What do you do when your house just doesn’t feel like a home? Look below to see the answer – no, seriously, look below at the flooring under your feet.
Whether your flooring is old and dated or just doesn’t match your style, replacing it with high-quality hardwood is the perfect way to add beauty and value, turning your house into the home you deserve.
The key to transforming your home is selecting the right flooring product. If you’ve ever visited a Lumber Liquidators retail store or the company website, you’ve probably seen the brand Bellawood. Is this flooring the right choice for you, or are you better off scouring home improvement and flooring stores for other brands?
In this guide, we’re going to explore the benefits and drawbacks of Bellawood hardwood flooring. We’ll help you determine if this flooring will work for your lifestyle or if it’s better left on the store shelves. Read on to learn more about Bellawood hardwood flooring.
Is Bellawood Hardwood Flooring Durable?
One of the most common complaints about hardwood flooring is how easy it is to damage it. Someone knocks on the door, your dog takes off, and suddenly, your floor is covered in scratches. Or your child dropped a glass of water, and your new floor is ruined.
We’ve all heard the horror stories, but how does Bellawood stack up when compared to traditional hardwood flooring that’s not waterproof and is easy to scratch or dent?
What makes Bellawood stand out above other flooring brands is the manufacturer’s claim that it is twice as scratch-resistant than other top brands. According to the manufacturer, it also is four times more resistance to wear than other hardwood flooring.
Of course, it’s not uncommon for manufacturers to make these promises. However, Bellawood flooring is so durable, it has a 100-year warranty. And if you sell your home, the warranty is transferable to the new owner.
However, it’s important to note that Bellawood hardwood flooring isn’t completely immune to damage. You will need to take some care to reduce the risk of damage and ensure your floors look their best for years to come.
Some owners of the flooring have complained about scratches and dents from furniture legs, children dropping toys, and pets. However, other consumers that have used this flooring brand report being happy with the durability when they take proper precautions.
To protect your floors from damage, avoid sliding furniture or appliances. Keep pet nails short and use leg protectors on your furniture to prevent scratches.
While Bellawood makes big claims about the durability of its products, it would appear through consumer reviews that you need to take the same precautions or scratches, dents, dings, and other damage will occur. While Bellawood flooring doesn’t appear to be less durable than comparable products on the market, it appears that some of its durability claims fall flat.
Does This Flooring Fit My Budget?
One of the most common factors a homeowner considers before purchasing new flooring is the price. Most of us don’t have million-dollar bank accounts, and for a home renovation project, the majority of consumers have a flooring budget in place. When compared to similar hardwood brands, is Bellawood competitively priced?
Before breaking down the pricing of Bellawood, let’s take a look at the average price of hardwood flooring. Now, it’s difficult – if not impossible – to get an exact price due to different factors, i.e. the brand selected, the type of wood, the retailer you purchase from, and the pricing in your local area. However, we can look at a range of prices to get a general idea of the costs of hardwood flooring.
The most affordable hardwood flooring generally costs around $3 per square foot. Higher quality flooring such as exotic woods may cost as much as $14 per square foot. For mid-grade woods, expect to pay around $5 to $10 per square foot.
On average, most Bellawood hardwood flooring costs around $4 to $6 per square foot. There are some species that cost around $12 per square foot, but for the most part, expect to pay around $5 per square foot. This pricing makes it one of the more affordable brands on the market.
However, don’t forget that there are other expenses with your hardwood flooring. You’ll have to purchase trim, underlayment, tools, and other supplies if you’re installing the flooring yourself. If a contractor is installing it, expect to pay an additional $3 to $8 per square foot for professional installation.
Can I Install It Myself?
As mentioned in the previous section, professional installation of hardwood flooring runs around $3 to $8 per square foot based on where you’re located, the contractor you select, and the complexity and size of the job. If you want to save money and prefer to take on a DIY project, is Bellawood hardwood flooring easy to install?
Like other brands of hardwood flooring, it takes skill and the right tools and supplies to install Bellawood hardwoods. The good news is, though, the manufacturer provides detailed instructions on how to get the job done through its website.
There are three ways to install Bellawood hardwood flooring. You can glue it down, nail it down, or install it as a floating floor with no nails or adhesives required.
In its instructions, Bellawood also provides a list of tools and supplies required to do the job, including a drill, hammer, compressor, miter saw, and table saw.
While it’s certainly possible to install this flooring yourself, particularly with the detailed instructions, it is important to note that if you don’t already have the tools required, the job could be quite expensive. You’ll also need to follow instructions closely and take your time if you’ve never installed a floor before.
While Bellawood flooring is no more difficult to install than any other hardwood brand, if you don’t have the experience and right tools for the job, you may want to hire a professional in order to ensure the job is completely correctly and in a timely manner.
Are There Lots Of Styles To Choose From?
When choosing your new flooring, it’s likely that you’re taking into consideration how it will look in your home. Will it match your paint, furnishings, and décor? Will it have a style that’s right for you?
The great news about Bellawood is that there are lots of colors, styles, and wood species available. Go light with White Oak, achieve a rustic look with Distressed Sorrel Ash, or stick with a classic like Brazilian Cherry. Light to dark, sleek and modern to chic and rustic … Bellawood has it all.
In all, Bellawood has 140 stains and styles. Whatever color and style you need, you can find a Bellawood flooring product that fits your needs.
Is It Easy To Clean & Maintain?
Not many of us want to spend hours on our hands and knees scrubbing our floors. However, with any flooring type, you have to spend some time each day keeping them clean so that they look their best. With Bellawood flooring, how difficult is it to keep hardwood floors clean?
Bellawood is no more difficult to clean than any other hardwood flooring. You can do daily cleaning with a broom, dust mop, or vacuum cleaner for bare floor use. If you do use a vacuum cleaner, make sure you use the right type, or you could risk scratching and damaging your floors.
Bellawood makes it easy to clean your floor by creating its own floor cleaner. You don’t have to worry about picking the wrong product that ruins your floors. Instead, you can simply use this all-natural cleaner to keep your hardwoods looking their best.
You can use Bellawood All Natural Floor Cleaner to clean your hardwood floors, as well as laminate, ceramic, and vinyl plank. This cleaner has natural ingredients and is excellent at removing dirt, grease, and oil. You don’t have to worry about harsh odors, and it’s safe to use around children and pets.
Even better is the cost. For a gallon of the cleaner solution, expect to pay less than $10. This cost is far less expensive than many other hardwood flooring cleaners on the market. Best of all, consumers give this cleaner a high rating, stating that it leaves their floors without streaks or residue.
One thing to note is that you should never get your Bellawood floors too wet. Using water or even too much cleaner without wiping it up immediately can result in staining, buckling, and other damage. Never oversaturate your floor with cleaner, avoid spills, and wipe up any liquids as quickly as possible with a microfiber cloth to prevent damage.
FAQ
Bellawood hardwood flooring is comparable with similar brands selling the same product when it comes to durability. The manufacturer’s claim is that the flooring is twice as resistant to scratches and four times more resistant to wear when compared to other top brands. If proper care and maintenance is taken, Bellawood hardwood flooring is as good as any other hardwood floor.
It has a 100-year warranty and with the right precautions taken to prevent scratches, dents, and other damage from happening, the quality can be maintained. Consumer reports show some users are unhappy with their Bellawood flooring while others are satisfied with this brand’s hardwood floors.
Is Bellawood sustainable?
Engineered flooring is considered more sustainable than solid flooring. Bellawood offers both types of flooring in their range. The brand’s engineered hardwood flooring comes in a variety of styles and they carry the Greenguard Gold certification. This means the finishes have little or no VOCs.
Bellawood makes no mention of where their woods are sourced or if they align their brand with sustainable forestry practices. While this isn’t a concern for woods such as oak and cherry, sustainable practices should be considered when sourcing woods from countries such as Brazil.
Why is Bellawood so expensive?
While Bellawood’s top range is considered pricey, their mid-range flooring is more affordable. Installing the flooring yourself is cost-effective as long as you have all the right tools on hand. With professional installation, expect to add another $3 to $8 per square foot to the original cost.
Bellawood flooring can also become expensive if the pieces come in random sizes, requiring you to buy more to complete a floor. Suppliers recommend buying 17 percent more flooring than you anticipate needing to ensure you have enough to cover your floor area.
How do you clean Bellawood hardwood floors?
Daily cleaning of Bellawood hardwood flooring can be done by sweeping with a broom, vacuum cleaner or a dust mop. Ensure the vacuum cleaner doesn’t scratch the flooring when using it. Bellawood’s all-natural cleaner works perfectly for giving the floors a good clean. Apply to the floor by spraying and wiping with a mop or microfiber cloth.
Never oversaturate the floors with water or the cleaner as this will result in stains or buckling.
Can Bellawood floors be refinished?
Most hardwood flooring can be refinished, and it’s considered one of the more cost-effective ways of keeping your floor covering looking fresh without a complete refurbishment. Bellawood hardwood can be refinished; however, it’s not always easy to get good results, and some suppliers state that it’s more cost-effective to buy new planks.
Final Verdict
Bellawood flooring has some positive features that makes it stand out above other brands of hardwood flooring. Its wide selection of finishes and styles and its competitive pricing in particular make it a flooring brand worth considering.
However, the manufacturer makes big claims about this flooring that just don’t hold true for many consumers. These consumers say that despite the promises of more durable flooring, Bellawood flooring still has many of the same issues as other brands, such as scratching easily.
If you live in a busy household with lots of traffic, children, or pets, precautions will need to be taken to prevent excessive wear and tear on your flooring. If you don’t want to take the risk, consider purchasing a harder, more durable wood flooring product that is more resilient to wear and tear.
Do you have Bellawood hardwood flooring installed in your home? Do you have another brand that you recommend over Bellawood? Let us know in the comments.
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We have Cumaru and they are very scratch resistant. The only scratches we have after 8 years were our fault for not being careful when moving a piece of furniture. I also am frustrated with the film and footprints that show up hours after cleaning. I only use vinegar and water to clean, the floors look great when I first clean them but within hours you see footprints. I first thought it was the Cumaru but after reading comments it does appear to be an issue with many of their floor types.
I’ve had bellawood Brazilian cherry for 4 years. Beautiful floor but folks you need to realize that most hardwood floors scratch and dent. I ignore manufacturer claims otherwise. We have a dog and the finish is very scratched. I don’t care. I’m living in the house and the floors looked lived on. As long as they aren’t warped/cupped/stained I can live with everything else. When we sell the house down the road we’ll probably refinish and voila. As for the footprints that happens due to the oils on your feet. Solution wear slippers or socks. Or just live with all the “imperfections” and love your floors 🙂
Planning to install hardwood flooring in a new home and subscribe to your zen approach as we will always have dogs in our life. We like a rustic (not shiny) look anyway. What do you recommended about finish in this case, knowing we are good with the lived-in look ?
I purchased Bellawood brand Pre Finished Bamboo floors in a very dark brown color, and no matter what product I use to clean them, even just hot water, it leaves a film on top and never looks clean. Is there a phone number I can call to talk to the manufacturer or any suggestions you might have. I have already tried the Bona floor cleaner and it still leaves the same film as the others.
Try water with some white vinegar. Just a splash of white vinegar to a bottle. Also use the libman green headed micro fiber mop head that has “fingers”. Works like a charm!
We have had our Bellawood floors for about 9 years and are so disappointed in them. The only areas that look good are under the beds in the bedrooms and under the couch and loveseat. The floors started to look worn after a year. They are so scratched up. We are also disappointed that we can’t use any of the products such as Rejuvinate that help restore the shine and fill in the scratches because of the aluminum oxide finish on the Bellawood floors. Before you buy, please read about that finish.
Pam, I’m looking to purchase bellawood floors, what kind do you have? Just wondering if it’s a good decision before I make my purchase. Thanks
I do not recommend Bellawood floors. My husband and son installed maple in the great room. Scratches too easily from pets and normal use (we wear our shoes in the house). Within 2 weeks after installing it, the entire floor was scratched except for areas protected by rugs. The finish did not hold up well to weight, either. My husband is 200 pounds and the floor area under his chair wore and chipped off after a few years. Anything dropped on the floor (except for light weigh stuff) made a deep dent. Also, the polyurethane finish kept yellowing as the years went on. I just had the floor refinished after 17 years. I wanted to tear up the Bellawood and install a more durable product, but the cost to remove the Bellawood was well over $1500.. I put the $1500 towards the refinishing with a water based polyurethane. Floor looks great! But haven’t walked on it yet. Waiting to fully dry.
We have the brazilian cherry for about 10 years now and they still look beautiful. I use only their cleaner to clean. I tried using other products and those products failed to keep the briliance and luster on the floors. I am in the process of having a barn door installed between bedroom and bathroom and am trying to find a matching stain to match the floor. Not an ez task.
I’ve been using a steamer after vacuuming my floors and they look great but I’m not sure it is good to use it on my Bellawood floors. I do think however, that it would get rid of the smudges that Christina, Gina, & Tricia have complained about. The smudges sound like a build up of their cleaner and the steamer would take that off!
Using a steamer on anything but tile is not a great idea, I have seen people ruin wood, laminate, and vinyl floors using them.
I am not a cleaning professional, but I have been in the flooring business my whole life.
I have had my Bella wood flooring in for two years now. It is a Brazilian cherry and leaves footprints on it when you walk over it. I have only used their floor cleaner and it always has smudges on it.
Does anybody have a suggestion on how to keep the floor clean like when I first installed it? It would be very helpful and much appreciated.
Thanks,
I’ve had mine for 10 years and they still look great. Those having issues must not be taking proper care.
My Brazilian chestnut Bella wood flooring looked great for the first year but now it’s developed a film anytime someone walks on it ( I see their footsteps) . It’s horrible! The company also lies when it says it prevents scratches
I agree! WE have Bellawood Brazilian Teak and I cannot stand the ‘smudges’ that show up constantly. i wish I knew the solution!
I installed a white oak Bellawood on my floors and they look great. $6/ft
Sam
How are your floors holding up? Those are the type I’ve been considering.