People simply adore the view of beautifully designed, decorated & well-maintained wood floors, cabinets, tabletops, etc. But real hardwood doesn’t come cheap.
So, what do you do when you want some good wood and don’t want to settle for doppelganger alternatives like SPC panels?
You thoroughly research Bruce Vs. Bellawood Hardwood Flooring options to figure out which suits your needs better!
Both Bruce and Bellawood offer comparatively inexpensive hardwood flooring options for construction and remodeling. In today’s article, we’ll go over some of the similarities and dissimilarities between their products. That way, you can factually weigh all the important factors before purchasing.
Bruce Vs. Bellawood Hardwood Flooring
It’s not as easy to spot the differences between Bruce and Bellawood hardwood floors unless you’ve experienced the texture and durability of these floors firsthand.
So, that’s exactly what we did to test our different theories. And here’s a culmination of our findings over the months –
Construction
If you judge construction alone, Bruce and Bellawood have the same core components. They’re just treated differently during the construction period.
The truth is – they’re manufactured in the same factories but categorized under different selections later on. There’s a running joke among the consumers that the better panels go into the Bellawood boxes but that’s just a myth.
Installation
Both Bellawood and Bruce hardwood floors come in the pre-finished format from the factories. As in, they have multiple layers of polyurethane wood finish.
So, you can directly install both these types of floors. Installation is a huge issue with wood floors in general. Unprepared wood requires consecutive reapplication of sealants after installation.
And that can take weeks, months even. Hence, people in a hurry often choose to go for Bruce or Bellawood instead.
Appearance
Bellawood hardwood panels have a slightly richer look than the Bruce ones. They look more refined under the sunlight.
Bruce hardwood panels, on the other hand, have a denser look and don’t shine as much. They look rigid and darker.
Even the natural and white Oak variations don’t give off enough luster suitable for modern-day hardwood floors. The quality of the prefinished layers of Bellawood floors is slightly better than Bruce floors – which improves the look.
Longevity
With proper care, Bellawood floors last longer than Bruce. Bruce will show signs of discoloration fairly quickly, especially if exposed to direct sunlight, heat, etc.
The use of overall rugs or carpets with adhesive bottoms will also ruin the appearance of Bruce floors. While Bellawood floors will also get affected by the aforementioned disturbances, the progression of damage will be slower due to better sealants.
Price Point
Bruce and Bellawood aren’t famous for their pre-finished wood only. They’re also one of the most cost-effective wood floor options in terms of both price & availability.
You can find an LL store in every few corners throughout America and can have the panels delivered in a few hours. You’ll find that Bruce floors are slightly cheaper than Bellawood floors thanks to the finish quality and quantity.
Plus, the Bruce finish wears off comparatively faster than Bellawood floors. This is also the reason why Bruce loses the regal woody luster pretty early on.
Maintenance
Bruce is considered an all-purpose wood. You don’t really need to follow super-detailed maintenance guidelines to keep Bruce floors in top-notch shape.
Direct exposure to sunlight or not, the floor panels will keep losing their luster one way or the other. So, the best thing you can do is to keep the wood clean and dry however you can.
But you can’t have the same mindset for Bellawood floors.
You can find specialized Bellawood cleaners in stores that you can use to clean Bellawood floors without damaging them. And if not, you’ll need to choose cleaners with mild ingredients to prevent corrosive damage to the sealants.
You’ll also need to refinish Bellawood floors if the panels suffer extensive damage. Most Bellawood floors – you can’t refinish more than five times. So, you’ll need to factor that as well before spending a whole lot on refurbishment.
Bruce Vs. Bellawood Hardwood (Features, Benefits, and Drawbacks
As you can see – there aren’t too many differences between Bruce and Bellawood floors in terms of overall wood quality & feasibility. So far, the main difference lies in the quality and layering of the topmost polyurethane finishing.
To gain some final insight, check out this comparison table of the benefits and drawbacks of Bruce & Bellawood floors:
Bruce Hardwood Floors: Benefits and Drawbacks
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| More affordable than Bellawood | Not as long-lasting as Bellawood |
| Can find replacement services everywhere | Customer service is really awful sometimes |
| Super easy installation and also maintenance | DIY-ing doesn’t always go as planned |
| No toxic chemicals at all | Frequent discoloration issues |
| Great for quick and instant remodeling purposes | Not as water-resistant or temperature-resistant |
Bellawood Hardwood Floors: Benefits and Drawbacks
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Lasts longer than Bruce wood panels | Pricier than Bruce floors |
| Looks like top-quality wood | Requires professional installation |
| Regal color variations | Needs good quality cleaners |
| Long-term warranty | Not great for throwaway apartments or guess-works |
| Doesn’t suffer from discoloration easily | Online shipping, replacement, etc. is scarce |
Long-Lasting Bruce & Bellawood Floors: Tips & Tricks
Follow these tips to lessen the burden after installing Bruce or Bellawood hardwood floors –
- Check the color variations in person
- Use the product availability indicator to purchase wisely
- Purchase 15-20% more flooring than needed
- Hire installment services before purchasing the wood
- Don’t let the wood sit for a long time after purchasing
Final Verdict
So, Bruce Vs. Bellawood Hardwood Flooring – which brand managed to tick most of your boxes? For us, it was truly a 50-50 situation as the wood quality in both cases was pretty consistent and also came with similar benefits & drawbacks.
But the customer consensus is that – if you’re interested in drive-in wood options for a quick remodeling session, you should go with Bruce wood panels.
They’re the considerably cheaper option and you’ll have more room for mistakes with these panels. They’re also easier to clean and won’t eat much of your time and energy.
However, they can lose their luster completely within a few months of usage. So, if you’re basing your decision based on looks and radiance, you might want to try Bellawood instead.