A Real Flooring Store Vs. The Big Box Stores

A common question we are often asked is, “Why can’t I just go to the home improvement store to get hardwood flooring?”.  As with most things concerning your home, it pays to higher a specialist to get the job done right the first time. A home improvement store tries to be everything to everyone. Let me ask you this question, do you want to get flooring advice from someone who was just watering the plants outside and yesterday was stocking plumbing fixtures? I didn’t think so. Let’s look at a few ways a real Flooring Company is more reliable that the big box stores.

Hardwood Floor Expertise

Many issues come up in choosing flooring that simply can’t be accurately answered by lightly-trained clerks in stores that also sell refrigerators, hammers and plants. Their expertise in the choice of wood for particular areas of your house, climate considerations and design will be minimal at best. But at a flooring store, you’ll generally find specialists with many years of experience in hardwood floor selection and design. Flooring is a significant investment, and it matters where you buy it!

Flooring Selection

Because it’s all they sell, flooring stores are committed to presenting the widest possible selection of floors, in the latest styles and colors as well as classic ones. Home improvement stores and flooring liquidators typically carry lower-quality flooring, and flooring they can sell in mass quantities. It may be okay for a rental property, but probably not for your home. They also typically offer very limited choices in terms of color and style.

Hardwood Floor Warranty

Only fine hardwood floor manufacturers such as California Classics offer long warranties, solid repair policies and money-back guarantees. Lower-quality flooring often goes to the home improvement stores and flooring liquidators as discount or close-out products (often unbeknownst to you), and you may be out of luck if you run into problems.

Hardwood Floor Installation

Professional hardwood flooring stores usually work with a certified professional installer, so you avoid the headaches of finding your own installer or experiencing a poor floor installation. Just one example: without proper acclimation, floorboards can experience cupping, or even delamination. And there are many more potential pitfalls of a poor hardwood floor installation.

In our next post, we will be looking at the different choices you have in hardwood floors for the Lowcountry.

*Thanks to Alice at California Floors in assisting with this article.