Somerset is an American wood flooring company with its headquarters in Kentucky. On their web site, they refer to themselves as “a vertically integrated forest products company”. Personally, I think they are trying to make themselves pretentious. They have over 20 years of success in the flooring industry. I am unclear what they mean they did before that. Their wood comes from the Appalachians in the US. They say that they have some of the finest hardwood. They started as an unfinished wood flooring manufacturer and moved into the prefinished category. Today, they only manufacture prefinished wood floors.
Somerset does all their own lumber manufacturing, drying, milling, and finishing of hardwood flooring. They also say that they have very consistent grading. Somerset is proud to offer what they claim to be one of the toughest floor finishes in the industry. They are always looking to modernize and advance their equipment in their facility. They boast state-of-the-art machinery in their plants. Most of their equipment is built by their own machinists.
All of their wood is kiln dried. The timber comes from 120 different sawmills suppliers within a radius of 150 miles from their manufacturing plants. Personally, this alone makes me question the consistency in quality from one sawmill supplier to the next.
What Customers Think About Somerset Floors
For the most part, customers are unhappy with their Somerset floors. Even though they say they are manufactured in Kentucky, rumor has it that they are actually made in China. The price may be alright but the quality is shoddy. Their floors are known to dent rather quickly.
They offer a wide range of floors in different styles, colors and thicknesses.
Environmental Responsibility
Somerset has earned the Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Certification and will manufacture FSC flooring upon special request.
Somerset is a member of the Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc. Their manufacturing standards meet the standards of forest sustainability for future generations to come.
They also manage their own forests and employ their own forestry staff. They also think long-term about their forest. Somerset has a 100 year plan for their forests.
They use their own sawdust to fuel their facilities. Any excess sawdust, they turn into pellet fuel, a product they sell. They have a “waste not” philosophy. They are a green, environmentally responsible company.
Final Thoughts
Somerset is amongst the more economical varieties of flooring. They even have a “Value Collection”. You get what you pay for. The cost is what gets most customers hooked. Then again, some people are very happy with their Summerset floors.
The company does not have anything that stands out about being innovative and on the cutting edge of the industry. They are a very green company which is a bonus.
Somerset Hardwood Flooring: A Company Overview and Review Reviewed by Wood Floor Doctor on July 3 . Prefinished wood floors in a variety of colors and thicknesses. Somerset Hardwood Flooring has reasonable prices but mediocre quality. Rating: 3