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Advice for beginners - hardwood floors, Northern NJ

xyz99
13 years ago

We recently started to look for hardwood floors (we need the engineered wood), to replace our ugly wall-to-wall carpet. We saw the BR-111 Amenboim, and really liked it.

I noticed a lot of people buy the hardwood floors online, since they are a lot cheaper that way. However, Brazilian Direct does not carry the engineered Amendoim. Can you recommend any other reputable company that carries this type?

We live in northern NJ, around Paramus, and only visited one store. Do we need to visit more? When shopping for granite, every slab we saw (of the same type) was different. But for granite, we picked the exact slab we wanted. Since we cannot do this with hardwood floors, if we know we want BR-111 Amendoim, do we need to visit other stores? Other than price, what should we look for?

Can you recommend any other stores in our NJ neighborhood? Thanks

Comments (7)

  • uniquewoodfloors
    13 years ago

    Its good that you have your decision narrowed down. This makes finding the right product that much easier. Somethings to consider when ordering online is shipping service, out of state tax, and installation. Depending on where you ship the wood from this could make a substantial difference on price. If the company you buy from has a store in your state then you must pay sales tax. One other thing that makes a huge difference on the overall out come of the project is choosing your installer. Whether it is yourself, a friend, or a professional. Always make sure they're well informed and well equipped. This could be the difference between a 50 year warranty and a void warranty. Aside from that always find out the return policies in case you do change your mind or just find something more suitable. Last but not least, Order The Sample. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a Sample will show you the truth behind a thousand words.

  • Laurie
    13 years ago

    It's been a little over a year since we decided on our engineered flooring. We went with Lauzon red oak natural, but BR111 Amendoim was a very close second on our list. I think it's beautiful and seems very durable. For our home, we just decided to get a lighter wood. I have heard very positive things said about purchasing flooring over the internet from Hosking Hardwood. A tip I learned is that even though a particular wood may not be listed on any given flooring vendor site, that doesn't necessarily mean that they don't carry it or that they can't get it for you. Give them a call and ask.
    -Laurie

  • xyz99
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Great advice, thank you both.

    Laurie, I will definitely look into the Lauzon red oak natural  do you have any pictures of your floors? Is it lighter than the Amendoim? What about color variation?

    Uniquewoodfloors, thanks  you are right, I only looked at the product price, but ignored the shipping, tax, and other fees. I know, these can add up, I will pay attention. We have a contractor, and we will consult him. I favor local businesses, plus, we might need them to store our floors until we are ready to use them. But if the price difference between a local and internet vendor is significant, we will definitely consider the internet.

  • Laurie
    13 years ago

    xyz99 - At the bottom of this post, I attached a link where you can see my posting from Sept.2009 and several pics of our floor.

    Red oak natural is a lot lighter than Amendoim. I also think there is more color variation in Amendoim compared to red oak natural. I like the color variation in the Amendoim, it is a very warm, rich and beautiful wood. I did hear or read somewhere that Amendoim may darken a little (not as much as cherry wood) as it ages which is not a negative thing. Some samples at different flooring stores may look different because of the age and due to it's natural variations.

    Below is a picture of 3 samples of wood we were considering.
    The one on the left is the BR111 Amendoim. The upper right sample is Lauzon's Hickory. Lower right is Lauzon's Red Oak Natural (select & better).

    Every time I look at that picture, I remember how hard it was to choose! Whatever wood you decide on, I bet you will be so pleased. All wood types are beautiful in their own way : )
    -Laurie

    Here is a link that might be useful: My post from Sept. 2009

  • xyz99
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Laurie,
    Thanks a lot  I really like the red oak, and I think it might be a better choice for us. Our rooms are small, so a lighter floor would probably work better. The problem is I havenÂt seen it in any storeÂI would like to see it in person.
    I guess I will start a new thread on that topic, and hopefully somebody would have a suggestion. Thanks again.

  • alaskanshamrock
    13 years ago

    Laurie:

    How is your beautiful Lauzon flooring holding up for you? Do you notice alot of scratches, etc.

    Thanks for the pictures and info.

  • Laurie
    13 years ago

    Thanks.
    We have not noticed very many scratches or dents at all. There are so few and you really would have to get down on your hands and knees and look at just the right angle.

    I think Lauzon must have very high standards when manufacturing their boards and when applying the factory finish. Another thing is that we wanted to get a finish that had the least amount of shine to it. I feel the low amount of shine plus the wood grain helps to hide scratches.
    We have been extremely happy with our Lauzon flooring : )

    -Laurie