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brutuses

New Bruce Laminate Park Avenue 'Makore'

brutuses
15 years ago

Here are some sample photo's of my new laminate flooring. It won't be installed for a little while. Not sure the photo's of just these 2 pieces can show the real beauty of this laminate. It looks just like hardwood. When they delivered it my DH's helper kept saying, are you sure this isn't hardwood? It has a satin sheen just like hardwood. Absolutely beautiful.

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Comments (69)

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I bought mine from Perque's, a local flooring place. They were selling it for $3.95 sq. ft. as they had ordered a truckload so they could pass the savings on to the customer. You really shouldn't pay more than that. I think you can find it for that price on-line, however, I don't know about the shipping. I always thought little flooring establishments would be more expensive, but you can find specials like this sometimes at those places. Good luck. Also, don't be shy and try to barter the price. Tell them you can get it somewhere else for $3.95. Also, don't believe them when they tell you the warranty will not be any good if you order on line. That's a story they make up to keep people from shopping on line.

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    Both Hoskings and Truehardwoods are selling it for just under $3.00 sq. ft. My local store is selling it for around $6. To me, that price difference is huge. I've been thinking of asking them if they can meet or even come close to that price. I'd like to see local stores stay in business, but I can't pass up a savings of a couple thousand either.

    Thanks for answering.

  • bradley011882
    15 years ago

    ma-bookreader and lynn,

    To ma-bookreader.....the folks from True Hardwoods really took care of me on my flooring and shipping was only $99 bucks. If you're local guy can't come down a little then call those guys. Also I think they stock all of the park avenue. To Lynn my cousin is bringing a digital camera this weekend so I'll get you some pictures. Does anyone know how to load them onto GardenWeb?

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Do you know how to load them into Photobucket? If so, you simply copy the html line of text and then paste it into your message.

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    brutuses

    I can't see the photos that you posted at the begining of this post. Where there is supposed to be a photo, there is a box that says "this image or video has been moved or deleted - Photobucket". So, I haven't been able to see those photos.

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I'm sorry, those first photo's were just photo's like the one you see. If you go down into this thread you'll see the actual floor installed.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    Thank you Bradley for doing this for us. I can't wait to see the pics.

  • bradley011882
    15 years ago

    brutuses,

    What is photobucket? Is that what a tool inside Garden Web?

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    photobucket is a site that you can set up an account with that will allow you to post your photo's so when you need to view them or send them somewhere you can easily do it from their site.

    First, do you know how to load the photo's into your computer? I hope so because I won't be able to help you with that. I have an automatic thingamagig that does that for me. Once the photo's are in my photo file in my software, I then go to my photobucket account, then "browse" to load my photo's.

    First things first, let me know if you have them loaded on to the computer. You can e-mail me personally so we're not taking up space on this thread to discuss picture loading. LOL My e-mail address is right there by my name, see it?

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    Thank you Brutuses for this information to help others share pics. You are such a wonderful member on this site always helping others.

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    My pleasure

  • shelayne
    15 years ago

    lynn2006, I am looking at the Bruce Park Avenue samples I have right now, and the picture brutuses posted of the Makore installed (above) looks almost exactly like the sample I have of the L3018 color, which is Pradoo.

    I don't know if you have that sample or not, but the tones are definitely on the reddish side and is very rich looking. To my eye, Makore does not have reddish tones at all.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    Hi Shelanyne, I have so many samples on the floor in my home office right now and I love the wood grain pattern and the variations of the three sample boards of the Bruce Park Avenue Makore I have it but I just keep wishing it had more red in it. I have the sample of the Pradoo here which I love but I fear it would be too dark while the Makore is lighter. I have two samples of the Cabreve here and one is lighter than the other but I think is darker than the Pradoo. I have here also a Bruce 12 MM with foam backing laminate Brazilian Cherry that I like a lot that looks like the Pradoo but is a little bit lighter. I wish I had two samples of these two laminates since it helps to see two clicking together.

    I also have the BR-111 Triangulo Amendoim Engineered Wood Sample here that I like a lot.

    I also seem to like two others but they only have a 15 year residential warranty which bothers me a lot. One is Mannington Castle Rock Engineered Wood in Butternut Brich and the other one is Mannington Madion Oak Plank Honeytone Engineered Wood that is 3/8" thick and 3" wide.

    All of the laminate samples I ordered that are not shiny look fake to my eyes in the lighting of my office.

    If I can live without the red, I would choose the Makore out of all of these. The Amendoim has tints of red in it which I like.

    I look up Makore wood and it says it is African Cherry and is a reddish brown with yellow sap so why is there not more red? Maybe with a room of the Make there will be a tint of red or pink to go with my cherry reddish furniture?

    If anyone has the Makore laminate on their floor, do they see any hints of brownish red or pink in it?

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    P.S. I also love the 4.92" wide Landmax Doussie in a 1/2" thick engineered wood and a semi-gloss top that was wonderful with being very resistant to scratches and water from my testing.

    Finally I saw some samples of Natural Luptus today in an Engineered wood and it looks just like the Amendoim but had no knots and does not darken that much.

  • shelayne
    15 years ago

    I am starting to lean toward the Berry Floor laminate. I received samples from DiscountFloor.com (they send two large samples, so you can get a much better idea.) of the Berry Floor Mansion line. I have tried to scratch it with a screwdriver, let water sit in the groove between planks, and threw dirt and cat hair on it--to see how annoyingly visible it would be. I am very impressed. It is the only sample I have that has withstood all of my abuse--especially the screwdriver test. The screwdriver marks showed up, albeit faintly, on all the other samples. Some of them were very bad. Those immediately went into the "No" pile.

    I have ordered more color samples of the Mansion line, and I will probably make my decision based on those.

    I have over 50 different floor samples from several different distributors and many, many different flooring companies, including some off-brands. I could probably cover someone's floor with them. LOL. I love the high gloss of the Grand Illusions and Bruce floors, but I'm a little hesitant to use it in my kitchen and dining area, which is where I am putting this. This Berry that I am considering has a very low sheen (if you can even classify it as sheen), and it is textured.

    Berry has a lifetime warranty, which is also very nice.

    This whole thing has just made my head spin!

  • lilpuddycat
    15 years ago

    Hi,
    I am new to this site and have enjoyed all the comments about the Bruce Park Ave laminate. I will be having the Pradoo installed in a week or two and will post pictures for all to see. Thanks again for the postive feedback.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    lilpuddycat, I am excited for you and I also love the pradoo and keep wondering if I should order a few more samples of it to connect together like I did the Makore making it look so nice. Looking forward to seeing your pictures of your room with that beautiful flooring.

    By the way what is the color of your walls and furniture in the room(s) you are using the Bruce Park Avenue Pradoo?

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    Lilpuddycat, I am starting to like the Pradoo a lot also. At first I felt it was too orange but it is rich and has a nice very fine grain without being too busy of a grain. I also like the Brazilian Cherry Grand Illusions Laminate but wonder if it is too red. I may need more samples. Then again I love the Makore and was ready to say yes to that today until I posted pics on the Decorating Forum and now I wonder if I need a touch more red in the sample due to my furniture and a little less busy grain despite loving the realness and the beauty of the Bruce Park Avenue Makore.

    Can't wait to see pics.

  • patty_cakes
    15 years ago

    Brutuses(Patsy), i've never seen a laminate floor that looks so much like REAL wood! Maybe it's the color~sure is beautiful and very shiny. Seems manufacturers have come a long way from Pergo laminate.

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks PC, we do love it and can't wait to live on it!! We were so fortunate in our timing because we had picked out another laminate (the older stuff with no shine) and was happy with that. Then we saw this and well, there was no comparison. The most astonishing thing is, this flooring is no more expensive than the other.

  • zebra100100
    15 years ago

    Lynn2006, I have seen HD has Bruce Brazilian Cherry L3031 in stock. the thing is that I remembered I saw it 2 months ago another batch is a lot redder, the one now is yellowish, seem to me the color is not uniform, I, like you, love some reddish color, and the gloss seems not as good as thw Makore here, but color is richer, and I don't know if it's a Park Avenue collection.

    anyone can tell me where to get the sample of Park Avenue Makore and Pradoo?

    By the way, i installed one room of HD Homelegend Engineered wood Santos mahagny and the the scratch is so bad and after I installed it, it's full of dents and even cracks ( by itself). I'm thinking of getting claim.

    brutuses, could you tell me how the sratch anf drop dents go on the Makore? thanks

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    zebra, I haven't actually lived on the flooring yet. I have put it through some tests trying to scratch it with different objects and can't. It's very hard so it won't dent like a soft wood would.

    I sent one sample to Lynn and I think she got her other samples from her local flooring person. If you can't get a sample, I'll be glad to send you one and only ask you reimburse me for the postage. If you do, send me a personal e-mail. My e-mail address is next to my name.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    I Love the Makore for my family room since the grain is so beautiful but for my office, since my furniture hardly has any grain in it and is reddish/orange/brown color, I guess I just want a tint of red or orange in my floor.

    Today my friend John and I did more tests and it is amazing how well the Bruce Laminate that is glossy holds up to scratches and to sitting in a puddle of water for two days with no damage! It takes a sharpe edge of scissors to use a force to get a stratch that is not bad since the gloss hides it! Also it is not white like many of the scratches on the engineered woods are.

    Brutuses, I end up paying over $100 for shipping of free samples or for buying samples. After you sent me those samples I realized that each sample varied in color and maybe I needed more and then I want sample crazy.

    Zebra thanks for letting me know that the color on the Burce Brazilian Cherry is not uniform. Maybe the Pradoo would be better. I wish I bought another sample but then I thought it was too orange but now I changed my mind and find it rich and beautiful.

    Zebra, if you do not need or want red in your floor, the Makore looks the most like real wood and I LOVE it so much.

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    lynn, I know what you mean about the samples. Before I found the Makore I was buying samples like crazy. I have about 15 different flooring samples, mostly laminate and I believe one engineered wood. I'm thinking of advertising them here on the board to see if someone would like them since they are no use to me. I sure would hate to just throw them away when someone could use them. I paid $5 per sample!!

  • shelayne
    15 years ago

    I got the bulk of my samples (all of the Park Avenue line, except the newer ones, Fruitwood and Wenge) from FloorOne.com. They are 2.99 per sample.

    I checked, and they show that they do have Makore samples. The link below should bring you right to Makore to order a sample.

    I do NOT want to add up how much I have spent in samples! I have over 50! UGH! (Some of them were thankfully FREE!)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Makore samples

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    Thanks Shelayne for letting us know where you got the samples. I have a sample of the Fruitwood that I did not like at all with my furniture. I may request another sample of the Pradoo since I am still considering the laminate versus the Amendoim or Brazilian Cherry. I really so far like the Brazilian Cherry, Pradoo and the Makore of the Bruce Glossy lines. For the engineered wood, I really like the colors of the BR-111 in the Triangulo series that is in a Semi-gloss finish. I seem to not like the matt finishes as much I am finding out.

    Yey! I decided to keep the tile I chose in the Ratioli Beige for my two foyer areas. One decision finalized! :)

  • desert_gal_nv
    15 years ago

    Brutuses, the pictures of your floor are just gorgeous. I never imagined that a laminate could look so much like real wood.

    Are you living on it yet? Do you still love it? How is it holding up to regular traffic?

    One of our concerns is that tick tack noise that most laminates seem to have. I know this laminate is much thicker than most so are you finding that it sounds like real hardwood?

    i'm sorry to bombard you with all these questions but i really appreciate your photos and the information you've given so far.

    Thanks
    Helen

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Helen, not too any questions, it's fine.

    No, unfortunatley I'm not living on it yet. Finishing our house is a slow process.

    We installed the thickest padding that Armstrong makes. It's a thick foam underlaymnt and I haven't brought the dogs over yet to see what it sounds like when they are on it because it's been covered with cardboard as work is still going on in the house.

    I can tell you it feel really good underfoot. DH and I wear rubber sole shoes all the time so we can't test it on even regular shoes yet. LOL Sorry.

    As soon as I get a click, click test in, I'll post my results.

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    We installed this flooring in our kitchen and back hallway in August of this year. We are extremely pleased with it.
    For underlayment, we installed the padding that was recommended by TrueHardwoods.com. By the way, I highly recommend this company. Brutuses recommended this company and I am so thankful that he did! They were extremely helpful on the phone. My husband spent a couple hours with the owners on the phone getting instructions on how to install this floor. We did have a problem with our order (some of it was damaged in shipping) and they very quickly sent replacement pieces. No problem at all.

    I can say that there is no 'hollow' sound when walking on it. We have heard this sound with other lamintate floors, but not with this one. I suspect that this is because it is thicker than most.

    Cleaning is a breeze. I spray an area with a mixture of water/vinegar/alcohol and then wipe it up with a microfiber mop. Very quick. Much better than the sponge mop I used on my vinyl floor.

    Hope that helps.

    Mary Alice

    Here is a link that might be useful: True Hardwoods - Bruce Makore

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    ma-bookreader, do you have any pics of your Makore floor? Thanks for letting us know that you are extremely pleased with your floor and with TrueHardwoods.com.

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    My son is the camera guy (I'm clueless when it comes to how to use my camera LOL) and I've been wanting to have him take photos. I will post when that happens, but I'm not sure when that will be.

    I did find that you can get a sample from the manufacturer for a very reasonable fee. That would give you a true color (digital camera and a computer screen are not always that accurate due to changes in lighting).

    I can say that everyone that comes to my house immediately comments on our new floor. Most don't believe that it is a laminate. They think I made a mistake in saying that. :-)

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Everyone who sees our Makore ask "Are you sure that's laminate?" Takes a while for it to sink in. I can't wait to see your photo's.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    My samples of Makore look so real and I love the coloring and the grain of this wood species. I just wish it had a little bit more red in it. But amazingly due to the shine, it seems to pick up the red in my desk so it fools the eye.

    I would love to see if anyone had cherry furniture placed on this floor and then how it went. It sure is nice.

    Zebra100100, thanks for letting me know the Home Depot Santos Mahogany floors scratched and dented so badly! They are a good price and a nice color so I see what you tried them. Did you end up buying one of the laminates and if so which one for your other floors? Any pics?

    Ma-bookreader, what type of furniture do you have on the Makore. I had made up my mind that since most of the townhouses are doing engineered woods or solid wood and investing in a sub-floor, I would do that also but I keep pulling out my samples of the Bruce Park Avenue and I am amazed at how sturdy and beautiful they are and then I think, maybe I am wrong and I shouldn't care what the others are doing. I am not sure if I will be in this townhouse another 11 years or I will meet someone and we will sell and I want to have no problems selling. Makore is African Cherry and the actual wood has a red tint so why doesn't the beautiful laminate have a red tint?

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    We used it in our back hallway and kitchen - one continuous floor. The cabinets are maple with a pecan finish.

    Our walls are Cinnamon Whip which is a home depot paint. With a name like cinnamon whip, you would guess a brown orange color, but that would be wrong. When we got it on the walls, it looked quite pink! We did compare it to the sample and it was correctly mixed. the small sample sure did look different that an entire room.
    That said, once the cabinets went in the room, the pink 'toned down', but it does bring out the red undertones in the flooring.

    It is not as 'red' as cherry, but there is some red/pink in it. Just not as much.

    Six people traipse over it every day and it's working out very well. And SO EASY to clean.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    ma-bookreader, thank you for letting me know that there is a red/pink tone in the Makore or at least it picks up the colors around it due to the shine like I think it does. It seems like it would be a low maintenance laminate that looks so real. Hence, I am considering it again. Would love to see a picture when you have time.

  • desert_gal_nv
    15 years ago

    Thanks so much for following up ma-bookreader. i'm waiting for my samples and I can hardly wait to see your pics as well.

    I originally didn't want to go with a laminate, because the lower end ones I've seen look(and sound) like plastic, but brutuses photos, and your reports have swayed me very strongly in this direction.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    I can't wait to see Ma-bookreader's pics also since now I am back to considering the Makore Laminate or the BR-111 Amendoim again since the installer brought over big samples of the Brazilian Cherry darkened and it really is gorgeous but makes my room so dark. I love the look of the Makore and the Amendoim so I am now trying to decide. I am also finding out that I like the 4.92" plank width since it makes the floor less busy.

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    {{gwi:1527596}}

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    I can't get the images to load in the article so please see the link below (Daytime). I'll post another one for nighttime... they are very different.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Daytime

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    Nighttime...

    Here is a link that might be useful: nighttime

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Oh, it is beautiful. How are you liking it?

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    I love it! Everyone comments on it when they come to my house. Of course it could also just be that what I had before was so doggone tired that just about anything would be an improvement. ;-)

    It's a breeze to clean and I really like that feature. My only regret is that it didn't come in a matte finish. It does show smudges in the right light. My old floor had one asset and that was that it really hit dirt. Bummer that it was as ugly as dirt. lol

    You can notice a huge color difference in my photos based on the lighting. It does not really look that yellow in the daytime (and my cabinets don't look quite that yellow either - they are maple stained pecan), but it does look the best at nighttime. My entire kitchen looks best at night. The wall color changes and the rosiness comes out.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    Ma-bookreader, I just love your Makore Floors that look so exotic, rich and real like a hardwood floor with a glossy finish. The Floor color is perfect for your kitchen. I love your maple cabinets with the pecan finish. Maybe that is the finish I will attempt to do on my oak cabinets since they are warn down and need to be replaced or refinished. I wish I had the budget for new cabinets right now but I am going to be putting new flooring(main floors some kind of warm wood or laminate) down in my two foyers (tile) , living room, dining room, family room and kitchen (tile) so that is all I can spend this year. I know I will need a new dishwasher next. Hence, maybe I can just refinish the cabinets for now.

    I love that you say the floors are easy to clean. They really look wonderful and I appreciate you sharing the pics. Can I share them with my friend who is trying to help me choose a floor?

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    Lilpuddycat, do you have any pics of your Pradoo floor? Bradley011882, do you have any pics of your Bruce Park Avenue in color Exotic Walnut Floor?

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    lynn2006,
    By all means you may show others the photos.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    So far 1/4 clients and neighbors that visit have been choosing the Bruce Park Avenue Makore as their favorite out of my samples in my home office room. One neighbor is buying it for her floors in her townhouse. She saw the samples in the window and knocked on my door. The other 1/4 like the Amendoim and the other 1/4 votes for the Brazilian Cherry. The last 1/4 feel I should go even lighter or even darker. I guess everyone has their own taste but it is amazing how when they pick out the Makore they tell me they like this wood since it has nice coloring, a nice grain and they love the glossy finish. When I tell them that sample is a laminate, they are so surprised and that one client asked if she can borrow the sample (I have a few small samples of each species or laminate to put them together to see how they look) to show her husband. She thanks me for helping her with her decision.

    I am still not sure but I like how the gloss picks up the color on my desk and it is difficult to scratch.

    Is the floor slippery to walk on?

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    The floor is no more slippery than any other floor.

    In my house I have hardwood and this laminate (and I have had vinyl in the past) and they seem to be about the same in that department. We all walk around in our stocking feet and have not had any problems with slipping.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    ma-bookreader, Thank you so much for letting me know that the floor is no more slippery than hardwood. It sure looks easy to clean and difficult to scratch.

    My Lexi marked a tiny drop on both my hardwood sample and my laminate sample (Makore) and both were so easy to wipe up. I was surprised she marked on it since she has been leaving the samples alone on the floor. She is only 4 lbs and maybe finally decided to tell the samples she is boss of them. LOL When she marks on the carpet (difficult to stop her since she keeps going back to the same areas no matter how many times I clean it up so that is another reason I want this rug gone), it is difficult to clean up the tiny drops since they stain the light beige carpet.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    I visited a neighbor today who wished she used the Makore rather than the three plank Shaw Laminate she used in her Condo that she has had for 5 years that still looks new but not as rich looking. My Sassy (little 5.5 lb. Maltese) had no problems walking around on the laminate floor and it felt so clean in her Condo and my allergies felt like they went away. This wall- to-wall carpet is not good for my allergies so I must make a decision by the end of this week and plan on getting rid of this carpet.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    I have here a big 18" X 18" sample of the Pradoo and it is so beautiful also! I walked on a floor of the glossy laminate and amazingly it was not slippery. One of my neighbors is buying the Makore now since she fell in love with it. I still love it but I have my heart set on a reddish floor so now I am thinking of either the Bruce Park Avenue Glossy Pradoo or BR-111 Triangulo Engineered Brazilian Cherry.

    I also miss my red Prelude so much and I still remember that awful day I traded it in for this gray (they call it Desert Silver Metallic) Acura RSX. My Prelude had more power, had more comfortable seats and I just adored the red color it was painted. But I must admit the air conditioner is better in my new car that is now 5.5 years of age. I guess I am just missing the color red. :)

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