Why people choose Robbins
- A classic solid floor. Natural Forest is 3/4 inch solid hardwood from 2-1/4 to 5 inches wide, in hickory, maple, red oak and white oak, the kind of floor that can be sanded and refinished again and again.
- Unusual woods. Timber Legends brings ash, cherry, pine and walnut, woods most lines leave out.
- Finishes made to last. Many Robbins hardwood lines wear a urethane finish with aluminum oxide in it, and HydroGuard and Pro-Tekt Reserve list an anti-microbial urethane.
- Wood looks where wood would worry you. Pro-Tekt and Horizon's Embrace are rigid core vinyl that Robbins flags as waterproof.
The floors
Solid hardwood
Natural Forest: eleven lines of 3/4 inch solid boards, from narrow strip to 5 inch plank.
Engineered hardwood
A real wood top layer on a stable core, 3/8 to 5/8 inch thick: Nature's Canvas in Silver, Gold and Platinum, Coastside, Seaboard, Noble's Way, Sheridan Trail, Lasting Traditions, ArmorWood, HydroGuard and Timber Legends, mostly white oak, from about 4 to 9 inches wide.
Rigid core and laminate
Pro-Tekt Classic, Classic Pro, Trending and Reserve, and Horizon's Embrace: rigid core planks, 5 to 12 mm thick, that click together and float. Pacific Path, Valley Terrain and Established Style are laminate, 8 and 12 mm thick.
How we install it
Solid boards up to 4-1/4 inches wide are nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor; solid 5 inch boards we nail and glue, because a wide solid board moves more with the seasons. Natural Forest goes on the main floor and above; for a basement, choose an engineered or rigid core line. Engineered boards are stapled to a wood subfloor or glued to a concrete slab. Rigid core and laminate click together and float, so nothing is fixed to the house. Wood takes on the moisture of the air around it, so it needs time in the house before it goes down.
Living with it
Hardwood wants a broom, a vacuum without a beater bar and a hardwood cleaner, never a wet mop. Rigid core takes a damp mop. Felt pads under furniture and a mat at each door do the most for any finish.
Questions
Who makes Robbins flooring? AHF Products, which makes several flooring brands and was once part of Armstrong Flooring.
Is Robbins solid or engineered? Both. Natural Forest is 3/4 inch solid hardwood, and most other Robbins lines are engineered. Robbins also makes rigid core vinyl and laminate.
Is Robbins rigid core waterproof? Robbins flags its Pro-Tekt and Horizon's Embrace rigid core lines as waterproof.
What warranty does Robbins give? It differs by line and by finish. Ask us for Robbins's own warranty for the floor you choose; it governs.