If you are thinking about installing hardwood floors from Bruce, then make sure that you already read Bruce hardwood flooring reviews.
At least you get complete information and insight about the product before you make a purchase.
Bruce is one of the oldest flooring brands in this sector. The company has been around for 100 years. They take their hardwood materials from Appalachian Mountains.
So, make sure to read the reviews to get the insight of Bruce products especially about the benefits and possible downsides.
The Collections
When we are talking about collections, we are talking about the array of options available.
Bruce is a brand that specializes in hardwood flooring only and they also produce the accessories for the maintenance and care.
The best source to find out more about their products is to visit their official website. One of the best things about this brand (according to Bruce hardwood flooring reviews) is the fact that you can easily navigate the site.
They have more than 300 different styles in solid hardwood floor as well as engineered ones. They also carry brands like LM Flooring, HomerWood, and Capella, but those brands aren’t from Bruce.
Bruce has domestic species that are both harvested and then manufactured in their manufacturing plants in America.
- Solid Hardwood Floor
For this line, they have massive collection, consisting of around 190 products. The shades range from Beige to White. And they also offer 5 domestic wood types.
Their most popular collections of solid hardwood lines include White Oak or Red Oak, but you should be able to find Hickory and Maple quite easily.
There are still other 17 collections but they aren’t so much different from one another. The color, look, and species would determine the prices.
They also have collections in different gloss or thickness. Basically, you have tons of options and all of them are coming in high quality.
- Engineered Floor
They also offer quite a lot of options in the engineered floor, but there are some differences concerning the construction during the manufacturing.
There are 149 different options within 15 collections, coming in various species and shades. Oak, Maple, and Hickory are the most popular options, but more and more people are going for Cherry, Birch, and Walnut.
Feel free to go through the Engineered floor collections. They are similar to the Solid type, but with more variables. The Engineered type has more options in sizes and various finishing techniques.
The smallest boards are around 3 inches in width not under it so the size starts up pretty wide and big.
Read Also: Kahrs Flooring Reviews
The Unique Features
Being in the industry for more than 100 years has taught the brand some things about the sector and how to come up with innovations.
They have made several innovations and developments, and yet they still produce the newest tech in the making.
According to Bruce hardwood flooring reviews, there are some products in Bruce lines that are able to deliver satisfying outcome.
They are able to make beautiful and artistic hardwood floor, although the Engineered one is doing better when it comes to water. You see, wood is organic which makes it porous.
That’s why wood and water can’t mix well. Not only water can seep into the inner part, but wet wood can result in mildew and mold and it can cause rot too. This is the major reason why hardwood floor can’t be installed in bathrooms.
However, Bruce comes up with their Hydropel technology with its 6 protection layers. Water puddle won’t be an issue, especially if you can remove it or wipe it away.
In fact, the puddle can sit for around 36 hours and the floor will still be okay. Besides Hydropel, they also come with Lock and Fold system resulting in simpler and easier installation.
Combine the floor with underlayment system from Armstrong, and you can have beautiful floor with easy snap not using any glue or adhesive at all!
The Finishes
Based on Bruce hardwood flooring reviews, the company doesn’t provide a lot of detailed info about finishing type they implement for the floor. Some floors may use Dura-Luster and even Dura-Luster Plus.
Technically, the Hydropel is a type of finish, but it is only offered in several styles. The level for the gloss is various, from low, medium and then high.
The solid hardwood line comes with 2 options only with handscraped and traditional wood. The handscraped type has a dozen of choices, but the Engineered type has another different option.
For the Engineered type, they do offer ‘traditional’ types, but the options are more various, including handscraped, specialty wood, distressed, brushed, and smooth.
Milling and Size
Based on Bruce hardwood flooring reviews, the sizes of Bruce products are basically general.
But you are free to choose 7/16 inches of planks or 3/8 inches of plank (for the Engineered type), or with ¾ inches or 5/16 inches for the solid one.
The solid lines have many strip planks that are narrower less than 3 inches of width, while the Engineered types have bigger variants.
Bruce products also come with standard milling practice. The Engineered types are mostly coming with microedge, but smaller options may come with micro-beveled or square edges. For the solid type, they have 130 types of micro edge and 40 square edge types.
Durability
It’s a bit tricky to discuss durability with Bruce products because they don’t have exotic types. That’s why quality is important, but it also depends on the finish and wear layer.
Their softest type is Cherry, and it goes to Walnut, Birch, Oak, Maple, and Hickory as the hardest. Nothing is harder than Hickory.
The warranty for each flooring type depends on the type and color.
The prefinished solid type has 25 years to 50 years of residential warranty, although some products may only offer 15 years.
Don’t forget that tiered warranty system would cover (almost) everything from structural integrity to finishes and sanding.
Green Factor
Since Bruce doesn’t use any exotic wood, it is pretty safe to say that they are quite eco-friendly. The company uses mostly domestic species and with proper certification.
However, when compared to other brands, it seems that Bruce only has certification from FloorScore, which isn’t too many.
Availability and Cost
Finding Bruce products is quite easy as you can find them at many local stores (like Lowes or Home Depot) as well as online ones.
And here are only examples of the prices:
- Warmed Spice style or color is an Engineered type from Maple species. With 5 inches of width, the price is less than $4 a square feet.
- Cinnamon style or color is a Solid type from Maple species. With 3 ¼ inches of width, the price is less than $7 a square feet.
- Revolutionary Rustics style or color is an Engineered type from Walnut species. With 6 ¾ inches of width, the price is less than $5 a square feet.
- Hydropel Natural style or color is an Engineered type from Hickory species. With 5 inches of width, the price is less than $4 a square feet.
- Gunstock style or color is a Solid type from Oak species. With 2 ¼ inches of width, the price is less than $4 a square feet.
- Town Hall style or color is an Engineered type from Cherry species. With 3 inches of width, the price is less than $9 a square feet.
- Plano Gray style or color is a Solid type from Oak species. With 2 ¼ inches of width, the price is around $3 a square feet.
If you compare the prices in Bruce hardwood flooring reviews with other brands, you can see that they are quite affordable.
Pros, Cons, and Quality Ratings Bruce Hardwood Flooring
In general, Bruce floor comes with good quality although there are mixed Bruce hardwood flooring reviews about the brand itself.
There are many praises and good words, as well as complaints. On the positive notes, there are some things to like about the floor:
- They have quite good color and style selections
- They are using domestic woods, which make them eco-friendly
- The prices are reasonable and affordable
- Most of the products are easy to find and purchase
However, on the negative sides, there are some things to dislike about the floor:
- Quality control and overall quality isn’t uniformed. Some products or lines may not be premium or even good.
- Many of their lines or styles are coming with similar look or vibe. You may be able to have better selections and qualities from another brand
In terms of ratings, here is the overall look:
- Durability: 4
- Styles: 4
- Finishes: 3.5
- Species: 3.5
In overall, it is 3.25 from 5
Read Also: Tongue and Groove Flooring – What Is the Floor about?
FAQ Bruce Hardwood Flooring Reviews
Is Bruce hardwood floor noisy?
All hardwood floors are noisy, so you will have to pay attention to your footwear. You can minimize the noise if the floor is installed properly on a (level) subfloor with proper underlayment.
To make sure that hardwood installation is successful, what is the right humidity level?
Based on Bruce hardwood flooring reviewsand the company, the humidity range should be between 35% and 55%. If it is higher than 55%, then you will likely encounter issues with the floor because of the excessive humidity and moisture.
Can I use steam mops with any Bruce hardwood types?
It’s not recommended to use the steam mop. Moreover, the warranty policy won’t cover such damages from steam mop usage.
Is it possible to buy hardwood floor from Bruce directly, especially if I have a big project or if I have several houses to remodel or renovate?
Unfortunately, no. The products are only available through retailers and dealers, but they are easily found all over the United States.
Will the hardwood floor change in color due to light exposure?
Yes because all hardwood floor is sensitive to light exposure. When installing the hardwood floor, you need to consider the light exposure, area rugs, and furniture layout and placement.
Is it okay (and safe) to install Bruce hardwood floor as a backsplash or on the wall?
Can Bruce hardwood floor be repaired when damaged or scratched?
Yes, but it also depends on the damage. The good thing about solid hardwood is that you can refinish it, which is great for some minor damages. But if it becomes warped or other serious issues, you may have to replace the whole plank.
Can the hardwood floor damaged because of a vacuum cleaner?
It’s unlikely, but make sure to turn off the brush roll or beater bar.
Final Words Bruce Hardwood Flooring Reviews
As you can see, Bruce floor has quite a pretty good quality although there are different reviews about it.
Make sure that you have done a thorough research and read as many Bruce hardwood flooring reviews as possible to really understand the benefits and downsides.
