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Top 40 Flooring Questions And Answers (that get asked all of the time)
Updated: Oct 11, 2022
Top 40 Flooring Questions And Answers (that get asked all of the time)
When it's time to start a floor-covering project, there are usually a ton of questions that get asked. If you want to get your answer to the most commonly asked floor-covering questions...read on.
Top 40 Flooring Questions And Answers (that get asked all of the time)
Carpet
#1 How Much Does Carpet Cost?
The cost of carpet will depend on a lot of factors. Each carpet manufacturer has its own good, better, best products. Each carpet will have a different price. When figuring out the cost of the carpet, you will also need to look at:
The cost of carpet pad
The cost of installing the new carpet
The cost of removing and disposal of any old flooring
Is there any furniture to be moved?
As with carpet, stores will have a good, better best carpet pad. Prices on these products will vary
Installation costs will vary, depending on the area in which you live, as well as with the project itself. The more work there is to do to prepare for the installation, the more money it will cost.
We have a few blog articles that talk about carpet costs that provide additional insight into the cost of carpets.
Carpet On Sale Near Me (A Buyers Guide)
How To Measure Your Room for Carpet
When shopping for the carpet you need to evaluate your project goals to determine the best type of carpet you need (for your situation). Sometimes you might want a very thick, luxurious piece of carpet that is very expensive, other times your project might warrant an inexpensive piece of carpet that has a good warranty.
Carpet in the old days was figured by square yards. Today, stores have changed the pricing to "by the square foot." This was done has a marketing strategy to make the price tags look more affordable. For example, if you have a carpet price tag that is selling for $15.00 a square yard, versus a price tag that is selling for $1.67 a square foot, a first glance, which one would you think is the better deal? While they are both the same overall price, the $1.67 looks much more appealing to the customer.
#2 How Do You Measure for Carpet?
There is a process you need to follow when shopping for carpet. If you don't follow this process, it will end up costing you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. One of the most important parts of the process is to have a general idea of how to measure for carpet.
As a customer, you don't need to determine the exact quantity that you will need. You can leave that up to professionals. However, it is important that you provide a diagram to your local store. We have a great article that dives into this topic, and explains the entire process:
How To Measure Your Room For Carpet
As a starting point, hand draws a diagram of the area(s) you want to re-carpet. Use a tape measure to measure the width and length of each room. Measurements should be in feet/inches, not just in inches. For example, a room might be 10'0" long, do not say it is 120" long. While it is obviously the same, figuring rooms in inches makes it more difficult for the flooring professional.
You do not need to measure every little curve in your wall. Simply measure the widest and longest points. Your flooring professional will take your information and put together a starting point estimate.
Flooring stores do free home measurements. The point of measuring yourself will help with the overall buying process. Please read: How To Measure Your Room For Carpet to get more in-depth information.
#3 How Long will It Take To Get My Carpet Installed (Once I Make My Purchase) ?
It usually takes between 7-10 days for a store to order and receive your carpet from the manufacturer.
There are several variables that might take place in receiving the carpet. For example, if the carpet is out of stock at the mill, the production time might slow down the shipping process. Stores will learn about any delays when ordering and should relay this information to the customer.
Most stores will schedule the installation once they receive the carpet. It is never a good idea to schedule installation before the carpet arrives. Typically, a store can schedule an installation within 2 weeks of receiving the carpet in their warehouse.
If you need a quicker installation, make sure you discuss this with your flooring professional, BEFORE you order. A lot of stores have in-stock rolls that would be available to be installed right away.
#4 How Long Can I Expect My New Carpet To Last?
That all depends on the type of carpet that you purchased, the traffic the carpet gets, and how the carpet is maintained.
When you are looking at the carpet, you need to consider the type of product you are doing. for example, if you have a high-traffic area to re-carpet, you would not want to install a low-price-point carpet that does not have a good warranty. Review the carpet warranty before you make your purchase.
Each carpet manufacturer has a maintenance manual, as well as instructions for cleaning (to maintain your warranty). When purchasing, make sure you consider the cleaning procedures and guidelines as part of your buying process.
#5 Why Is My New Carpet Fuzzing?
The little carpet fibers found in your vacuum cleaner are usually the normal result of the manufacturing process, and nothing to worry about. Most of the time, after about 6-12 months after installation, these little carpet fibers will go away.
It is extremely important to have the right type of vacuum for your new carpet. Make sure you check with your maintenance manual to determine the type of vacuum that is recommended for your carpet. Not all vacuum cleaners are equal. You need to make sure you don't damage your carpet by using the wrong type of vacuum.
#6 How Do I Choose A Good Quality Carpet?
The type of carpet you pick should be determinedbyn the goals you have for your project. Once you determine what you are trying to achieve with not only your project, but with your project budget, then you can make a determination on picking out a quality carpet.
Keep in mind that every carpet manufacturer has good, better, and best carpets. Plus, they all use their own marketing names for their warranty programs. We have some good articles that will be helpful in determining a good quality carpet:
Carpet On Sale Near Me (A Buyers Guide)
When picking out your carpet, a good warranty should cover spills, stains, and wear. Plus, you should always involve your local store flooring professional. They will have information on the types of carpets they sell.
#7 How Long Should I Wait To Walk and Put Furniture On My New Carpet?
There is no waiting period for walking on the new carpet. You can walk on it as soon as it is installed.
#8 How Do I Clean My Carpet?
You always want to follow the guidelines provided to you by the carpet manufacturer. This is extremely important as your carpet warranty, in part, will be based on you following their recommendations.
For example, if the maintenance instructions advise you to have your carpet cleaned by a professional twice a year, you will want to save those payment receipts, in case you ever need to file a performance claim.
Another example would be the type of vacuum you use. Some carpets that are thicker need to have special types of vacuums.
As stated above, you always want to follow the guidelines provided to you by the manufacturer.
#9 When Is The Best Time Of The Year To Buy New Carpet?
You often read about buying carpet (to get the best price) in Mid-December, or during the cold winter months.
In our opinion, there is no best time of the year to buy carpet. If you follow our purchasing strategy, you will always get the best price. Our article, "How To Save Money When Shopping For Flooring," will give you all of the information you need to never pay retail prices again.
Keep in mind that floor-covering salespeople all work on commission. Not only do they want to sell your product, but they also have the flexibility to negotiate with you on pricing.
Not all salespeople are equal. You need to make sure you align yourself with the right salesperson.
Don't fall for the promotional sales gimmicks like: "buy one room, get one room for free," "no installation charges," "free furniture moving," "no payments for 12 months," or "free carpet pad." While these sales are legitimate, they are never giving the best deal to the customer. Stores are in business to make money. They are never going to give away anything "for free." The costs are simply hidden in other areas of the sale.
#10 Who Is The Best Carpet Manufacturer ?
There is no "best manufacturer." Each carpet manufacturer offers good, better and best products. Likewise, not all stores carry the same carpets.
Stores will align themselves with certain brands of carpet for business-related purposes. When picking out a carpet, you need to consider the goals of your project, the style & color of the carpet, and the price.
Hardwood Flooring
#11 What Are The Main Types Of Hardwood Floors?
There are two main types of hardwood flooring: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood. Each type of hardwood has its own benefits.
Solid hardwood means that each piece of the plank is made from a single piece of timber. Solid hardwood has a thick wear layer and can be refinished more times than engineered hardwood.
Solid hardwood can only be installed over a wood subfloor. So, if you live in a ranch home, with a concrete sub-floor, a solid hardwood would not work for you.
Engineered hardwood has multiple layers of wood that have been sliced and formed into one piece of plank flooring (see the above picture). One of the benefits of engineered hardwood is the ability to install it over a concrete floor.
Both solid and engineered hardwood floors are beautiful flooring that adds value to your home. We have some outstanding blog articles that dive into hardwood flooring at:
How To Shop for Hardwood Floors
Easy Ways You Can Damage Your Hardwood Floors
People sometimes think that "engineered hardwood" means fake wood. That is simply not the case. Once you do research, you will find that manufacturers of engineered flooring have beautiful styles and patterns.
#12 How long Do New Hardwood Floors Need To Acclimate Before Installation?
Each manufacturer of hardwood will have its own guidelines for installation. Most manufacturers will recommend a 3-7 day acclimation period.
Acclimation means the hardwood needs to be delivered to the home and sit in the environment for the recommended period of time. If hardwood is installed without this acclimation period, you risk product failure after installation.
Flooring installers are well aware of this time period for hardwood to get acclimated. However, most customers are not familiar with this process. If you are doing a remodeling project, you can not expect to purchase hardwood, and then have it installed the very next day.
#13 Can I Use My Steam Cleaner On Hardwood Floors?
Absolutely not! While you will find several videos on Youtube that will say it is probably okay, hardwood flooring and moisture do not get along. Each flooring manufacturer will have cleaning instructions posted on their website. You want to follow those instructions.
Never use a steam cleaner on your hardwood floor.
#14 How Do I Prevent Scratches From My Furniture?
The best thing you can do for protection is to use felt pads for your furniture legs. Hardwood floors will scratch.
No furniture should be placed on hardwood floors without a felt pad on the legs. If a local floor covering store tells you that hardwood floors will not scratch, that would be incorrect. All flooring will scratch. some floors are more resistant to scratching, but everything will scratch.
#15 How Do I Clean My Hardwood Floor?
The first thing you want to do is to refer to your hardwood manufacturer's cleaning guidelines. Most companies will recommend cleaning your floor with a soft bristle broom. After you sweep the floor, use a soft cloth with a cleaner (recommended for hardwood flooring) to go over the floor.
#16 How to Select a Hardwood Floor?
You first need to examine your project and determine what type of hardwood floor you need to purchase. If you have a concrete subfloor, you will need to look at engineered hardwood. If you have a wood subfloor, you can look at either engineered or solid hardwood.
You will also want to consider the other floors around your project area. If you will be running into other areas of your home that have different flooring, you will want to consider the height of the floors.
The best thing to do is to explain to your flooring professional your situation. They can make recommendations on suggested products.
#17 How Long Will It Take To Install My Hardwood Floor?
Installing a hardwood floor is a process. Once you make a purchase, it usually will take a store between 7-10 days to get the material. Then, the product will need to be "acclimated" to your home. This means the installer will need to bring the material to your project space, and let it sit there for 3-7 days.
Once the installer begins the installation, there is really no magic formula for the length of time. If the installer has 2-3 people working on the project, it could go very fast. If the installer is a one-person operation, it might take longer. Installation time will depend on the amount of material on the project, and the difficulty of the installation.
#18 How Long Do You Need To Wait To Walk On A Hardwood Floor After It Is Installed?
With solid and engineered pre-finished floors, you can walk on the floor as soon as it is installed. A lot of times in new construction (to prevent scratching from the other building trades), builders will cover the floor with cardboard.
Before you put furniture on your hardwood floor, it is always a good idea to put felt pads on the furniture legs. This will help protect your new floor.
#19 How Much Does It Cost To Buy & Install Hardwood Flooring?
Hardwood flooring is one of the more expensive types of floor covering. While the expense can be higher than carpet or vinyl plank, it is a wonderful product that will add value to your home.
There are many different types of hardwood in the marketplace. The price range of products can vary quite a bit. We have a great article on our blog page: "How To Shop For Hardwood Floors," that will walk you through this process.
#20 Which Brand Of Hardwood Flooring Is The Best?
There really is no "best brand" of hardwood flooring. There are several hardwood manufacturers, each offering their own good, better, best products.
When shopping for hardwood, we advise you to consider: your budget, the style & color that you like the best, and the product warranty.
Keep in mind that flooring stores align themselves with certain business relationships (distributors & manufacturers in an attempt to get a competitive advantage in the marketplace. In other words, flooring stores don't want to have the exact same displays as their competitor down the street.
Just because a very large and popular flooring store has certain displays, does not mean they are the best.
Again, we advise you to make your buying decision based on three factors:
Your budget
What style & color do you like the best (that works for your project)
Product Warranty
Ceramic
#21 Is Ceramic Tile Good For Bathrooms?
Ceramic tile is an excellent choice for bathrooms. We have a great blog article that talks about bathroom flooring options.
If you are doing a remodel, keep in mind that in order to install ceramic tile, you will need to have your toilet removed.
Likewise, with ceramic tile, a cement board underlayment will be required for all wood sub-floors. While ceramic is a great option for bathrooms, the installation can require some coordination and planning.
#22 How Do I Pick The Right Ceramic Tile?
When you walk into a flooring store to shop for ceramic tile, it can be a little overwhelming. You will find rows and rows of ceramic displays. It is hard to determine where to start. There are all kinds of styles, colors, and sizes.
Pick the right ceramic tile is really based on your personal taste, plus make sure you pick the right tile for the right job application. For example: if you have a ceramic tile floor project, you don't want to pick a tile that is made for the wall.
Your flooring salesperson can steer you in the direction of picking out a proper tile for your project. Once you know where to look, picking out your tile comes down to what tile you like, and the cost.
#23 Which Type Of Tile Is Better, Ceramic Or Porcelain?
There really is not a clear answer to this question. A lot will depend on your project, and your project goals and budget. Ceramic tile is usually more affordable, while porcelain tile is usually more durable.
Both types of products have multiple styles, colors & price points.
# 24 What Is The Best Way To Clean A Ceramic Tile Floor & Grout?
Daily sweeping or vacuuming is a great starting point. Ceramic tile floors are very easy to clean. incorporate a weekly mopping and your floor should be in good shape.
The tile floor grout can be cleaned with a hot soapy water solution and a bristle brush. This will help keep the dirt out and remove any debris.
If you are installing a new ceramic floor, it is always best to pick a grout that has a built-in sealer. This will provide added protection to your floor.
As always, make sure you read the maintenance and care instructions provided to you by your tile manufacturer.
#25 What Is The Installation Method Of Ceramic Tile?
Ceramic tile installation on concrete usually requires less preparation time. The installer can spread the mortar directly on the concrete, then start the installation process.
With ceramic tile installation on a wood subfloor, the installer will need to lay a cement board underlayment before the installation.
Keep in mind your installer will need to set up a saw to cut the tile. This is usually down in a garage or driveway. When cutting, ceramic will create quite a bit of dust.
Once the installation of the tile is accomplished, the installer will need to let it sit for a full day (without having any foot traffic), and then come back the next day to install the grout.
#26 Can I Walk On My Ceramic Tile As Soon As It Is Installed?
No. Once installed, you will need to rope off the area, and not allow any traffic on the floor at all for at least 24 hours. The mortar needs time to dry. If you walk on the tile, it will move and cause damage.
After 24 hours, the installer can come back and install the grout.
#27 Will Ceramic Tile Chip?
Yes. Nothing is scratch and chip-proof. Some floors are more resistant to denting and scratching, but nothing is 100% scratch, dent & chip-proof.
For example, if you install ceramic tile in your kitchen, and then drop a can if the corner of that can is the floor just right, it will chip.
#28 If I Have A Small Bathroom, Should I Pick A Small-Sized Floor Tile?
Not necessarily. A big fallacy is: large tiles don't work in small spaces. In fact, a larger tile can sometimes make a small room look larger.
The best thing to do is to pick out a tile that you like and that fits your budget.
#29 Which Tile Manufacturer Is The Best?
There is no "best tile manufacturer." Each tile manufacturer offers its own good, better and best products. When shopping for ceramic tile, you should consider three factors:
The style, size & color you like the best
Your project goals and the type of tile that is needed for the project
Your budget
Flooring stores will not carry the same tile displays. Just because the most popular store in your area carries certain tile brands does not make them "the best."
#30 Are Ceramic Walk-In Showers Popular?
Ceramic walk-in showers are the new normal. A huge percentage of new construction homes have a walk-in shower. Some installers make a living just installing tile in showers.
There is a lot of work in both the construction and product selection with walk-in showers. You will want to make sure you talk to your flooring professional before you start a new project.
Luxury Vinyl Tile & Plank
#31 What Is Luxury Vinyl Tile & Plank Flooring?
LVT stands for luxury vinyl tile, and LVP stands for luxury vinyl plank. The products are made to look like real hardwood and stone. They are photographs of floor types, put together in a manufacturing process with a PVC wear layer.
#32 Is Luxury Vinyl Tile & Plank A Good Product?
Yes. LVT & LVP is the fastest-growing product category in the flooring world. If you go into any floor covering store, you will notice a large part of the store's showroom will be dedicated to vinyl tile & plank.
Many years ago, laminate products were the hot item. However, over time, customers started to have many different performance issues, and as a result, numerous store claims were filed.
Fast forward to today, and many people think of vinyl tile and plank as laminate. Nothing could be further from the truth.
LVT & LVP are usually waterproof products, they are extremely well made, and can be installed anywhere in the home, including a basement.
We have an in-depth article, "Vinyl Plank Flooring FAQ" that goes into great detail about vinyl tile & plank that is a very good read.
#33 Will Dogs Nails Scratch My Vinyl Plank Floor?
No floor of any type is 100% scratch-proof. Some floors are more scratch resistant than others. Most vinyl tiles & plank flooring products are very scratch resistant.
However, you need to use some common sense. If you have a 100-pound dog, with long nails, that runs all over your house, chances are they will scratch your floor.
As a homeowner, you need to follow your maintenance guidelines, and make sure to trim your dog's nails on a regular basis.
#34 What Is A Good Wear Layer For Vinyl Plank Flooring?
In short, the thicker the wear layer, the more durable the floor. In the flooring world, wear layers are measured by "mils." What is a mil? A mil is a measurement meaning thousandths of an inch Each manufacturer usually has a good, better, best product line. For home applications, any of their options will usually work just fine. However, if you have a space that you think will need a high resistance to scratches and wear, go with a 20 mil product. The higher the wear layer, such as a 12 mil or 20 mil, the better your floor will perform. Commercial vinyl flooring applications will usually require a 20 mil top layer.
#35 Does Vinyl Plank Hurt My Property Value?
Absolutely not. There are some beautiful patterns and styles of vinyl tile and plank flooring. New homes of all sizes are using vinyl products. Likewise, vinyl products are very popular in home remodels.
#36 What Manufacturer Has The Best Products?
There is no "best manufacturer." There are many manufacturers that all make their own version of good, better, and best products.
#37 Does Vinyl Plank Flooring Need to Be Acclimated?
Check the installation instructions for your vinyl floor, but in most instances, you should be okay with installing your vinyl plank flooring right away.
#38 Can You Put Heavy furniture On Vinyl Flooring?
Yes. However, it is always a good idea to use felt pads on the furniture legs to avoid damaging the floor.
#39 Where Can You Install LVP?
You can install LVP in any room of your home. This is why LVP is becoming one of the fastest-growing products in the flooring industry.
#40 How Much Does It Cost To Purchase & Install LVP?
Each manufacturer has good, better, and best products. Pricing for LVP material will depend on the type of product you select. Installation costs will also depend on the amount of floor preparation and the area of the country you live in.
When looking at price, you always need to consider these three items:
Your budget
Your goals for the project
The color and style of the product
ADDED BONUS - THE ROOM VISUALIZER!
Have you ever heard of a "Room Visualizer?" Most manufacturers have put this feature on their websites. You can literally take a picture of your room, upload it to a website, and have different products inserted into your picture. It's an incredible way to get a jump start on your shopping.
Let's say you are shopping for hardwood. You call one of your local floor covering stores and ask them which manufacturers of hardwood they have in the store. The store informs you that, Kentwood Flooring, is one of their largest suppliers. You go to the Kentwood Website Room Visualizer Page and upload your room picture. Now, you can shop for their products while sitting at your computer. You write down the names of 3-4 products that you like, go to your flooring store, and check out those samples to look at. Talk about a time-savor! This is a great newer feature that most people don't know about. Here is how it works:
ADDED BONUS #2 OUR STRATEGY TO SAVE YOU MONEY!!!
Have you ever gone to the grocery store without a list? You end up walking up and down the rows, and buying all kinds of stuff that you don't need. Shopping for flooring covering can be somewhat similar.