Where should I buy my flooring?

[Alex Franke]

We want to do new carpet in our family room and on the stairs, new vinyl in the kitchen (cheap, temporary - like 3-4 years until we re-do the kitchen), wood in a couple of the bedrooms (not sure yet if we're going with solid, engineered or laminate), and tile in one of the bathrooms.

I've heard from some that it's best to work with a wholesaler (except that I can't find one), but others seem to like the home centers better. We were thinking about having the carpet done professionally, but do the rest ourselves.

Any recommendations out there on where to get a good value on flooring? Is it best to go with Lowes/HD or a local installer? How about Lumber Liquidators or other places like that? Does it depend on the type of floor? Anything I should watch our for when shopping around?

Thanks a bundle!

[Pappy]

I was going to give you a link for laminate and engineered flooring but the minimums would be more than you need, negating any savings. With a mix of floor types like that you are going to have to shop around for the best deal on each one.

[Alex Franke]

Actually I saw the BulidDirect link you posted last year sometime and even checked out the site... and then I saw the minimums! I'm not sure what I'd do with an 1,100 sq ft bedroom...

Thanks anyway, though.

[sparkeyjames]

Look for someone close that is into the same type of remodel. Post a note on some message boards. You never know you might find someone who can go in on the deal with you.

[jlm]

I've remodeled two houses in the past few years, and I've tried several different approaches for flooring for various rooms and projects. I've bought carpet from the big-box home improvement stores, carpet from a local flooring shop, laminate from one of the warehouse stores, and tile from various specialty tile places (as well as refinishing hardwood floors with rented sanders). And man, am I tired!

My experience is that there's no major difference in product quality, prices, or installation (though I've only had the carpet installed professionally - I did the installs for the tile and laminate myself). Lowe's and Home Depot contract with local flooring contractors to do their installs anyway, so you'll get basically the same service with big-box or local flooring stores, the main difference will be price (big-box is usually cheaper) and selection (specialty stores have way more options than the home improvement stores).

I bought cork laminate for my kitchen from iFloor.com, and was very pleased. They're basically the same concept as Lumber Liquidators, so if there's a showroom near you, you might check them out. I got a great price and have been very impressed with the quality of the flooring. I wouldn't buy flooring online, unless you've had a chance to see a sample in person. Too much variation in quality that doesn't show up in photos.

If you've got any smaller rooms, you might look for odd lots and remainder quantities. I only needed 40 sq ft of tile for my entryway, and I ended up getting a huge markdown because the store only had a few boxes left of the limestone I bought. It matched up with the quantity I needed (had to buy a little extra, but it was still a bargain), so it worked out great.

My advice is to just shop around. Don't plan on buying everything from one place, because you'll inevitably end up having to compromise on one material or the other. Not every store has the best selection of every flooring type. Take your measurements with you so you can get accurate quotes, and if you can bring samples home, do it, so you can compare them with what the other stores offer.

[jziegler]

jlm, thanks for mentioning iFloor. They have a showroom near me, and I didn't know that. There's also a Lumber Liquidators in the same area.

Alex,

Lumber Liquidators is worth looking at for the wood, especially if they have a store near you. My in-laws got some flooring there and it looks good, but the contractor complained that the color varied more than other floors, and that the random length boards had more shorts than he liked. He also hated the adhesive that they sold. But the price was great and the finished floor looks great. If you avoid their adhesive and nail, or buy another adhesive, you'd do well for the wood there.

Jim