Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
i'm purchasing a townhome, and want to put in new hardwood or laminate in most of the floors. Want a biiger company that hopefully can take care of things without hassel after i pick the material i want. Both HD & Loews seem to offer thier installation service. Wondering anyone has expereince ... and few questions:
1. do they send competent people? And they deliver good quality service?
2. In some cases, i'm seeing lamiated material (bruce around $4/SQFT) almost same price as good quality bruce hard wood at $4/SQFT. Is there any big downside with lamiated flooring? The deal with laimate is it is a flat $500 labor charge they're advertising (as opposed to normal $2/SQFT - so if you do say 1,000 or 1,500 sqft - you're saving quiet bit on labor.
3. the guy at HD told me they pretty much do everthing - including painting. Should i trust them with painting more or less whole home?
4. There is one floor that has existing hardwood - but in some small area has lost its finishing/color slightly. I've hard sanding & restaining would cost me almost similar to new install with new materials. Wanted to get an idea, is there any cheaper option - just want some polishing so it brings back some of its luster vs old/tired look without spending a fortune.
Hardwould generally is better in a resale but not always. Some people want the ease of laminate its easy to clean and wont scratch. But laminate cant not be refinish. Engineered hardwood is a compromise i think is best for resale. I would recomend u check with a Realtor on whats most popular in your area, the golden rule is something like <$400K = laminate, >$400K you might get wood.
Sounds like u r set on the big box so I wont make u different but remember the big boyz just sub it out to the locals they dont have there own install crews. Crews used by the big box are very competent and insured e.t.c, but language is sometimes a problem. U can go on CL and find a local to instal for 50c a sq foot in the quiet periods of the yr, some of them even drop hints that they work for the big boyz.
If u go laminate route, invest in the heavy duty underlay its the seceret to the best outcome other than craftsman. Remember always generally buyers still want carpets upstairs.
I do investor rehabs up and down central j. I got guys on my crew who can rip out carpets, prep the floors and laydown an entire 1st floor in less than 1 days labor (cheapo click-lock laminate only) i put some stuff down last week that was almost as thin as card, but it looks great and the buyers eat it up will it last longer than 6 months? WHo knows ...
1) Installation through Home Depot is a crapshoot (I haven't used Lowes, but I suspect it's the same). They contract it out.
2) Have you seen laminate flooring? Most of it looks pretty bad. The stuff that doesn't costs a lot more.
3) See #1; Home Depot contracts this stuff out. So whether they'll do a good job or not depends on who you get.
4) You can spot-refinish part of the floor, but it will be pretty obvious. Since you're doing the whole house I'd suggest you bite the bullet and have the whole thing done; it'll be much harder after you've settled in.
2) Have you seen laminate flooring? Most of it looks pretty bad. The stuff that doesn't costs a lot more.
It depends on the house.
You're are over-estimating skills of first time buyers for shure. Most first time buyer people look down see wood and thats enuff to make them happy. If its a picture of wood etc they dont care. Crappy granite and fake wood sells houses these days.
Hardwould generally is better in a resale but not always. Some people want the ease of laminate its easy to clean and wont scratch. But laminate cant not be refinish. Engineered hardwood is a compromise i think is best for resale. I would recomend u check with a Realtor on whats most popular in your area, the golden rule is something like <$400K = laminate, >$400K you might get wood.
Sounds like u r set on the big box so I wont make u different but remember the big boyz just sub it out to the locals they dont have there own install crews. Crews used by the big box are very competent and insured e.t.c, but language is sometimes a problem. U can go on CL and find a local to instal for 50c a sq foot in the quiet periods of the yr, some of them even drop hints that they work for the big boyz.
If u go laminate route, invest in the heavy duty underlay its the seceret to the best outcome other than craftsman. Remember always generally buyers still want carpets upstairs.
I do investor rehabs up and down central j. I got guys on my crew who can rip out carpets, prep the floors and laydown an entire 1st floor in less than 1 days labor (cheapo click-lock laminate only) i put some stuff down last week that was almost as thin as card, but it looks great and the buyers eat it up will it last longer than 6 months? WHo knows ...
thanks for the info ... so that i got it right, only the laminate needs underlay - from reading i do get that i need a good underlay. Any recommendation on brand, and how much do they cost?
Also any brand recommendation for laminate, or hardwood for that matters? i'm like 99% sure that the 1st floor (street level) would be laminate as i think the floor is concerete. Not sure about the other floors - perhpas will consider hardwood on upper floors. For now, i'm just looking for what i want within resonable price - planning to live for 5+ years possibly, so resale value is not super high on priority.
You're are over-estimating skills of first time buyers for shure. Most first time buyer people look down see wood and thats enuff to make them happy. If its a picture of wood etc they dont care. Crappy granite and fake wood sells houses these days.
i'm just getting the house ... no thoughts whatsoever as to what someday when i sell whether it is $10K more or less in 5+ years when i sell it. It is not hugely important to me right now. But based on what i read here, if laminate could keep up the look for that long - i'm definitely leaning toward that. At end of day, it is a townhouse, and not super duper large house ... so value of prop can be affected so much by it. It's value right now is more on the location.
1) Installation through Home Depot is a crapshoot (I haven't used Lowes, but I suspect it's the same). They contract it out.
2) Have you seen laminate flooring? Most of it looks pretty bad. The stuff that doesn't costs a lot more.
3) See #1; Home Depot contracts this stuff out. So whether they'll do a good job or not depends on who you get.
4) You can spot-refinish part of the floor, but it will be pretty obvious. Since you're doing the whole house I'd suggest you bite the bullet and have the whole thing done; it'll be much harder after you've settled in.
thanks ... just figuring out what to do with that floor .. if i refnish, then it probalby wont match exactly with stairs which has carpet right now (leanding to bedrooms) ...we basically want to put hardwood everywhere except kitchen and bathroom. Kind of leaning toward laminate as i'm hearing it keeps the look for a while, low maintenance and labor would be cheap - flat $500.
thanks for the info ... so that i got it right, only the laminate needs underlay - from reading i do get that i need a good underlay. Any recommendation on brand, and how much do they cost?
Also any brand recommendation for laminate, or hardwood for that matters? i'm like 99% sure that the 1st floor (street level) would be laminate as i think the floor is concerete. Not sure about the other floors - perhpas will consider hardwood on upper floors. For now, i'm just looking for what i want within resonable price - planning to live for 5+ years possibly, so resale value is not super high on priority.
If I had to laminate in mine own home I'd use Prego from Lowes frankly. Its not there best one out there or cheapest, but it definately looks realest and its warranty is **** solid. Theres 3 grade of underlayment, just go for the heaviest pad at the big box u can get it goes down easy dont need to glue etc.
One thing - flooring golden rule = consistency or contrast. Keep areas of floor consistent or contrast. So laminate everywhere or carpet all over or laminate down and carpet up or reverser. Mix laminate and hardwood = may be problematic. Not saying it couldnt not be done, but its trickey.
If I had to laminate in mine own home I'd use Prego from Lowes frankly. Its not there best one out there or cheapest, but it definately looks realest and its warranty is **** solid. Theres 3 grade of underlayment, just go for the heaviest pad at the big box u can get it goes down easy dont need to glue etc.
One thing - flooring golden rule = consistency or contrast. Keep areas of floor consistent or contrast. So laminate everywhere or carpet all over or laminate down and carpet up or reverser. Mix laminate and hardwood = may be problematic. Not saying it couldnt not be done, but its trickey.
thanks .. it was between pergo and bruce .. any thoughts how think the lamiate should be? I picked up some sample and bruce was fair bit thicker - i'm assuming pergo will have equivalent at higher price.
thanks .. it was between pergo and bruce .. any thoughts how think the lamiate should be? I picked up some sample and bruce was fair bit thicker - i'm assuming pergo will have equivalent at higher price.
sorry ... one more thing, in consumer report, armstrong was much higher rated then pergo - not sure how much stock to put in it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
