Hardwood from Lowes or HD....Is it worth it??

Bruce hardwood brand from Lowes and Armstrong laminates from HD.....I'm debating whether I should go with either of them, or go with the independant contrator/store.

Anyone wanna share their happy or nightmare stories about going thru Lowes or HD with hardwood floors??

My #1 concern is price and workmanship. Are they competitive in these 2 categories compared to other contractors??
What brand, in your opinion/experiences, gives you the most value for your buck?? My limit for expenditure on floor is

 

Buy your flooring anywhere, but have it installed buy someone YOU interview!!!!

You don't know if they are going to send the butcher, hack, or decent guy to install your investment. The cheapest bid on installation is a bad thing! Corners will get cut during the installation, to speed production.
What retailers and Home Depot/Lowes charges you for the installation, isn't what the installer gets after all the hands it passes through. Not even ½, the installer becomes just like the cheapest bidder, because HE IS.

Find your own contractor with liability insurance, and workers compensation on his workers, and a portfolio, with references.

 

Joe:

At four bucks a square foot you should check out Lumber Liquidators if you happen to have one near you. They have a slew of products in that price range. The selections don't even compare to that of the big box stores.

"My last Q is: how is installation/labor charge from Lowes/HD compared to small contractors?? Too high?? considerably low??"

They're about the same but as Perry mentions you don't know who you'll get. These stores tend to throw guys to customers that have very little experience with hardwood floors. I've interviewed some of them and drilled them for the right answers...but rarely get them.

Another negative with the big box stores is once the installer gets to your front door, usually late and unprepared, there always seems to be some kind of lack of communication with the job. Anyone should expect some kind of confusion when the job itself is passed from the store to to the contractor and finally the installer. There are just too many involved which leads to misplacement of orders and other stuff.

Ken Fisher

 

We beat lowes and hd on a daily basis with installs on both hardwood and laminates and do a better job. Most people don't realize for the price of the laminate and labor to install you can put in real hardwood. Laminate does not ad value to your home wood does, laminate cannot be sand and finished it needs to be replaced. wood can be finished four to five times. No hollow sound from real wood or engineered. Do your homework and shop around. Just because they are huge does not mean they are the best.

Phil

 

Thats what I'm doing. I'm putting down 3 1/4" white oak natural prefinished myself and when I come to a problem I hit this board immediately and go to my hardwood book. I'm too much of a perfectionist anyway and if it dont look right the prybar comes out and it comes up. I hired a guy who did my kitchen and when he was doing some face nailing he was dinging my boards with his hammer and was actually planning on leaving the board down, I dont think so! He also wasnt jacking the crooked boards tight neither. he even ask to borrow some nails and this guy was referred by a good friend. I wouldnt let him hardwood my doghouse.Granted hardwood aint perfect so you do have to coaxed it in sometimes. Just dont rush and when you get tired quit or you start getting sloppy. I find when you nail a board down you want to nail another and another and another. Hard work though but you sleep real good and get alot of self gratification. Man! who did your hardwoods? I did!!!! Sorry to get long winded folks but I have had some experiences with so called

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE ADVICE.

Mark Efird