The Inside Scoop from Professional Hardwood Flooring Installers
With that in mind, we’ve put together five of our most frequently asked questions at Professional Installed Floors (after “Why shouldn’t I do this myself?”). These answers will help you get a head start with your flooring project:
1) Why do you need to come out to our house for a quick quote?
At Professional Installed Floors, we insist on visiting our Marietta neighbors before committing to a quote. We’ll listen at the in-store discussion, review photos, check the requested materials, and other further preparatory work. However, given the nature of our job, it’s imperative that we see for ourselves exactly what we’re working with. This allows us to assess variables such as furniture, existing flooring, sub-floor condition, door height (clearance), trim selection, color stain selection, and existing moisture content. Those are details you simply can’t get from photographs or descriptions.
2) How long has your crew been together?
We often say that we are more than coworkers, we are family. Our newest crew member joined Professional Installed Flooring in 2011. Buddy and Lee (owner) grew up together and have been involved with the company full-time since 1986. Johnny has been part of the team since 1988. The team has seen zero turnover since 1986 and the notion of family isn’t taken lightly; crews are paid and respected at high levels, and that feeds into the quality of work.
3) Why does wood need to sit in my home prior to installation?
The key term to learn is acclimation. Acclimation is something every wood manufacturer requires prior to installation, even though some installers claim they can go without it and accomplish one-day installation. However, even engineered products should sit for an acclimation period, thus allowing the materials adjust to the space’s natural temperature and humidity levels. The only floor type that can bypass acclimation are luxury vinyl tiles (LVTs) and rigid core products.
4) Can I stay in my home while my floors are re-finished?
The refinishing process requires strong polyurethane products. This has both a drying period and a chemical odor, which essentially renders the floors as unwalkable during the project. There are, however, latex polyurethane products that allow you to stay in the home; they are relatively odorless and dry within a few hours. However, in our experience, they simply don’t have the sharp look that comes with the traditional oil (our preferred choice).
5) Another company has given us a room for free. Can you match it?
Our first job is to evaluate the home for specific needs, along with the requested flooring materials and any unique elements in the project. We ask that you simply read over our base quote created from that visit. After that, we do invite a discussion regarding quotes — though to be totally honest, many customers are pleasantly surprised that our total is less than other quotes, even with bonuses such as free rooms.
Get More Professional Flooring Installation Answers
If you have further questions about what’s possible with professional flooring, we invite you to come visit the Marietta showroom< of Professional Installed Floors. When you arrive, you can see dozens of samples and stain color swatches, along with a friendly staff ready to discuss your project with you — and if you want us to come to you, we offer a free mobile consultation for first-time customers.
