On Feb 16, 7:45*pm, Chris Shearer Cooper
wrote:

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we end up
with ugly black lines where the planks touch.

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the off-gassing from a lot of those
kinds of products gives us headaches, which pushes us towards solid
wood, but then with solid wood you can't install a floating floor

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Was the guy at Home Depot right, that the more traditional woods (oak,
for example) do better in the dry climate of Colorado?

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The Forest Products Laboratory in Madison WI has long been known as
the best source of info on the behavior of various wood products.
Contact them for info. Not easy, but worth it.
Meanwhile, if you can force yourself to consider something less
faddish and fashionable, and if your family budget and health matters,
there are some fine vinyl sheet flooring materials in realistic wood
patterns that would eliminate all of your problems from the gitgo.
Locally we have seen this in several commercial locations and even a
recent remodeling job in a hospital. In a home environment it
eliminates all the tedium of pet disasters and outwears the best wood
finishes that suffer from doggie toenails and high traffic. At the
moment it is high on my list for a forthcoming remodel.
Something to think about.

Joe