I think the main thing is location with hardwoods, below grade is not recommended by many manufactures along with high humidity areas......hardwoods also expand and contract a bit more so you'll need to take that into account. Price is also another consideration, there are some really great engineered floor materials these days.....I just finished up using bambo in our living and dining room and its been great, easy to install too. There is a wealth of info on the web regarding the pros and cons.