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1st I suggest you keep looking because that $4000 quoted you is double what small flooring dealers charge.
2nd I suggest you reconsider putting all your hard earned money into a plastic floor that is supposed to simulate wood. When you walk it will sound like a dance floor full of tap dancers. They are not very attractive at all and actually devalue the home. I still wonder why the consumer is so hateful towards particle board melamine or thermofoil cabinets but they don't hesitate to put fake plastic flooring down. That one insults me.
Since flooring is not my main business I can not point to you a local wholesaler in your area but they are there......I promise you that. Try harder. It will be worth your leg work. Hell with that Lumber Liquidator stuff. I think I saw you were in Chicago. Go to the low rent district. It is there you will find the best deals. You will not find deals with the big box stores or any small store in a strip mall. Hit the old neighborhoods where you will find all kinds of wholesale products.
Go wood flooring. It's beautiful, it has a warm feeling, your home value will appreciate it too.
For a basement, you can't really do traditional plank hardwood, but there are a number of engineered hardwoods that will install perfectly nicely over concrete slab for the same or not much more than the laminate.
As for laminates hurting the value of a home, it all depends on both the region and the neighborhood within the region. There are areas around here where laminate is said with a sneer and other neighborhoods where it's regarded as a big improvement over the dreaded carpet.
1st I suggest you keep looking because that $4000 quoted you is double what small flooring dealers charge.
2nd I suggest you reconsider putting all your hard earned money into a plastic floor that is supposed to simulate wood. When you walk it will sound like a dance floor full of tap dancers. They are not very attractive at all and actually devalue the home. I still wonder why the consumer is so hateful towards particle board melamine or thermofoil cabinets but they don't hesitate to put fake plastic flooring down. That one insults me.
Since flooring is not my main business I can not point to you a local wholesaler in your area but they are there......I promise you that. Try harder. It will be worth your leg work. Hell with that Lumber Liquidator stuff. I think I saw you were in Chicago. Go to the low rent district. It is there you will find the best deals. You will not find deals with the big box stores or any small store in a strip mall. Hit the old neighborhoods where you will find all kinds of wholesale products.
Go wood flooring. It's beautiful, it has a warm feeling, your home value will appreciate it too.
Oh desert you do it to me every time. I was all set to purchase pergo flooring from lumber liquidator for the livingroom and dining room, due to the poodle. Now i'm rethinking that again.
Oh desert you do it to me every time. I was all set to purchase pergo flooring from lumber liquidator for the livingroom and dining room, due to the poodle. Now i'm rethinking that again.
Don't let me stop you. Do as you wish, I just give advice. And one more piece of advice is of all the fake plastic flooring, Pergo is the worst. Just because Pergo advertises more and is a more a familiar name to the public does not mean it's better.
Don't let me stop you. Do as you wish, I just give advice. And one more piece of advice is of all the fake plastic flooring, Pergo is the worst. Just because Pergo advertises more and is a more a familiar name to the public does not mean it's better.
i've been on the fence for sometime, I guess i talked myself out of it. I'm thinking about the resale value 5 -10 years from now.
i've been on the fence for sometime, I guess i talked myself out of it. I'm thinking about the resale value 5 -10 years from now.
Hey man it don't have to be solid hardwood. The engineered hardwood is awesome. And it is barely more then the fake plastic junk. But the warm feel of the wood will long outlive the tap tap bouncy plastic for many years. Wood installs no differently either. Still has T&G locking system and still has to be cut. Only wood makes saw dust you can sweep away. Cutting plastic creates static electricity and the plastic dust will stick to everything. What a freaking mess.
To respond to the OP's question, the deal you are getting is a fairly good one for what you are buying. BTW, that floor is made by Armstrong for Lowes. You can check the Armstrong website, and search "Jatoba", and it will show you that species print in a few different tones. Those floors will be available from your local flooring professionals, and not at Lowes.
As a flooring professional, I agree with desertsun41. Engineered hardwoods are just as easy to install, don't echo as bad, and generally add value that laminates do not. They cost a little more than laminates, but chances are good that you'll recoup that $$$ when you sell.
I did check the Armstrong site but did not find the one we are looking at.
Maybe I missed it? I have checked around in my area and Lowes is the only store to carry the Jatoba we want.
We have found cheaper laminate but nothing as nice as the one we saw at Lowes.
As for engineered hardwood, we did think of that as well but have reservations. We have a walk out basement and the floor will see some heavy traffic. With muddy/dirty/wet shoes, we want something that won't damage easily. One reason we didn't go with carpet.
How durable is engineered vs laminate? Sure we'll have some rugs/mats by the entry but I don't think our 4 and 5 yr old will know what they are for.
Thoughts on engineered vs laminate?
As for resale, laminate has to be a step up from carpet, right?
Not to hijack Jedi's thread, but also curious on pet traffic (specifically claws from dogs) on engineered hardwood? My wife is set on laminate because of the dogs claws which I dont want as I agree w/ Desert on teh tap dancy feel to it.
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