Wood Floors

[amandagall5]

Has anyone here installed new or replaced existing wood floors? If so, who did you use and were you pleased or displeased with the work? Do you think Lowes or Home Depot do a decent job or would you recommend another company? Thanks.

[Easy180]

Went with Lowes on laminate for our living room 5 years ago and they did a good job

[BBatesokc]

Wanting solid wood or laminate?

Companies I've worked with include...
1. Beckett Bros (solid wood install & existing wood repair after water damage)
2. Lumber Liquidators (solid wood install)

Both did really good jobs.

The issue with any company is they are only as good as the people they send out. Home Depot and Lowe's are no different and they'll just contract with some third party. The upside of using a Big Box retailer is that they often offer a discount if you're buying their materials and they are big enough you have someone to complain to if things go wrong that will most likely make it right.

I've found you need to keep a close eye on your installers if you're going with laminate. Its good durable stuff (and often a home owners only option - due to sub-flooring or non-level foundations) but most issues happen at installation. Every few rows you need to inspect for chips in the laminate (don't let them tell you they'll 'fix' it when they are done installing - they need to replace any/all chipped pieces) and also check for gaps between rows and bad cuts around corners that expose the sub-floor.

I usually install my own laminate and prefer it to solid wood (unless there is original solid wood present - then I thinks its worth restoring).

The wife and I are actually installing 2,200 feet of laminate flooring starting this weekend. Only $1.69/sq' as opposed to $5-$8 installed by someone else (and that's cheaper than carpet - and carpet is nasty IMO).

[gamecock]

Has anyone here installed new or replaced existing wood floors? If so, who did you use and were you pleased or displeased with the work? Do you think Lowes or Home Depot do a decent job or would you recommend another company? Thanks.

We had good luck with Metro Flooring in Moore last fall; they did a nice job installing engineered wood floors for us.

[amandagall5]

I'm thinking of prefinished wood flooring, not laminate. I already have some existing wood but am wondering if it would be more expensive to try to match and tie into it rather than having all new. I guess I need a quote to find that out.

Wanting solid wood or laminate?

Companies I've worked with include...
1. Beckett Bros (solid wood install & existing wood repair after water damage)
2. Lumber Liquidators (solid wood install)

Both did really good jobs.

The issue with any company is they are only as good as the people they send out. Home Depot and Lowe's are no different and they'll just contract with some third party. The upside of using a Big Box retailer is that they often offer a discount if you're buying their materials and they are big enough you have someone to complain to if things go wrong that will most likely make it right.

I've found you need to keep a close eye on your installers if you're going with laminate. Its good durable stuff (and often a home owners only option - due to sub-flooring or non-level foundations) but most issues happen at installation. Every few rows you need to inspect for chips in the laminate (don't let them tell you they'll 'fix' it when they are done installing - they need to replace any/all chipped pieces) and also check for gaps between rows and bad cuts around corners that expose the sub-floor.

I usually install my own laminate and prefer it to solid wood (unless there is original solid wood present - then I thinks its worth restoring).

The wife and I are actually installing 2,200 feet of laminate flooring starting this weekend. Only $1.69/sq' as opposed to $5-$8 installed by someone else (and that's cheaper than carpet - and carpet is nasty IMO).

[rezman]

I'm thinking of prefinished wood flooring, not laminate. I already have some existing wood but am wondering if it would be more expensive to try to match and tie into it rather than having all new. I guess I need a quote to find that out.

Hardwood Floors By Brandon ... 282-0124

[rezman]

Wanting solid wood or laminate?

Companies I've worked with include...
1. Beckett Bros (solid wood install & existing wood repair after water damage)
2. Lumber Liquidators (solid wood install)

Both did really good jobs.

The issue with any company is they are only as good as the people they send out. Home Depot and Lowe's are no different and they'll just contract with some third party. The upside of using a Big Box retailer is that they often offer a discount if you're buying their materials and they are big enough you have someone to complain to if things go wrong that will most likely make it right.

I've found you need to keep a close eye on your installers if you're going with laminate. Its good durable stuff (and often a home owners only option - due to sub-flooring or non-level foundations) but most issues happen at installation. Every few rows you need to inspect for chips in the laminate (don't let them tell you they'll 'fix' it when they are done installing - they need to replace any/all chipped pieces) and also check for gaps between rows and bad cuts around corners that expose the sub-floor.

I usually install my own laminate and prefer it to solid wood (unless there is original solid wood present - then I thinks its worth restoring).

The wife and I are actually installing 2,200 feet of laminate flooring starting this weekend. Only $1.69/sq' as opposed to $5-$8 installed by someone else (and that's cheaper than carpet - and carpet is nasty IMO).

In our last house, while having laminate flooring put in, the installer dropped his nail gun, which took a chunk out of the floor. My wife, who was at home at the time, heard the boom from the nail gun falling, but did not take a look to see what happened. Rather then stopping to replace the damaged piece, which was already several courses in from the raw edge, the installer kept going. When he was done for the day he laid a piece of trim over the damaged area and wanted me to sign off that he was done with the entire job, which he was not, and I refused. I told him he would be paid when he was done, and he left in a huff. at that time I had not yet seen the damaged plank. We found that shortly after the installer left. So we called the company, told them not to let that installer return, and they brought out another guy who was pretty good, but he had to tear out everything back to the damaged plank, and start over with all new materials. The company lost their a$$ on our job.

So yes, you need to watch what they are doing and do NOT sign off on anything untill you are completely satisfied.

[bhawes]

Has anyone here installed new or replaced existing wood floors? If so, who did you use and were you pleased or displeased with the work? Do you think Lowes or Home Depot do a decent job or would you recommend another company? Thanks.

If you can afford it always go with engineer wood or solid wood over laminate. Laminate just look cheap compare to engineer wood or solid wood.
When I had my house build in 2001 I had solid wood install in formal dining. Then almost a year ago i remove carpet and had install engineer wood in living room and four bedrooms over 1300 sf.
now my 2350sf home has nothing but tile solid wood and engineer wood floors glad to get rid of carpet.

[BBatesokc]

If you can afford it always go with engineer wood or solid wood over laminate. Laminate just look cheap compare to engineer wood or solid wood.
When I had my house build in 2001 I had solid wood install in formal dining. Then almost a year ago i remove carpet and had install engineer wood in living room and four bedrooms over 1300 sf.
now my 2350sf home has nothing but tile solid wood and engineer wood floors glad to get rid of carpet.

This has come up in another thread. If you buy cheaply made laminate then, yes, your floor will look cheap. Put in nicely made stuff and your floors will look nice and even undistinguishable from engineered wood or solid wood (unless you inspect it closely).

Nice laminate can even be purchased now at Sam's. Their 14mm stuff is fantastic in the darker colors with hand scraped look.

[Jon27]

You can't go wrong with the wood floor looking ceramic tile. That's what I put down in my office at our new house rather than wood floors. It's so much more durable (no scratching), and looks great!!! I have Interceramic Brand in the Forestwood series.

[BBatesokc]

You can't go wrong with the wood floor looking ceramic tile. That's what I put down in my office at our new house rather than wood floors. It's so much more durable (no scratching), and looks great!!! I have Interceramic Brand in the Forestwood series.

Have a friend that put the wood plank looking tiles in his office - looked REALLY nice.

[Jon27]

Have a friend that put the wood plank looking tiles in his office - looked REALLY nice.

I love it. We have dogs, and I was worried about them scratching real wood. The tile looks just as nice (to me), and is so much easier to take care of.

[betts]

I love it. We have dogs, and I was worried about them scratching real wood. The tile looks just as nice (to me), and is so much easier to take care of.

That's what I'm thinking about doing on the floor on which I hang out with our dogs. It's probably a lit less slippery for them too, I'm guessing.

Since you can't refinish engineered wood, it's a nonstarter too.

[BBatesokc]

That's what I'm thinking about doing on the floor on which I hang out with our dogs. It's probably a lit less slippery for them too, I'm guessing.

Since you can't refinish engineered wood, it's a nonstarter too.

We've had 2-3 dogs on our current laminate floors for 15 years - ZERO scratches. Good laminate is not nearly as fragile as some people think (no dog scratches, no chair scratches, not as water intolerant as you might think). Not only do our indoor dogs walk on it 24/7, but 1/3 of our living room flooded twice in the last 15 years and it didn't buckle the floors. It was standing water and we mopped and vacuumed it within 2-4 hours of realizing it (happened overnight) and applied fans and heat. The second flood was a bit worse, so we pulled up 9 rows of the flooring, dried the cement foundation and floor boards and simply snapped them back into place (number the backs so you can remember where they go). No biggie.

On the other hand, a condo I had, had a water leak and even though it only effected about 25 square feet, that area buckled, and had to be sanded well and the entire 1,400 square foot bottom floor had to be restained so it would all match. Very inconvenient.

However, if that would have happened with laminate, you'd have to pull it all up, replace the buckled pieces and lay it all back down again - that's one good reason to plan some transition boards even if you're using the same laminate throughout - makes repairs easier.

Tile is my favorite because its so durable, can get wet and repairs are easy. But, I don't really like the look in many living areas, is hard and it can be cold and unforgiving if you drop something. We'll probably do our own tile in the entry, kitchen and bathrooms - laminate everywhere else.

That all said, we did have one dog that did not like the laminate at all. Was very afraid of it and stayed on the area rugs. I think his feet did slip a bit. The others were fine.

[rezman]

Another nice and popular alternative for floors is stained and polished concrete. I can be done in a multitude of colors, marbling, fogging, decorative cuts, you name it, and it is absolutely beautiful. and you'll never have to worry about damaging it. Then, you can go wih corespoding concrete counter tops

[BBatesokc]

Another nice and popular alternative for floors is stained and polished concrete. I can be done in a multitude of colors, marbling, fogging, decorative cuts, you name it, and it is absolutely beautiful. and you'll never have to worry about damaging it. Then, you can go wih corespoding concrete counter tops

Another excellent choice (that is easy to cover should you decide to later). Only problem is it requires a really good foundation to work with (unless you're okay with cracks and patches). We considered it, but the foundation had too many cosmetic issues. Had a friend who bought.built one of those 4 very modern condos just SW of Cafe 501 and between the Classen Curve that originally planned to do that, but, again, foundation issues (even on a very expensive new build).

Considered floating more concrete on top to hide cosmetic issues, but that can create disasters too.

When it works, its awesome. I think we are doing a concrete fireplace mantel.

Growing up my parents had tile in most of their home and it was heated underneath. I really liked that.

[rezman]

[QUOTE=BBatesokc;625754

Considered floating more concrete on top to hide cosmetic issues, but that can create disasters too.

When it works, its awesome. I think we are doing a concrete fireplace mantel.[/QUOTE]

That is called an overlay and can be done with great results.

Cracks can be incorporated into the design, and patches can be hidden when using opaque and translucent stains. As long as you don't have buckling issues, you'd be surprised at what can be done.

[Jon27]

That's what I'm thinking about doing on the floor on which I hang out with our dogs. It's probably a lit less slippery for them too, I'm guessing.

Since you can't refinish engineered wood, it's a nonstarter too.

It does have a bit of a rougher surface to it. It's probably to make it look like real wood grain. It's not nearly as slick as the smooth tile in the rest of the house. The dogs don't slide on it too bad. To Brian's point about the laminate, our dogs slid really bad on the laminate floors we had in our old house. I didn't personally like them because if you walk across them wearing socks, you're sliding on them too!