Admiral wanted a new galley floor that was all hardwood rather than the wood and carpet combo on the stock 396. I used strand woven bamboo which is claimed to be 5 times harder than Oak. I can see why Carver chose to use some carpet. the U shape was a huge nightmare for me. I make no claim to being a high end woodworker but I think it turned out ok. Carver did not fool around in this heavy traffic area as the floor was 1-1/2" thick including subfloor. It is now 1-5/8" but who's counting.