Any advice for getting wood flooring installed?

[RingSteel]

In Cypress, TX (NW of Houston). We're looking at getting wooden flooring installed in approx. 1200 sq. ft. of the house. Is there any advice you can give - what to look for, what to avoid?

Is there a good alternative to the "big box flooring stores"?

I'm a newb to wood flooring, but kinda bewildered by the vast choices and vast price ranges.

[bwssr]

you have a PM

[captainsling]

Lumber Liquidators. Heard nothing but good from them.

[jimmyf]

i use to install wood, and tile floors. what are you wanting to know

[Rescue1]

i used "All floors and more". they have a few locations but the one we used is on 249. friend has used them for tile and another time for wood also.

[FULL DRAW]

Lumber Liquidators. That is where we got my moms flooring and it was awesome. My cousin is a contractor in Houston and just finished some wood flooring jobs. If you want or need just pm me and I will give you his number. He will have picture refs.

[RingSteel]

Thanks for the info.

As far as the warranty on the finish, some manufacturers are going 25+ years. Is this worth paying a premium for, or is it just marketing and the company will find a way out of warrantying the finish if a problem comes up?

[Rescue1]

i'm trying to remember but i belive our floor was from shaw. it is engineered flooring. company provides a lifetime warranty from defects dont remember them saying anything about a finish warranty. but it's refinishable(sandable) if need be. laminate is not.

All floors and more was one of the only places i found that will do a lifetime warranty on their install. most only do a year. i even called Homedepot and they were $.07 cheaper on the install only, but only offered a 1 year warranty.

having had them for alittle over a year, i would say in my opinion that the finish warranty is a gimick. if i clean them, they look like the day i had them put in.

[iamntxhunter]

Are you wanting wood floors engineered floors or laminate. There is a big price difference between them. I would suggest you go to Builders Direct and look around. They will send you samples for free. I just put down some laminate flooring and we are happy with it so far of course it hasn't stood the test of time yet but the fit and finish is great and it really does look like and feel like real wood. They are a solid company that you can feel good about doing business with and they have great customer service.

[Fishndude]

Go a shade lighter than you think u want as it will ne a shade darker when it's installed.

Get real, distressed wood.

You don't have to baby it as you might suspect cus it wood!

[sling blade]

get the box stores to compete with each other on prices.

[Luck_of_the_Draw]

In the kitchen make sure to go under the D/W. If you don't you might not get the D/W out in the future.

[RingSteel]

We're leaning towards real wood floor, glued down.

A realtor said that real wood floor added to the home value, but laminated wood didn't. I wish I knew if that was true, as selling the house in about 5 years is a definite possibility.

[cosmiccowboy]

We're leaning towards real wood floor, glued down.

A realtor said that real wood floor added to the home value, but laminated wood didn't. I wish I knew if that was true, as selling the house in about 5 years is a definite possibility.

I think you are talking about an engineered wood floor like he is.

As far as I know you can't glue down "real wood" to concrete.

[jeepntx]

We're about to do flooring in the bedroom as well, and we have 3 dogs. What would stand up the best against the dogs? Laminate, engineered or hardwood?

We've been told bamboo, but that was just by a coworker.