The Worst Place to Buy Flooring – Online
Buying flooring online is a high-risk venture that should probably be avoided, unless you’re really dedicated and don’t mind the hassle.There are simply too many things that can and go wrong.
Buying the floor is the easy part.
Here are some of the problems that might arise:
What do you do when 8 boxes of laminate, hardwood or vinyl tile are dropped off at your front door? It’s bulky, it’s heavy, it’s no fun.
Think it’s easy to find installers? There’s an industry wide shortage of trained flooring installers that’s nearing a crisis level. Good luck with that.
Are they properly trained? Chances are your local retailers are already working with the best installers in your community. The guy you found online? He says he’s certified so ...
Oh, Oh. One of the boxes got damaged but you don’t find out about it until the day you’re having the floor installed. Return the box, get a replacement, hope it’s the right shade and reschedule the final installation. Sure, that’s easy.
Poor installation or defective product? Everyone points fingers but no one takes responsibility. Where do you turn to if there’s a problem?
Did I measure this right? At least you hope so. You’ll need to order extra product. How much more? That depends.
Shipping charges. Sure, you got a deal on the square foot price but it’s often the shipping costs than can get you in the end. Or maybe your shipping charges were already included in the price. Either way, you’re the one paying for it.
There goes your warranty. Unless you can prove your installer was certified, most manufacturers will not honor the warranty in the event a claim arises.
Did you get the right padding/underlayment? How about the transitions? T mold? Reducer? Square Nose? Quarter Round? Wall Base? Yea, I don’t know either.
Got Glue? Not just any glue – the right glue. (Or underlayment. Or grout. Or thin set. Or carpet tape. Or nail gun. You get the idea.) Hope your installer has the right one.
- Sandy
