If you have been shopping engineered hardwood, Garrison has probably come up, and you have probably hit the same snag my customers describe. The floors look rich and substantial, the specs read well, and then you go searching for reviews and come up nearly empty, which makes a premium purchase feel like a gamble.
I sell Garrison hardwood and have installed enough of it to give you the straight version. Garrison is a genuinely strong engineered hardwood brand, and its calling card is thicker-than-average wear layers wrapped in wide, distressed, character-driven planks. The quiet online presence is not a red flag. It is a family-run manufacturer that has been doing this quietly and well for a long time, and once you understand how the collections differ, it becomes an easy brand to recommend.
Quick Verdict
- Rating: 4.6 out of 5
- Best for: Buyers who want wide, distressed, character-rich engineered oak with a thick, refinishable wear layer.
- Standout strength: 4mm wear layers on the flagship lines, plus wide and XL plank widths up to 10-1/4 inches.
- Watch out for: Wear-layer thickness varies by collection, and the rustic distressed look is not for everyone.
Who Makes Garrison Hardwood?
This is the first thing people ask, usually because they cannot find much online. Here is the answer. Garrison Collection was founded in 1956 in Los Angeles as a small family-owned business and has grown into a national flooring brand. It designs and distributes hardwood, vinyl, laminate, and wall coverings, and it operates under parent company Old Master Products, which also supplies the installation and maintenance materials that go with the floors.
Garrison is also the home of Allora Floors, its exclusive Italian-made line, so if you have looked at our Allora Floors review, you have already seen part of the same family.
What that means for you is a brand with real staying power and a deep catalog, backed by an industry-leading warranty. The thin review trail is simply a function of Garrison selling through flooring dealers rather than chasing consumer marketing. The product itself is well regarded by the installers and designers who use it every day.
Construction and Wear Layers
This is where Garrison separates itself. A lot of engineered hardwood ships with a thin veneer in the 2 to 2.5mm range, which looks fine on day one but leaves little room for the floor to be refinished later.
Garrison's flagship lines, including Distressed II, Legends, and Du Bois, run a thick 4mm wear layer over the engineered core, which is closer to what you would expect from a much more expensive floor and leaves real room for a future sanding and refinish. That extra depth is the single biggest reason the brand earns its reputation.
Not every line is 4mm, and that matters. The Exotics collection, for example, uses a 2mm wear layer on its tropical species, which is perfectly good for everyday residential wear but is not built for repeated refinishing. So the rule with Garrison is to shop by collection, not just by brand.
The engineered construction across the range uses a cross-ply or HDF core that improves stability over concrete slabs and through humidity swings, and the planks lean wide and long, with widths running from 5 inches up to 10-1/4-inch XL boards, random lengths reaching 87 inches, and even herringbone in the Legends line.
Finishes
Garrison's finishes are a real strength, and there are two families to know. The workhorse is a UV-cured urethane with aluminum oxide, used on lines like Distressed II, which produces one of the hardest, most scratch-resistant surfaces you can put on a wood floor and shrugs off pet claws and daily grit.
Some collections, including parts of the Legends and Du Bois ranges, use a UV Oil finish instead, which gives a more natural, low-sheen look while still being more durable and lower-maintenance than a traditional penetrating oil. Most of the range sits in the matte to low-sheen aesthetic, and the distressed and wire-brushed textures are excellent at hiding the small scuffs and dents that real life leaves behind.
Is Garrison Hardwood Waterproof?
No, and this is important to be clear about. Garrison's engineered and solid hardwood collections are real wood, which means they are not waterproof and should stay out of bathrooms and flood-prone basements. Standing water will damage any wood floor.
Garrison does make vinyl and laminate lines for moisture-prone spaces, and for anywhere water is a constant, our waterproof flooring range is the right place to look. For dry living areas, the hardwood collections are exactly what you want.
Certifications and Indoor Air Quality
Garrison holds up well on the parts you cannot see. Its hardwood is CARB Phase II compliant for formaldehyde emissions and LEED-eligible, the company is a member of the US Green Building Council, and its floors meet National Wood Flooring Association standards.
The wood is responsibly sourced in accordance with the Lacey Act, meaning it is legally harvested and traceable. Combined, those low-VOC and sourcing credentials give real reassurance to anyone comparing responsibly made hardwood, which matters most in homes with kids or anyone sensitive to air quality.
Garrison Hardwood Collections
Garrison runs a deep catalog, and Royal Floors Online carries a broad slice of it. Here are the ones most buyers land on.
- Distressed II: Five-inch engineered planks in White Oak, Maple, Hickory, and Walnut with a thick 4mm wear layer, built for durable, scratch-hiding everyday floors.
- Legends: Wide-plank European oak from 7.5 to 10.25 inches, including herringbone, with a 4mm wear layer, made for statement interiors.
- Du Bois: Character-grade oak with micro-beveled edges and a 4mm wear layer under a UV Oil finish, ideal for rustic, aged looks.
- Exotics: Five-inch planks in tropical species like Acacia, Sapele, and Tigerwood with a 2mm wear layer, chosen for distinctive grain and color rather than refinishing.
- French Connection: Seven-inch wire-brushed White Oak with a thick veneer, a decorator favorite for wide-plank rooms.
Garrison Hardwood Problems Worth Knowing About
No honest review skips the caveats, and Garrison's are mostly about matching the collection to your expectations rather than product defects. The most common frustration is simply the thin review presence online, which makes buyers nervous, and the fix is understanding the brand's provenance and warranty rather than avoiding it.
Beyond that, the wear layer varies from 4mm on the flagship lines down to 2mm on Exotics, so if refinishability matters to you, buy a 4mm collection specifically. The distressed, character-grade look with its knots and mineral streaks is intentional and beautiful to most buyers, but it is not what you want if you prefer a clean, uniform, knot-free floor.
And like all real wood, Garrison is not for wet areas, the flagship European oak lines sit at the premium end of the price range, and the wide-plank collections really do reward a professional install with proper subfloor prep and humidity control.
Garrison Hardwood Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Thick 4mm wear layers on flagship lines allow future refinishing | Wear layer drops to 2mm on some collections like Exotics |
| Wide and XL plank widths up to 10-1/4 inches, plus herringbone | Rustic distressed look is not for everyone |
| Hard UV-cured urethane and aluminum oxide finish resists scratches | Not waterproof, so no bathrooms or flood-prone basements |
| CARB II, USGBC, NWFA, and Lacey Act credentials | Flagship European oak lines are premium priced |
| Backed by a maker since 1956 with a lifetime residential warranty | Thin online review presence can make buyers hesitate |
Cost and Value
Garrison spans mid-range to premium depending on the collection. At Royal Floors Online, the flagship Legends European oak lines run roughly $7.49 to $8.19 per square foot, while most other collections are offered on a request-a-quote basis with wholesale pricing so we can match the number to your species, width, and square footage.
Every order comes with free samples, a lifetime residential and 20-year light commercial warranty, and 30-day returns, with a 500 square foot minimum and nationwide shipping. Professional installation typically adds $3 to $6 per square foot depending on your region and subfloor.
For value, that thick 4mm veneer is the thing to weigh. You are paying for a floor that can be refinished and genuinely lasts, which is a fair trade against thinner engineered options that cannot.
Installation and Maintenance
Garrison's engineered collections give you real flexibility, installing by nail-down, staple, glue-down, or float depending on the line and subfloor, which makes them workable over both plywood and concrete slabs. For the wide and XL planks, lean toward a professional, since subfloor prep and expansion planning are where those floors succeed or fail.
Maintenance is straightforward. Sweep or vacuum regularly to clear the grit that scratches a finish, wipe spills promptly, and clean with a manufacturer-approved product without soaking the surface. Skip steam mops and wet mopping, which are hard on any wood floor, and use felt pads under furniture with mats at entry doors to keep dirt and moisture off the planks.
Is Garrison Hardwood Worth It?
Yes, for the right buyer. Garrison delivers wide, character-rich engineered hardwood with a thick, refinishable wear layer and a genuinely durable finish, backed by a maker with nearly 70 years behind it and a warranty to match. The key is buying by collection. Choose a 4mm flagship line like Distressed II or Legends if longevity and refinishing matter, and lean into the distressed textures if you want a floor that hides everyday life.
- Best for: Buyers who want wide-plank, character-driven oak, anyone who values a thick wear layer they can refinish later, and homes with kids or pets that need a scratch-hiding surface.
- Not ideal for: Buyers who want a clean, uniform, knot-free look, anyone shopping strictly on lowest price, or wet areas where only a waterproof floor will do.
Want to see Garrison samples in your own space before you commit? Call us at (833) 378-4559 or request your free estimate today.
