10 Things to Consider When Buying 100% waterproof hardwood flooring

Why Choose Waterproof Hardwood Flooring

One of the greatest threats to hardwood floors is moisture and liquids. Liquid that penetrates through the wood grain will destroy the wood from the inside out. And nothing is worse than installing a beautiful floor in your home only to have it fall into ruins.

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Fading, stains, buckling, and warping can turn your property investment into an irreparable and expensive mess. Excessive moisture can also cause mold to grow and flourish in your home, creating a hazard to your health.

Waterproof hardwood keeps the water out, so your floors stay in place, which means you won’t be on high alert all the time about protecting your floors from spills. 

Waterproof hardwood has a real hardwood veneer that’s permanently attached to core made of 100% waterproof lamina.

It provides the same benefits of authentic hardwood, such as unique beauty, warmth, and unsurpassed comfort and feel.

But compared to solid or other types of engineered hardwood, you get a waterproof, composite core beneath the wood.

Ultimately, the core design of each individual wood plank determines whether it’s waterproof or not. If the plank’s core isn’t waterproof, then there’s always the risk of an eventual water breach.

Unlike solid hardwood floors, which are protected only by a water-resistant coating applied to the surface, waterproof hardwood is engineered to stop moisture and water from the subfloor up.

Waterproof Hardwood Vs Hardwood Flooring with a Water-Resistant Coating

The main difference between waterproof hardwood and solid hardwood (prefinished or unfinished) with a water-resistant coating is the time you gain to handle spills and leaks.

Waterproof hardwood can be exposed to liquids with virtually no time limit, so pooling water will remain on the surface without ever causing damage to your floor.

With solid hardwood, there’s no waterproof core – just solid wood. This means that liquid can penetrate deep into the grain, resulting in mold formation and ruin from within.

Because waterproof hardwood flooring has a waterproof core, it’s better at handling spills, wet feet, and standing water for extended periods of time. You can wait longer to wipe up spills without worry. Shop our selection of prefinished floors, unfinished floors, engineered flooring, and hardwood flooring options.

The Benefits of Waterproof Hardwood Flooring

Waterproof hardwood has four main benefits:

1. Waterproof Protection
2. The Uniqueness and Natural Beauty of Hardwood
3. The Versatility to be Installed in Any Room
4. A Pet-Proof and Kid-Friendly Wear Layer

Waterproof Protection

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And this is true when it comes to selecting, installing, and maintaining hardwood floors in rooms prone to splashes and spills. Waterproof protection is wonderfully convenient because it gives you confidence in your floor’s longevity.

Waterproof hardwood flooring is ready for almost anything – from cracked eggs and big bowls of dropped cereal to a leaky washer or a mishap with the aquarium. This means you won’t ever find yourself stressing out about the numerous water issues common to home and property owners.

The Uniqueness and Natural Beauty of Hardwood

A properly installed, quality waterproof hardwood floor increases your property value with the uniqueness and natural beauty of hardwood. Natural hardwood is unsurpassed in look and feel, and you can’t fabricate it. Manufactured vinyl and laminate material designed to look and perform like wood isn’t the same as real wood, however close it appears.

Yes, you can get a similar look to hardwood with advanced embossed imaging, but eventually the image pattern repeats across your floor. And when it comes to performance, hardwood has no equal. Real hardwood has a one-of-a-kind aesthetic only nature provides.  

The Versatility to be Installed in Any Room

Have you ever dreamt about having real hardwood floors in your kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, or even your basement? Then waterproof hardwood flooring is the perfect choice. You can install it above or below grade level and put it in any room you choose.

A Pet-Proof and Kid-Friendly Wear Layer

If you’re an active family with pets, waterproof hardwood flooring is one of your best options. Waterproof hardwood is designed to bring peace of mind, including surprises from pets.

All of the best waterproof hardwood brands include enhanced wear layer protection that guards the wood against wet paws, urine, scratches, dents, and more. This wear layer is also an ideal surface for active children who love to play.

The Limitations of Waterproof Hardwood Flooring

Even though waterproof hardwood flooring offers many benefits, it also has limitations. You will want to be aware of them to make an informed decision. Knowing them up front will help you decide whether it’s the right type of flooring for your needs, preference, and lifestyle.

100% Waterproof?

The core is 100% waterproof, but the veneer is solid hardwood, which is held tight to the core. Wood will always begin to degrade when it’s fully submerged in water. That’s just the nature of wood. Installing waterproof wood flooring greatly mitigates the risk of water damage and prevents it from the inside. But it won’t eliminate the possibility for surface damage during certain disaster situations.

If your dishwasher seriously malfunctions, a pipe bursts, or a hurricane hits your neighborhood and floods your home, waterproof flooring offers limited protection. You will have to contact your insurance company after any unfortunate events where damage occurs beyond the floor. The difference is that your floor itself may still be salvageable, depending on how much water you’re dealing with.

A Thinner Wear Layer than Solid Hardwood

Another limitation is that the top wood layer thickness of waterproof hardwood (the veneer) is thinner than solid hardwood. The veneer thickness varies from product to product, and options range up to 1.8mm (70.8 mils).

Contact us to discuss your requirements of 100% waterproof hardwood flooring. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

A useful way to illustrate the thickness of a mil is to know that…

• 1 mil = 1/th of one inch
• Plastic wrap = 5 mils

1.6 – 2mm is the base recommended thickness required for screening or sanding and refinishing. A floor with a 1.6 – 2mm wear layer can be refinished 1-2 times and last anywhere from 30-40 years. Waterproof hardwood is built to last, but isn’t designed to be refinished.

Prefinished waterproof wood has an extra-protective coating of finish that isn’t easy to sand off.

Limitations to Scratch and Dent Resistance

The best waterproof hardwoods are pet-proof, but if you have a mastiff or other large dog whose nails aren’t consistently trimmed, your floor will be tested.

And if you have two big dogs with untrimmed nails, who love running between rooms to chase their squirrel and chipmunk friends they see outside, then you may want to test the flooring’s scratch-resistance before you commit.

Waterproof Hardwood Alternatives

Although there’s nothing quite like hardwood in your home for increasing your property value, LVP flooring has come a long way since tacky, old stick vinyl.

High image embossing gives you a surface that closely resembles hardwood. Many people have trouble telling the difference. It can be a great, cost-effective choice, especially in basements and bathrooms. 

Knots look and feel more like knots. Beveled edges also provide a more authentic appearance, leaving you with a surface that looks and feels much more like actual wood than options available in the past. The main benefit of vinyl is that it’s extremely tough and many products are waterproof.

However, when it comes to elegance, effect, and value, nothing beats hardwood.

Luxury vinyl is designed to be impervious to water, so they’re more resilient than waterproof hardwood. Read our response to the question: Why and how to choose waterproof flooring?

Summary

Waterproof hardwood flooring offers many benefits and has a few limitations. With this flooring option, you can bring comfort, warmth, and the natural look of hardwood to any room. You won’t worry about water issues when you have waterproof wood floors like you will with solid hardwood.

At the same time, waterproof hardwood has its limitations. A thinner layer of wood is necessary for a waterproof design, but this thinner layer reduces the number of times you can refinish your floors. But in most situations, and with proper care, you won’t ever have to.

With proper maintenance and care, the longevity of waterproof hardwood exceeds most people’s expectations. In the end, it all comes down to what works best for you, your family, and your space.

If you’re looking for the beauty of engineered hardwood with extra protection, you will be very happy with waterproof hardwood.

Still on the fence about whether our floors will fit for your home? Try our floor visualizer to see what our flooring could look like for you.

You’ve likely heard that oil and water don’t mix. The same is true about water and hardwood flooring. They don’t mix.

Water makes hardwood floors swell, leading to some nasty results like cupping or warping. Water can even destroy your wood floors, requiring a complete replacement.

That knowledge forces hardwood lovers to look for other solutions if they want a wood floor look. Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy hardwood’s timeless elegance without moisture concerns? Well, you can.

Let’s dive into waterproof wood flooring.

The Advantages of Waterproof Wood Flooring

The most significant advantage of waterproof wood flooring is that you can finally use hardwood in places never possible. That means spaces like bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, and sometimes kitchens.

Anywhere where you must live in fear that water can soak away your investment in hardwood.

With waterproofing, all bets are on the table. If your kids splash water on your bathroom floor, it’s no major concern. If your basement has higher than average humidity, so what? You can enjoy waterproof wood flooring wherever you want in your home.

Natural Wood Flooring vs. Vinyl

Due to its engineered construction, waterproof wood flooring is generally more scratch-resistant than some solid hardwoods. That is especially true for softer hardwood floors like pine, birch, or cherry.

Waterproof hardwood floors let you use the real deal versus more synthetic solutions like vinyl that only mimic wood. Those solutions have lots of pluses, like waterproof performance and scratch resistance. But they aren’t real hardwood.

Engineered Wood Flooring Versus Solid Hardwood

As mentioned, waterproof or water-resistant hardwood floors typically have one thing in common. They’re engineered floors. If you aren’t overly familiar with engineered hardwood flooring, it has these two features versus solid hardwood:

1. A composite core that uses plywood or high-density fiberboard. That core uses a crisscrossed pattern to add stability, meaning it’s less susceptible to swelling and contracting. The bottom line is that your floors have a water-resistant, if not fully waterproof, core.

2. A wear layer featuring genuine hardwood, be it white oak, maple, hickory, or other species. That hardwood veneer makes it real hardwood rather than a photographic impression like vinyl. The top layer uses finishes like aluminum oxide, making the flooring highly scratch-resistant and durable.

All that differs from solid hardwood, which uses one piece of wood for each plank. You can learn more about engineered vs. solid hardwood flooring here.

100% Waterproof Wood Flooring

You might not be overly familiar with waterproof hardwood flooring. That’s because it’s a reasonably rare find. Not too many manufacturers offer it, instead relying on wood-look alternatives.

But for genuine hardwood lovers, Bruce®, for example, has assumed a prominent spot. Its Hydropel™ waterproof wood flooring lets you use wood, even in bathrooms.

Hydropel’s innovative composition adds waterproofing to all six sides of a floor’s planks. So the top, bottom, sides, and ends all include a treatment that makes them waterproof.

Equally important, the flooring exudes real-wood character. You can choose from Hickory and Oak flooring in 11 colors. For an added rustic touch, you can select different finishes, even hand-scraped or wire-brushed textures. The flooring even includes 5-inch-wide planks to capture today’s trend.

Hydropel is scratch-resistant. So, your floors will look pristine longer with proper maintenance. You’ll even get the benefit of a 50-year residential warranty.

Water-Resistant Hardwood Flooring

Water-resistant wood flooring is more of a staple than waterproof hardwood. Due to their core’s construction, most engineered floors offer some resistance.

Some engineered hardwoods, however, kick things up a notch. Here’s another area where Bruce has taken the lead with its award-winning Dogwood® densified wood flooring.

Unlike standard engineered floors, Bruce uses a process that hardens each plank beyond its normal strength. For instance, oak has a Janka rating , making it a durable flooring species. Once densified, that rating climbs to over , nearly tripling the wood’s hardness.

Wood Look Waterproof Flooring

You’ve seen what the world offers for waterproof and water-resistant wood flooring. If you’re still not sold, look to wood-look flooring options for moisture protection. Most people generally consider rigid-core vinyl flooring as the gold standard.

Like engineered hardwood, rigid core floors have a composite core. That core can be wood or stone, with either offering waterproofing.

WPC vs. SPC Rigid Core Vinyl

Wood plastic composite (WPC) flooring uses wooden materials like plasticizers or wood flour. Because the core is wooden, the flooring is somewhat softer and more comfortable than SPC.

Stone plastic composite (SPC) flooring uses a stone composite, typically limestone. As you might expect, the stone core makes SPC rigid flooring especially strong and durable. SPC is so strong that commercial businesses often use it for high traffic. So you know it can handle what your home’s dwellers throw at it.

Stay Dry with Bruce® Flooring

So there, you have three types of flooring designed to relieve water concerns. So, you can enjoy genuine wood flooring or wood-look flooring anywhere in your home.

Bruce has you covered with all three options. Each is easy to maintain. Each handle everyday wear and tear. And each comes with a wide selection of colors and styles to fit your decor.

Best of all, you can see them in your room before buying and installing them. Use our floor visualizer app and select the waterproof flooring you like. Then, see how it looks in your room within seconds. When you’re ready to buy, use our store locator to find a Bruce dealer near you.
 

For more Peel & Stick Vinyl Flooringinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.