State of The Industry: Hardwood Floor Installers

Big Box Stores

Now that we have our Home Depot, Lowes, Home Centers, and Mennards to mention some of the very large players in the home improvement business, the consumer has the option of buying elsewhere. However, with the explosion in the big box stores and internet sales over the last 10 years, one item has not been addressed as it should; the hardwood flooring installer. It doesn't surprise me of the many emails I get from folks like yourself that have bought from one of these big boxes, but are reluctant to use their installation services.

Big Box Store Problems?

Why? The leader in the home improvement field is going though some unpleasant problems associated with installation and the installers themselves. Some of the more cut throat installation companies are moving in and expecting many of these installers to actually take a pay cut in their hard earned labors. Unfortunately these companies don't seem to grasp the importance of quality over money and the better installers are going elsewhere.

If we cannot trust these services where can we turn? You could try some local mom and pop retailers in your area. However you'll find many are not willing to get involved if the product has been purchased elsewhere. There are two reasons for this. One would be the warranty involved as they cannot guarantee a product they are unfamiliar with. Another would be the loss of profit from the sale of the product which accounts for a good margin in their overall business.

Where do we turn now? We could search through the yellow pages as you will find some independent installers listed. That's usually one method in finding someone to to do the work. There are many floor covering organizations, but many do not offer a formal crediting procedure or submit applicants to testing.

I'm sure many of us hear these kind of commercials often: "Free this and free that....we use only certified installers..." While this may be true, one has no idea if they will get one of the better installers, or one that will show up on time when you expect them, not when they feel like making an appearance. Additionally, some of these installers may have the proper knowledge and expertise for installing carpet, but not hardwood flooring.

The recent surge in hardwood flooring popularity has some inexperienced carpet installers calling themselves hardwood flooring installers. If you're searching for an installer I'll provide one little secret that sets the good aside from the wanna bees. Ask them what type of moisture meter they use. If they stumble or admit they don't own one, I would strongly suggest running in the opposite direction. The first picture below (left) is an example of a failed $90,000 installation that was the result of no attention to moisture testing. The other is a $20,000 wide plank installation failure that was installed two times before the cause was determined.

Okay, what happened in the two jobs above? The one on the left was a solid 3/4" installation over plywood and concrete. The installers followed many of the proper procedures such as acclimation to the jobsite and material, but failed to think about the plywood underlayment on the concrete slab. It was taken from a humid garage during the installation. High moisture content in the plywood caused the finished floor to cup.

In the second example the home was situated at the bottom of a hill. No attention to drainage or water runoff was considered, causing the floor to buckle. Anybody can install hardwood floors or so it seems nowadays, but there is more to it than nailing or gluing it into place. Folks, please, when looking for an installer don't let price be the determining factor in choice.