If a wood subfloor is in place measure the moisture content percentage mc of the wood subfloor and the engineered wood flooring to confirm all the engineered hardwood is acclimated and suitable for installation.
Installing 7 inch engineered hardwood flooring.
Handling the engineered hardwood.
When stapling nailing down you only have the fastener holding the edge of the board down.
In renovation work most product is staple nail down over wood subfloors.
When installing engineered wood planks or strips by nailing or stapling it is necessary to use the proper type of flooring stapler or nailer made for the thickness of the engineered wood flooring that is being installed.
Typical fasteners used for engineered flooring are narrow crowned under 3 8 1 1 1 2 staples or 1 1 1 4 hardwood flooring cleats spaced every 3 4 with staples every 4 6 with cleats and within 1 2 of end joints.
Regardless if installing a 3 wide engineered hardwood or a 5 wide engineered hardwood plank you are not using any more fasteners despite the increased width.
Solid hardwood may hold a slight edge in prestige for some people but the lower cost and easier installation of engineered wood flooring give it the edge for others.