Bruce Hardwood Flooring Review

New Densitek Core Under Review

Bruce is one of the most notorious hardwood producers in the US. They were producing solid wood flooring a century ago and there are plenty of Bruce-engineered wood flooring reviews out there, but how do those reviews stack up against today's standards? Bruce hasn't changed its flooring products in the last decade, but has only added to the line. Since colors and wood styles are the only things that have changed in recent years, many Bruce wood flooring reviews focus on the way the flooring looks, rather than how it performs. Instead of sorting through old Bruce-engineered hardwood reviews, Georgia Carpet is here to help with updated Bruce flooring reviews you can trust.

Bruce is the "working man's wood" and it's priced very competitively, with simple styles and colors that are affordable in most budgets. Lines like Turlington, a standard 3", 5" oak product, and the frontier hickory, a hand-scraped hickory, are very affordable and are an upgrade to any home. It is a discount wood flooring product and like other engineered hardwood flooring products, it's cheaper than solid hardwood -- but that doesn't mean it's not a good product. Because Bruce-engineered wood flooring is a more affordable option, we tend to pay attention when they make changes to products. Bruce has introduced a new engineered core to its lineup called Densitek. The concept is not new, and quite frankly falls in line with similar cores by Shaw and Anderson Tuftex, but let's look at the core anyway to see what the excitement is about.

What Is Engineered Flooring?

Engineered wood flooring has been using a traditional plywood core since the early 2000s. The plywood core was created to help the hardwood maintain stability with moisture changes, since hardwood is affected dramatically by water. Simply put, engineered floors contain a wood veneer, glued to a piece of plywood, which is why it resists moisture better than solid hardwood. The cross-ply layers of Bruce hardwood flooring instinctively pull and push on each other, which makes for less expansion and contraction. This construction gives us engineered hardwood flooring as we know it. Because they are relatively moisture resistant, Engineered flooring products can be installed below grade (in the basement) unlike traditional solid hardwood.

What Is The Densitek Core?

The Densitek Core that has recently been added to all Bruce Engineered Flooring products. This core is made up of composite wood fibers that are compressed together, instead of layers like the plywood core. The compressed wood fibers are held together by glue, making them into one solid piece of material. The core is denser than traditional engineered flooring cores, making it harder to dent. Bruce Flooring claims their new Densitek core is 33 percent harder than a standard engineered wood floor. Since the wood fibers are small and glued together, the product is less porous. Less porous means more water resistance, with Densitek core flooring offering up to 50 percent more water resistance. This solid core is the most important factor in determining water resistance. Because the Densitek Core is much more moisture-resistant than traditional plywood cores, there's no need to acclimate the product before installation. The flooring only needs to be stored in the climate, before installation. Just to be safe, I'd recommend acclimation even though Bruce claims otherwise.

Bruce The Product

It's no wonder why the Bruce name is the most influential in the flooring market. With superior, simply made products, it's designed for any environment. Bruce grabs the flooring world's attention by keeping colors consistent, and keeping the finish strong. An aluminum oxide finish gives Bruce hardwood floors an advantage over dog paws and kids' toys, making it tougher than solid hardwood flooring. Though it can be scratched, Bruce makes a tough product. Bruce makes an affordable solid construction called Dundee, which has been installed in hundreds of thousands of homes across the US.

In my professional opinion, Bruce Hardwood Flooring is the best-engineered hardwood flooring and is an excellent floor for any home. If taken care of properly, it can last a lifetime.