Wood flooring comes in a whole host of varieties. Irrespective of whether you opt for solid wood flooring or engineered wood flooring, there is no getting away from the fact that buying the best quality your budget will allow will pay dividends. Quality wood flooring will not only last longer than cheap alternatives, but it’ll look better for longer too. Great quality wood flooring is now within the reach of most people, but you really need to know how to sniff it out.
If you have already started shopping around for wood flooring for your project, you’ll have noticed that the difference in prices between suppliers is enormous, so how on earth do you make sure you get the best quality you can for your investment?
The first thing you should decide is whether you want to shop online or off. Many people are wary of buying the likes of a wooden floor online, but if your supplier meets the right requirements, it can be a great way of saving money. Online suppliers don’t need to fund a High Street presence, so have the ability to offer keener prices because they have lower overheads. That said, don’t always assume that this is the case and make sure you do a good amount of shopping around to make sure the quality, price relationship you’ve identified truly is the best available.
If you do decide that an online wood floor supplier will work for you, how do you determine the quality of their products? The first thing you should do is look for a guarantee or warranty. Any supplier who offers a meaningful guarantee or warranty is generally confident of the quality of the flooring they supply, which enables you to shop with confidence. Thereafter, when it comes to shopping online for wood flooring, it’s a good idea to ask for samples of your preferred flooring before placing your order. Some suppliers will ask for either a deposit or payment towards delivery costs to send samples, but don’t allow this to put you off, because you’re better to spend a little up front and be disappointed by the quality than spend a lot and be disappointed with the end result.
Another thing to be wary of is an online supplier who doesn’t have a good team who are prepared to guide and advise you. Because your wood flooring is an investment, you need to be able to ask all the questions you need to before making your decision. There’s no reason why you can’t do this effectively online with the right supplier.
If you decide that shopping on the High Street is the best option for you, then you’ll be able to see, touch and feel what you’re buying as well as speaking face to face with the supplier or their staff. Some people find this approach more reassuring than buying online and are prepared to pay slightly more for this personal approach.
Like most things in life, good wood flooring suppliers will seek out quality and will be passionate about what they do. You’ll be able to judge this passion for yourself by speaking to your supplier, by asking questions and if needs be, speaking to some of their other customers. Because you don’t want your selection to take over your life, it’s a good idea to quickly establish a shortlist of potential suppliers and then take time to investigate their offering thoroughly. By doing this you’ll know that you’re getting a quality product.