Mountville, Pa.– AHF Products introduced Hydropel, a waterproof, 100% hardwood flooring product from Bruce, bringing together the beauty of hardwood floors, waterproof protection, durability and DIY-friendly installation — with a 15-year commercial warranty.
“There are sensitivities around hardwood to moisture, and we have addressed those directly with Hydropel,” said Brian Parker, director of product management, AHF Products. “It is real hardwood from top to bottom – and that’s what consumers truly want in their homes. Other products in the category that claim to be water resistant are not hardwood in the sense that they have a plastic core.”
Hydropel is built with a unique core technology, which AHF Products termed ultra-high-density fiberboard. This construction, according to the company, is denser and more water resistant than typical plywood or high-density fiberboard cores. The density of Hydropel enables an extremely fine milling tolerance that seals the edges after installation and protects against everyday spills, wet moping or pet accidents from absorbing into the wood or leaking between planks into the subfloor. A premium performance coating protects the hardwood from scratches, scuffs, stains and indentations.
In addition, Hydropel’s angle locking system makes it easy to install because of its large and wide locking profile; no glue or nails are required. “We developed and executed several different tests to prove the performance of Hydropel, including large scale water testing, sunlight buckle testing and scratch testing,” Parker said. “We repeated these countless times to verify the performance. You can comfortably live on these floors without worrying about damage from moisture.”
Since hardwood is desired for its beauty and natural good looks, Hydropel by Bruce provides a wide array of design options. Available in Oak and Hickory, in smooth, scraped and brushed textures, Hydropel is current with the latest design trends in flooring. The low gloss finish is available in 5-inch planks up to 48 inches long to give consumers extensive design flexibility.
“Today’s consumers are accustomed to seeing new products as must-have improvements and flooring is no exception,” said Parker. “Overall, customers want something unique, and the best way to get that is by innovating new looks and visuals and addressing the performance benefits that will keep hardwood at the top of consumers’ lists.”
