[Hardwood Flooring Guide] Where to Purchase Your New Floors

How much do you really save buying hardwood flooring (or really any type of floors) from a big box store or an online discounted website? Although your upfront costs may be less, how much will it cost you down the road? Ask yourself: did you really get the floors you wanted, installed perfectly and properly warrantied? Before buying your new flooring, make sure you’re getting the best value for your hard-earned money by thinking through your options.

Buying Hardwood Flooring Online

Before purchasing your floors from a random website you find online, be aware of a few potential pitfalls:

1. You don’t receive any guidance for product choices. You either need to spend a lot of time and energy researching the best options for your home or select a flooring type without all the factors in mind.
2. Many websites sell floors that are “seconds,” as opposed to top-quality products. Many of these lower quality floors also aren’t covered by warranty.
3. When the product is shipped, there is no way to know how it was handled during the process. Changes in temperature and humidity can have a very negative effect on new floors – especially hardwood flooring.

Buying Hardwood Flooring from Big Box Stores

1. As with buying floors online, there is no way of knowing how the product was handled during shipping.
2. The level of expertise from those helping you choose your new carpet, vinyl, laminate or hardwood flooring is limited.
3. There is no guarantee the workers doing the installation are properly trained. 
   • The installer may not be qualified to install the flooring and maintain the warranty, or may even use installation methods that void the warranty entirely.
   • Some service contractors use day laborers as opposed to workers with documented certifications and training.
4. The installers they use may not be regularly checked for important documentation, such as proper liability and workers comp insurance, which could end up making you, the homeowner, liable if they get hurt on the job.

Buying Hardwood Flooring from Specialists

The good news is that San Jose Hardwood Floors offers everything the above options lack, including a highly trained staff that has over 20 years of experience with hardwood flooring. They can do more than answer a few general questions and show you were a product is on the shelf.

San Jose Hardwood Floors also only uses on-site installers who are properly trained, certified and insured employees, so you can rest easy knowing your new flooring will be installed correctly and within warranty guidelines.

Want to find out more about options we have available? Stop by our showroom to see samples of hardwood flooring and more first-hand. Make sure you contact us for a free in-home estimate, too!

Photo credit: Allison Baerin for San Jose Hardwood Floors, Flooring: Strand Woven Bamboo