August 17, 2007
Making Smart Discount Wood Flooring Choices
Discount wood flooring can be a good alternative to expensive, manufacturer priced wood flooring, if you’re careful.
There are many advantages to finding discount wood flooring. The most obvious advantage is that it’s cheaper than full priced wood flooring. Many times manufacturers put wood flooring on sale that’s out of season or that they’ve stopped producing. They do this get rid of the remaining stock. Wood flooring distributors also might put a certain wood floor on sale to clear out the warehouse for a new product or design.
Because discount flooring is cheaper than full price flooring, you might be able to get flooring for more than one area of your home. Instead of only flooring the dining room, you might be able to get away with flooring the living room and dining room.
Don’t Make Discount Wood Flooring Decisions Lightly
Just because you find flooring that’s cheaper than the manufacturer’s list price doesn’t mean that you’re going to end up on top. You need to be careful that you don’t get duped. As with any business, there are some discount flooring retailers that run a shady operation. Before you buy from anyone, do your research. Learn about the flooring you’re considering, compare prices and learn about the seller. Resources such as the Better Business Bureau and Consumer’s Report list companies that have been criticized for being less than honest with customers. Also, if you’re buying your flooring from a Web site, read customer comments and Google the company. Thanks to the Web, information about bad business practices is now widely spread.
There are many discount flooring retailers that run perfectly legal and ethical businesses. However, if you’re not a smart buyer, you can still get yourself in trouble. You need to ask a lot of questions when buying discount wood flooring. You need to make sure the manufacturer has enough wood in that style so you can buy more if needed.
You also need to know what you’re paying for. Is the installation cost included? Do you have to install it yourself? Does it come with a stain or dent resistant? Is it real wood or laminate? Will the company make custom cuts for awkward areas like under a counter? Also, ask about the company’s warranty policy. It’s always good to buy a floor that comes with at least some kind of warranty. After all, your discount wood flooring won’t seem that cheap if you have to pay to get it fixed in the first five years.
Some companies will give minimal customer service to their discount wood flooring customers. This is because they make less money on a discount customer than they do other customers. Even though you’re buying discount wood flooring, you’re still a customer. If you don’t feel like you’re getting the service you deserve, keep shopping. You’re still spending money when you buy discount wood flooring and you should find someone who acts like they want you to spend your money at their company.