Shelly T , where did you find that brand of flooring? Do they have some portfolio photos they can share with you?

I was able to order samples online. The customer service is very helpful and responsive.

Hello - customer service was indeed helpful. They sent me samples and answered a lot of questions. I liked talking to a human the moment I called. They have a website that shows their collections. Www.realwoodfloors.com

Shelly, I am going to “test” my samples by pouring water, oil, etc on them to check for staining. I will also do the scratch test. I am planning a new build.

That’s a great idea. Let me know what you think. This is such a big decision. Although we are not doing a new build, we would be installing them in most of our house before we move in. I wish I had more real homeowner installation pictures to look at. What collection are you considering?

Real Wood is a solid company after having a chance to know the CEO that has worked in the business for decades. It looks to be priced well, but has limitations. At one time all of their production came from China. Now with the threats of import duties they've moved all their manufacturing into other Asian countries.

Lot's of real homeowner installation pictures here

I am considering the Vintage Loft collection which is UV oil finished. I am interested to see how they hold up to staining. If the results are not positive, I willl look to a low matte poly finish. What collection are you considering?

Is this post spam? I'm just wondering. Something doesn't seem right.

Your spam sensor may be set too high :-) People ask about brands on Houzz all the time.

At first I was considering the Saltbox collection in the Berkshire color (Hickory). Then we decided we didn’t like the random widths so now we are considering the Brick and Board Collection which is very similar but with consistent 5” planks. I wish the veneer was a little thicker at 4mm to be honest with you. The Brick and Board Collection is 2mm. I’m also a little concerned because two acquaintances disclosed that they regret installing engineered floors due to scratches and dings from kids and dogs etc. I’m not sure true hardwoods would be better but at least you can refinish them. However, I also hear refinishing floors is a nightmare and an undertaking that you wouldn’t want to experience anyway, due to the mess. Whatever I choose, it definitely needs to have a slightly rustic look so that it hides flaws better. Nothing smooth and shiny that’s for sure.

@Oak and Board - your floors are beautiful but I doubt I can afford them. I think you are located in Georgia. How do you handle installation? I’m in Missouri.

"Whatever I choose, it definitely needs to have a slightly rustic look so that it hides flaws better."

Low matte finish sheen, mild character and wire brushed.

Shelly T , we provide the materials and have installers we can recommend in most parts of the country. Send me an email and I can send you some pricing. joel@oakandbroad.com

@Uptown Floors Thank you for your input. Tell me what engineered brands you really like? You mentioned limitations with RealWood Floors? What limitations? I appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

Shelly:

Limitations. Thin wear layer, shorter lengths. It's one of the better budget floors. I can't do recommendations. Depends on what you want to spend. You're unlikely to find any nuggets in your average flooring store as most only sell all too common products priced to the masses.

Are they selling online now? I saw mfsp

Hi Ken - I did a little more research and I see what your saying. Ultimately I would love to find something with a 4mm layer that can be refinished multiple times. I found a Hallmark Brand floor (Alta Vista Collection) that fits the bill, bit it’s pretty pricey. Can you think of anything else to look at with a 4mm wear layer? Thank you.

I managed to find some reviews here on Houzz for Real Wood floors and they were all positive. One that we are considering has a 5 mm wear layer.

Thats a great wear layer in my opinion.!

Does anyone have an idea of the price of RealWood flooring? I'm specifically looking at the Vintage Loft Collection?

The price is posted on the website for each collection.

@Oak & Broad, apologies if I asked this before, but curious if you could give some insights of what you consider a "best value" classic hardwood these days? Doesn't need to be a showstopper or trendy. Just a solid value, not much fuss, the Toyota Camry of hardwood. Extra points if it has eco-friendly qualities! I know you specialize in oak but wondering what other factors a homeowner should look for when making this big choice?

Thanks p.s. I just realized this is quite off-topic from OP's question. Happy to delete if that's what is proper protocol?

Something American or Canadian made if possible. A wear layer of at least 4mm. White Oak is much more popular than Red Oak. Minimum lengths of 2' or greater. Brands that cover those particular features will serve you well.

@Oak & Broad thank you! I'm guessing you're referring to engineered. I was actually wondering about solid, since that came up in this thread? maybe i read it wrong. I will email you, thanks. :)

I don't have experience with RealWood floors, but one thing to think about is how hard do you want your hardwood floors to be? We bought Ashawa Bay hardwood floors, unfinished white oak and they are HORRIBLE. They are so soft they indent/scratch when the cat walks on them. They've been installed for 3 years and have more "wear and tear" than the 50 year hardwoods we ripped up to replace with this garbage. Food for thought ... and just to reiterate, DO NOT BUY Ashawa Bay hardwood flooring.

@chock,Wow, so sorry to hear! when you say "unfinished," do you mean you bought them that way then finished them on site? Or did you leave them unfinished? If finished on site, how were they finished?

p.s. For anyone shopping for engineered hardwood, I absolutely LOVE my PanTim Genuine French Oak/Palladio (Palladio, which I chose, is their slightly wider version--7.5"). Granted, there are a few dings here and there from dropped heavy/sharp things. But overall they look and feel fantastic. Six months in and I'm still walking around staring at the floor adoringly! :-D

I had RealWood flooring installed in the Vintage Loft collection. I agonized over my decision but now that it's in, I couldn't be happier. The flooring in gorgeous! And customer service was wonderful. I can't recommend them too highly.

Beautiful! Congrats! @Donna

"They are so soft they indent/scratch when the cat walks on them."

LOL. Come on. Let's be realistic. Unfinished hardwood floors from one manufacturer to the next are basically the same, except for milling quality. After all a tree is a tree. However there may be extremely small differences from one region to another in the oversubscribed hardness factor.

Or that has to be one gigantic cat!!

@Donna your Vintage Loft floors are beautiful! Do you know what color they are?

Donna, are your floors UV oil finished?

All the details on my floors (as well as other information) is in an entry (before & after) that appears today on Hooked on Houses.

Donna, is this floor color either Bowery or Millhouse by any chance? I am looking to install one of these (both colors from the Vintage Loft Collection) and trying to decide between these or Distillery. Would love to know what color yours are, they are lovely!

I'd have to look for my order to make sure but I think they are Millhouse. They are the lightest of the Vintage Loft collection.

We are considering realwoodfloors in the saltbox concord style. Would love to hear any experiences anyone can share and pictures would be great

We had Saltbox collection - the style called Berkshire installed in our home about 5 months ago. The flooring is terrible. So many little chips and fraying on the edges. It scratches so easily. To say we are disappointed - would be an understatement. The company we purchased it from basically gave us a crayola crayon type of wax pen to "fill" in scratches. We spent $8000 and quite frankly- the flooring our friends purchased at Lowes for a lower price is definitely a much better quality. We truly wish we had gone for solid wood floors. Do your research. We should have. : (

Do you have photos if the saltbox collection in maple to share?

When it comes to Saltbox collection - the style called Berkshire - we are waiting on our flooring company to come back to our home because one plank is literally warping. This is a brand new install that happen 4 months ago. We regret not going with solid wood - and in fact- when we went shopping we were told that the technology with this flooring was extremely advanced. We have nothing but problems. Please do your research and know your budget- if you can afford solid wood- I would strongly recommend it otherwise make sure to get the tinted wax crayons they have available to fill in every little scratch and dent- because the flooring is terrible. PS they do not have tinted wax filler for all of their floors either - like the Berkshire - which is the style we purchased.......so make sure to ask upfront. Again- I do NOT recommend this product at all.

You can’t put solid wood on a slab.