Jim, I loved their website, the person I have been in contact with as well as their samples. I just wish they had the engineered wood in a 3.25" wide 1/2" thick plank with a thick wear layer. Their 5" wide engineered wood samples are either 2 MM or 2.5 MM thick of real beautiful clear grade appears to be sawn cut wood. I was impressed but must decide if I would like the 5" wide boards. Their solid wood samples were all beautiful and to me nicer than most of the competition.

I am going to finish one more deadline and then decide if I want to order a box to see how it looks on my floor or go to a few open houses to decide exactly what I want. I still love the Brazilian Cherry flooring despite the color change since I love the reddish coloring. Their Amendoim solid wood samples were so nice with my furniture giving some constract but also having that red tint that I have not seen in person in samples from the other brands except in pictures. But they do not have a nice engineered Amendoim product. I also like two laminates that are the Bruce Park Avenue Makorea and Pradoo but I still am leaning towards an engineered wood floor so if I sell my home one day and it is not in great shape, I am refinish it.

Finally I also may like a quarter sawn oak engineered floor stained in a color I like but I do know it will not be as hard as the beautiful Brazilian Cherry wood.

Thanks for letting us know how the delivery went and that you are happy so far with the wood. Please post pics.

I have not ruled out Brazilian Direct since their samples are wonderful. Again, thanks for sharing. I know whatever floor I get will be looked at by my neighbors that are still deciding what floors they want and by my clients who are changing their floors. I already have one client that used the paint color I used in my family room and another client that chose the same porcelain tile I chose for my foyer areas when she saw it in my home office and fell in love. I also have another client that fell in love with my large cherry desk and credenza and ordered the same exact office furniture but in teak and not in cherry like mine is in.

jim, thank you for sharing your internet experience. We too are looking at the brazilian teak for our home and need to purchase some real soon. I did get a quote from brazilian direct but I'm always hesitant to buy so much wood online. I too am looking at hoskinghardwood (Scandian) but havn't thought so much about the length of the boards. May I ask if your your wood has some red tones in it. thank you again for sharing. ps. We are also looking at scandian engineered brazilian chestnut I heard it was about the same type of look. If you know anymore on brazilian chestnut please let me know. We like the thought of engineered since it seems more stable. PSS would like to see pictures. Stephanie

Lynn: Wow, didn't know you were still in the market for hardwood. I read numerous posts of yours in my research. Thank you for the discussion that your posts caused. You are right that Brazilian Direct doesn't have much in the way of engineered wood. They also only sell exotics. Do you need an engineered product because you are on a slab? I would have been perfectly happy to buy a good engineered product, but the best price on the best combination of everything else I wanted was Brazilian Direct so solid wood it was. My wife and I started out thinking we wanted Brazilian Cherry, but the dramatic color change turned us off. We just didn't want to have to keep shuffling furniture or rugs or face the big squares and rectangles on the floor if we rearrange the room some day.

Shagen: I use the BBB website to help me evaluate any company whether they are around the block or 3,000 miles away. Either one can take your money. There are many good companies that get their share of complaints. There are bad customers just like there are bad companies. What I look for is a company that doesn't have too many complaints and those that they do say, "Company made every effort to resolve". The best companies I've ever dealt with have zero or near zero complaints (like Brazilian Direct). They have a few crazy customers too, but they do what they have to to make them happy to protect their reputation. The downside for me/us is that it costs something to make an unreasonable customer happy and then the rest of us have to pay in higher costs.

I too very seriously considered Hosking Hardwood. The only exotics of theirs that I found acceptable where the in house White Mountain brand. The Scandian and others besides being a lot more expensive were usually the 4' made in China planks. I've seen that online and in person. I do not like the "stubby" floors that such sort planks can create. The wider the planks you choose the more it matters I think. I had been expecting to use 5" wide planks and that looked really "stubby".

The Brazilian Teak doesn't have much in the way of red tones (maybe a tiny, tiny bit), which in the end was one of the reasons we chose it. Yes, when I was looking for a non-red wood Brazilian Chestnut was suggested to me. I don't remember why we decided against it, but I think it was another wood that would change with exposure to light. I don't remember. There is a lot of information about each type of exotic all over the Internet, but Brazilian Direct did have a lot of useful information. You should check it out.

I did forget to mention that the finish is multiple coats of aluminum oxide just like virtually all the prefinished wood out there these days it seems.

- Jim

Hi Jim,

I live in the preserved wetlands so my townhouse has no basement and I am on a slab. The neighborhood is very nice and I have to keep up with the upgrades others are doing or my home will be worth less. My wall-to-wall beige carpets need to be replaced since they are in dingy shape now no matter how many times I get them professionally cleaned since they are over 19 years old.

I think you hit upon what is bothering me. I am still in love with the Brazilian Cherry since it has the red, oange and rich brown tones that I am looking for as well as a beautiful grain that is not so busy like many cuts of oak is. BUT, I just do not like the color change since I will not be able to move my furniture around hence, I keep trying to like other woods. I think the color becomes richer and more beautiful but then under my many huge filing cabinets and all my desks and supply cabinets will be so many light spots that more floor will be light than dark and I would have to explain to future buyers about this. It is still not a total deal breaker but has me keep trying to find another floor that I can like that has reddish/orangey tones and is very hard from a reputable company.

Brazilian Teak is beautiful but too brown for furniture. I have my heart set on a wood with more red tones in it. Amendoim samples vary so much that I really do not feel comfortable buying the floor unless I saw it in person especially since I am not crazy about a lot of knots and some of the engineered samples have a lot of knots.

To install a subfloor in my home and take a risk with solid wood will also lower the ceiling since I only have cathedral ceilings in my family room, master bedroom and master bathroom. Hence, I not not wish to add a sub-floor and feel a good quality engineered wood is best for my situation.

If I had a subfloor, I think I would take a chance on the Brazilian Direct Amendoim since these solid wood pieces from Brazilian Direct are so nice without any knots (but I am sure many of the planks will have knots but these samples have the red tones I like that the engineered samples I have here do not) and I like the much longer pieces so the floor will not look choppy.

Jim - thanks for the scoop on Brazilian Direct. Can you tell me anything about the sheen? Did you ever see the BR-111 or another brand? We have BR-111 in one room and need to add more to an adjoining room. (I also need a total of 1200 sq. ft - ugh!) The new flooring will run perpendicular to the existing BR-111 which is why I am hoping I can get by with using another brand. The BR-111 is $8.65 on hoskings. (double ugh!) Enjoy your new flooring!

Odiegirl: The ONLY sheen they have, that I am aware of, is what they call 30-35%. My boxes are all marked 35%. It looks glossy to me, not matte, but not overly so like a semi-gloss (50%). I love gloss, but I have read here how glossier shows dirt and fingerprints more readily.

What kind of wood is your BR-111 and what is the width of your planks? Brazilian Direct's price on solid 3/4" Brazilian Cherry was about $5.69 I think. Also you may have another consideration. I have read a lot of good reviews about the better BR-111 products, but if I remember correctly their planks run 1'-4' in length. Brazilian Direct's run 1'7'. Even if the floors otherwise blend I'm not sure whether that would be visible or matter or not. I believe the Hosking White Mountain brand has a well priced Brazilian Cherry that is 1'-7' if you want to look. I think it may have been a semi-gloss. I can't remember.

- Jim

I need Brazilian Teak which is a little pricier than the cherry. I was just looking at my floor and it sure is pretty. I think I might have a sample from them from a long time ago. I am glad that the brazilian direct wood is not too glossy. I think the dark color also makes it easier to hide the dirt. Be sure to post some pics when you get it installed. I am sure it will be beautiful.

I was wrong the Brazilian Direct's price (quoted to me) was less for Brazilian Cherry than I said. 5" clear grade was $5.25. I'm guessing 3" would be a little less. Brazilian Teak was $5.25 for 3" clear grade. 4 3/4" select and better was $4.85. These low prices is why I couldn't say no to solid wood even though I was perfectly fine with engineered.

I won't have my floor installed for another week or two at least so I don't yet have a "complete" experience to share. I have examined a lot of the wood, but mostly at the tops of the boxes. "Top" is a relative term because some boxes are upside down so the "top" that I examined is actually the bottom. I didn't look super, super close at the finish I realized. I was concentrating mostly on physical damage/imperfections (of which I see none, other than the obvious places where a few cartons got damgaged in transport).

As to a dark color hiding dirt...my understanding is that dirt, smudges, footprints etc. show up more the darker a floor is. Maybe there is a medium color which hides both light and dark dirt to some extent? I don't know. I'll be finding out and I'll post pictures as well as what else I learn.

- Jim

Let us know your experience. I am getting ready to buy 1400 sq ft of Tigerwood from Brazilian Direct online. Thanks

tuckpana: Is there something specific you'd like to know? I already posted a lot about my experience with Brazilian Direct. I didn't have any problems up to this point, though the wood is not yet installed because I have to move everything in much of the house out first.

- Jim

This sounds like a great resource. Unfortunately, I'm on a concrete slab so must go with engineered floor. But, a question. Should I be concerned about the relative short length of the boards. Some are as short a 1 ft. With a 5" board, will that look like a scrap patched in. Or am I over thinking it?

It's the average length that may matter. It seems that 1'-7' or so is more common in the domestic wood. Exotics, particularly those milled in China are quite short (1' - 4'). The average length then is what matters. Some short boards will look fine as long as there are also a compensating amount of long boards. You can also use shorter boards in the closets or in other areas that will be less visible. If you can afford it and have enough you can simply pull some of the shortest boards out too.

It sounds like you already have the wood which makes this kind of a moot point, install it and love it.

- Jim

dinkledoodle, Shannon told me the average length was from 48" to 52" long so there should not be many short boards. I am waiting for samples from Shannon on their new enginered Brazilian Cherry product before I make my final decision. I keep going back and forth between the Brazilian Cherry and the Rift and Quartersawn Oak in a rose stain that will not change color but will not give any color to my family room that needs color.

I just received two samples of Brazilian Teak from Brazilian Direct and I think they look pretty good. There were some small pit marks on one of the samples but maybe no one would ever notice. The finish is very hard and similar to the finish on some Mohawk flooring I have. I like the new finish better than the one on my samples from several years ago.

I think the BR-111 is a "prettier" finish in that it looks more like a furniture finish. I think the Brazilian Direct would be a really tough floor and maybe a better choice for my kitchen than the BR-111.

I am waiting on some Scandian samples so we will see what happens after I receive them.

I just received one sample of the Scandian Brazilian teak and it looks really good. It has a much more satiny feel to it than the Brazilian Direct. Color wise you cannot really tell the difference between any of the samples, they would all blend together very well.

It is interesting but the Brazilian Direct price on the 3.25'' is $5.25 while the 4'' is $4.99. Brazilian Direct told me that it is because their stock of 4'' is geographically closer to me. The 5'', priced at $5.95, is the same price as the Scandian 3.25''.

I am glad to know that I have a little bit of a choice. The BR-111 at $8.65 is too pricey.

Those are some pretty big price differences. If I read your earlier post correctly you need 1200 square ft. There is $4,392 between your cheapest option (4" BD for $4.99 and your most expensive option (BR-111). Since you think the colors will blend well, I'd just consider whether I need to have the exact same width or not. Did you say how wide your existing BR-111 is? I don't remember. You did say that it was going to run perpendicular to the existing, but I think I'd probably still be willing to pay to have the same with throughout (I'm assuming no more than $1,000 difference, not the $4,900).

- Jim

The BR-111 is 3'' and the Scandian finish is similar. I guess the BR-111 finish could have changed since I bought my floor a few years ago. I think the BR-111 is pretty much out.

I had a similar situation in a floor upstairs. I did the hallway in a Mohawk oak floor. By the time I got around to doing the bedrooms, the finish had changed to one similar to the Brazilian Direct. I don't really notice the difference in the sheen except when I am climbing the stairs. To me the color is the most important thing.

I seem to be in the same boat as many of you with BC being too dark for my 8 ft ceilings. I was also looking at Amendoim/Braz Oak, but note that you don't really get much more hardness than Oak for the price. I just saw a complaint posted on line from someone who said they felt it scratched more than their oak floor. I know every floor scratches, but you really hope you avoid some denting/scratching by going with these exotic, harder woods. Has anyone here looked at the Braz Cherry lite products from Lumb Liquadors? They are far less dark, but again you compromise on the hardness I think it is 1450 in Janka hardness). I also was looking at a stained hickory from Sheoga Hardwood in Ohio. They advertise this grade of Hickory and stain as an alternative to American Cherry but harder. Lynn2006, you might want to take a look....

onelady1dog2girls, Thank you for thinking of me. I did check out the website and that Sunset Glow Hickory sounds beautiful (and was pretty in the picture) but it is a solid wood only. I live in the preserved wetlands and my floor is concrete with no basement due to the area I live in. I have made up my mind that I only want a prefinished engineered wood floor. I also have 8 foot ceilings.

I was not that crazy about the new version of the 5" wide Engineered wood flooring from Brazilian Direct despite really liking the company and Shannon. I loved their solid wood samples last year and I really loved their solid Kempas Samples. I wish they had engineered wood floors in a 3.25" width.

A solid wood floor over a plywood floor will raise my floor up much higher than my tiled foyer floors and my kitchen floor and make my ceiling look lower in my living room and dining room (which both are my two room home office). My family room has a Cathedral ceiling so it could handle the floor being raised despite the kitchen floor lower but I think solid wood is not right for my type of concrete sub-floor.

I preferred Brazilian Direct's engineered wood floor sample from last year despite a lesser veneer sawn layer on top. I just really feel I am leaning towards a floor no wider than 4" and preferably 3.25 to 3.5" wide to minimize cupping problems.

I really like the finish on the BR-111 3.25" wide plank samples I have here that is not too glossy but has a drop of gloss. Despite the 3/8th being the same height as my new Porcelain Tiles, I just wish the planks were 1/2" thick with the same 3 MM wear layer.

But then again, the semi-gloss finish on the Coswick Quartersawn Oak Engineered floors is nice also.

The new Brazilian Teak floor is in. They are finishing up some details and transitions and it is part of a whole house remodel so the floor is still covered. I know pictures will be helpful to people so I will try to post as soon as I can, but since all my belongings are in a container on the driveway or in the garage it may take me a little while.

- Jim

perqqderqq - I would love to see pictures of your floor when you get the chance to post them. We are considering Brazilian Teak and the more pictures we can see, the better!

I know I am very impatient but any pics yet Jim? Hope you are enjoying your new floor.

WARNING - THINK TWICE BEFORE DOING BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY. Go here to read about MY experience with them.

http://www.dataweb-design.com/brazilian.html

Here is a link that might be useful: My experience with Brazilian Direct