Please Buy Your Flooring from Pete's and Not From the Large Box Retailers. Or from the Internet.
 Please.

It's not just that we want to keep business away from the home-center oligarchs. There are some legitimate reasons to think carefully about where you buy your hardwood flooring.
Here are some questions to ask:
 

"So, what have you got that's cheap and good? 
And did I mention cheap?"

These are all ¾" solid, American hardwoods, from local, reliable mills, but quantities are limited,
so call if anything piques your interest
so we can reserve it for you:
651/698-5888

$2.65 per square foot
1½" White Oak #2 common
Yes, it's rustic.  The NOFMA grading rules sum it up so well: "The purpose of this grade is to furnish a floor... where character marks and contrasting appearance is desired." If this is what you desire, call before it's gone!

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$3.89 per square foot
 Prefinished 2¼" Red Oak 'Woodland'

Prefinished red oak from a local Wisconsin mill.  Not imported from China, no little short boards, and not a close-out.  And remember, prefinished means you install it and it's done - no sanding!

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$3.10 per square foot
3¼" White Oak #1 common

Less rustic and wider than the white oak in the top photo. The wider the board, the faster it goes down.  And time is money. Wide boards are also better suited to the scale of larger rooms or spaces with high ceilings.

 

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$3.95 per square foot
2¼" Hickory #1 common

One of the hardest American Hardwoods - 41% harder than red oak. Hickory is traditionally mixed with Pecan by flooring mills.

 

 

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1. How was the wood stored and what is its moisture content?

Especially if you are installing a solid hardwood floor, the moisture content of the wood is crucial.  Can you supplier measure the moisture content of your flooring at delivery? Do they have a way to help you measure the moisture content of the subfloor that wood is being attached to?  And can they explain why this is important?  (See our discussion on acclimatization under diyinstalling.html).

2. Was the 50-year warranty the biggest selling point of the wood you chose?

A warranty is only meaningful if there is evidence that it will be honored; the number of years listed is purely a marketing device.  All floors slowly accumulate fine scratches and lose gloss over time; the finish may still be intact, but it sure can get unsightly before your 50 years are up.  It is likely that even a high-quality floor will "ugly out" long before the warranty is triggered because warranties are carefully worded to exclude many common sources of floor wear (pets and toys are routine exclusions). Even in cases where the warranty might apply, the coverage is often limited to product replacement of the specific boards that show the defect; labor is frequently not covered under flooring warranties. 

Keep in mind also that most prefinished flooring is warranted to be free of milling, grading and finish defects (as it should be!), but once a board is installed in the floor, the owner/installer waives all claims against manufacturing flaws.  In other words, if a board is nailed down and its defects are not immediately noticed, they are considered the homeowner's or installer's responsibility. 

3. They said you could do it and they could help, but just how much help are they really?

That 'click together' flooring sure sounds slick and easy, until you're trying to install it through a tiny closet doorway. Will the salesperson at your home center be able to explain how to handle all the little problem details of the installation of the flooring you just chose?

The flooring manufacturer has specified a certain nailer or special fastener size to secure your new floor but does the behemoth box store or internet location that sold it to you rent that tool or carry that specific fastener? What exactly is the cost of frustration?

4. Where did it come from?

If you are worried at all about the sustainability of your flooring, then you should be worried about where it came from and the more manufactured your flooring, the more difficult this is.  American-made flooring can have foreign sources for its wood components.  Shipping wood from China to be glued together and milled in Atlanta, coated in New Jersey, housed in an inventory facility in Memphis and then shipping it to you is not always the sustainable choice.  If you live in Minnesota, you should be able to ask for wood that was grown and milled no further than Wisconsin.
 

5.  Has your internet supplier quoted you a price for freight?  And how will you return your unopened boxes?

The price per square foot for internet flooring products does not always include the cost for shipping, and sometimes for a minimum order size.  Again, what is the cost of your time and frustration?