[CaptainYooh]

Humidity is the key consideration in selecting wood flooring. Hardwood flooring needs proper level of humidity to stay nice. If it gets too dry in winter, it shrinks. If you live in a house, you would need a good quality humidifier (electrostatic or electronic) and you can choose any flooring you want. If you live in an apartment building, your choices are limited to engineered and laminate flooring only, because they don't have central humidification and flooring will get ruined. Engineered flooring has a thin layer of hardwood floor material on a multi-ply sheet. Laminate flooring has an artificial layer of material that looks like wood.

Both bamboo and cork flooring are engineered flooring, they don't come in hardwood planks to be installed directly on the subfloor. Bamboo doesn't behave well in Calgary over long run. It is just too dry here for it. Cork is excellent. Beautiful flooring, wears well, doesn't show marks from dogs, for example. I have it in the basement. It is also not overly expensive.

But, if it is a house, nothing acts and wears as good as rustic maple hard wood 3/4" plank, especially when you have a dog.