 | 20.24 sq ft | 16 | $1,292.16 |
| Vidar Hazelnut white oak | $93.15 | 21.5 sq ft | 15 | $1,397.25 |
| Bruce Calico Brown | $95.76 | 24 sq ft | 14 | $1,340.64 |
Calico Brown is in short supply, so that row suits a small room rather than a full 300 sq ft floor, and we will confirm quantity with you before you plan around it. The other rows have the stock behind them for a floor this size. Installation, removal of the old floor and trim depend on your subfloor and stairs, so we price those after we see the job.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose the 7 1/2 inch European Oak with the 4mm top layer, in colours such as Cloud, Pewter or Mocha, if your main floor is open and busy, you want the widest plank here and you want the most wood for a future sand and refinish. It is $4.79 per sq ft.
- Choose the 7 1/2 inch European Oak with the 3mm top layer, in colours such as Natural, Latte or Black Pepper, if you want the same width for less and you like longer plank runs. It runs $4.29 to $4.39 per sq ft.
- Choose the 6 1/2 inch European Oak for a bedroom or a hallway, or when the budget decides. It is still a 3/4 inch wire brushed board, at $3.99 per sq ft, in colours such as Silver Beige or English Gray.
- Choose Vidar white oak if you want a 6 inch white oak plank on a 3/4 inch board. Hazelnut is $4.33 per sq ft and English Manor is $5.07.
- Choose the Bruce handscraped board for a rustic surface and a lower 3/8 inch profile that slips under a door you would rather not cut. It is $3.99 per sq ft, and one small room suits it while stock is limited.
If the choice is still close, let the room decide.
Questions buyers ask about these three lines
Is a 3/4 inch board better than a 3/8 inch board?
Neither is better on its own. The 3/4 inch boards here are 19mm thick and match the height of solid hardwood, which makes a level threshold easy. The Bruce board is 10mm and sits lower, which helps with tight door clearances. They also cost the same per square foot at $3.99, so let height and construction decide. Our engineered hardwood thickness guide puts every common thickness on one chart.
How much wood does the top layer give me for refinishing?
The top layer is the sandable part of the board, so a 4mm top layer holds roughly twice the wood of a 2mm one. How much a finisher can remove depends on the board and the finish, so treat the number as room to work rather than a fixed count of sandings. Our guide to 2mm, 3mm and 4mm wear layers explains what each thickness buys, and what it costs to refinish engineered hardwood covers the other side of the decision.
Can I put any of these over a concrete slab?
Engineered boards work over concrete better than solid wood does, because the core moves less with humidity. Every colour in our European Oak line is nail-down, so over concrete the subfloor prep and the fixing method have to be worked out before installation.
Which surface hides wear better in a busy home?
Wire brushing does the most work for you, because the opened grain breaks up the way light hits the floor and small scratches sit inside the texture instead of standing out. Handscraping hides everyday scuffs well too, but its deeper grooves collect more dust.
Can I use two of these lines in one house?
Yes. Both European Oak and Vidar are 19mm (3/4”), so those two meet at the same height. The Bruce board is 10mm (3/8”), so anywhere it meets one of the others needs a transition planned at the quote stage.
Get a quote for your room in Toronto and the GTA
Send us your room measurements, the width you prefer and the top layer you are weighing, and we will price the material and the work together. You can request a quote whenever you are ready.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819