Laminate flooring supply problem

[LVSteve]

I need to replace some water damaged laminate flooring. It's 5-1/4 wide and 12 mm thick. (Just love the way they mix measurement systems ) From the box with a few spare pieces I have, the stuff was made in 2009. So far every contractor who has been to the house has sucked their teeth about getting more, and either they are right, or my Google Fu is weak at the moment. Dark wood in that size is like rocking horse manure.

Anybody know where I might be able to source what I need? Plan B is to divide up the room with two different types of flooring, which might not be a bad idea. It's a huge room that runs front to back of the whole house, with the front area being a formal living room, and the back being the dining room.

[lihpster]

This might be a good time to rethink your materials. How do you feel about sponge? Or bubble wrap?

[arjay]

Is it a concrete slab?

[LVSteve]

Originally Posted by arjay

Is it a concrete slab?

Yes. I think I know where this is going...

[Ivan the Butcher]

Is an unfinished form available? Real wood flooring people can match colors. Those who use the cheap immigrant labor, can barely get the box open without causing damage!

Ivan

[DWalt]

Our house has dark wood parquet flooring everywhere. Two years ago a burst water line ruined our dining room floor. Guess what? No one still makes wood parquet flooring, it is unobtainable today. So I had to use different flooring in the dining room. I didn't and don't like having mismatched floors, but there was no choice. Looks as though you have a similar problem that may produce the same outcome.

[LVSteve]

Originally Posted by DWalt

Our house has dark wood parquet flooring everywhere. Two years ago a burst water line ruined our dining room floor. Guess what? No one still makes wood parquet flooring, it is unobtainable today. So I had to use different flooring in the dining room. I didn't and don't like having mismatched floors, but there was no choice. Looks as though you have a similar problem that may produce the same outcome.

I suspect that is where we will end up, but hope springs eternal. I wouldn't mind having different flooring in the dining area, it would break up a very long area in the house.

[soFlaNative]

Inlay with tile?

[oldbrownhat]

Originally Posted by LVSteve

...but hope springs eternal. ...

That sounds like another ongoing water damage problem right there

[raljr1]

a list of where to look. Some may seem obvious. I have had some success finding out of date stuff.
\\How To Find Discontinued Laminate Flooring: 11 Tips

[jeffrefrig]

Shag carpet…is it still in? Preferably green.

[Old 44 Guy]

One reason to have a tankless water heater. I've had one for 8 years but my rentals don't. I'm holding my breath. State Farm is too.

[LVSteve]

Originally Posted by jeffrefrig

Shag carpet…is it still in? Preferably green.

Shag carpet in a dining room. Just the ticket for when you drop a bowl of pasta sauce or a big chocolate gateau.

[LVSteve]

Originally Posted by raljr1

a list of where to look. Some may seem obvious. I have had some success finding out of date stuff.
\\How To Find Discontinued Laminate Flooring: 11 Tips

You see, this is where I sometimes fail. I know what it is I want because I have the box, but typing that in came up kinda empty. Let's see what I find with your link.

[mtgianni]

Make sure that when you put in laminate flooring, you have extra boxes and it stays with the house when you sell.

[Farmer17]

I have installed Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring in many commercial buildings and in my last house and am currently using it in the new house I'm building for my self. It has no problem with dog pee, water leaks, or even a flood if it's installed properly. All my customers have liked it a lot and I've not received any negative comments and if some of it ever gets damaged by someone dragging a piece steel furniture or something it is simple and quick to replace a few planks. If you buy a higher grade with a thick wear surface it will last a long time. My upstairs I'm installing commercial 2 x 2 carpet tiles since carpet is quieter and the tiles are very easy to peal up and replace if some of them get stained or worn by traffic paths. Both products are becoming very popular in new homes around here and I would never use wood flooring again because it's going to get wet or damaged eventually and its usually very difficult and expensive to repair/replace.

[tops]

[QUOTE=LVSteve;141976440

Anybody know where I might be able to source what I need? Plan B is to divide up the room with two different types of flooring, which might not be a bad idea. It's a huge room that runs front to back of the whole house, with the front area being a formal living room, and the back being the dining room.[/QUOTE]

Go to plan C. Replace all the flooring. That's what my wife would do. Larry

[Mike0251]

Laminate flooring just like tile comes and goes. When it's gone its gone and the same stuff is never to be found again.

I got lucky once and learned something as mentioned above. We did a tile backsplash behind the pellet stove years ago along with tearing out the wet bar and closet where the hutch resides. After about a year we asked each other "why didn't we continue that behind the hutch too?" We needed the accent tile. The other was still available.

So go to Home Depot (source) and nada. Call customer service and they search all stores in the USA, nada. They said when a tile is sold out, that's it, it's gone forever.

BUT! They say they did find two boxes left in Pearl City Hawaii (I'm in Va). So I contact the manager of our local HD and explain our dilemma, he say's I got this. He gets the manager of the Pearl City Hawaii store and gets it shipped freaking overnight!

BUT WAIT there's more, when I went to pick up the two boxes he told me there is no charge! I was dumbfounded and speechless. I asked why? He said because it's old stock and no longer in our system. I can't bill you, shipping is free too. I created a nice power point file of what we were doing as well as a very nice letter and sent it to their management. Sometimes we get lucky.

[LVSteve]

Originally Posted by tops

Go to plan C. Replace all the flooring. That's what my wife would do. Larry

Is she paying? My wife will be thrilled!

[TX-Dennis]

I second the advice to always buy extra when you replace flooring and save it for any future disasters. I left several boxes of wood plank and several boxes of porcelain tile in a closet of our previous home when we sold it for the new owner. They came in handy several times in that home before we moved due to water leaks under the slab. I have (too many) boxes of leftover tile for this home, too. Haven't needed any of these yet, but . . .

[TheHobbyist]

Flooring costs have gone up a ton in the past few years and the quality of installation in my area has gone down. Why? My theory is that most contractors don’t want the existing home jobs. They are focused on new builds, multiple rooms, big $$$$$.

…Aaaand I totally get it. Why work 20 jobs, for example , when you can work 10 and make more?

As a result, most contracted services are about a year here….

[Thom_44]

If you want the lowest cost with an actual "wood like" material that grew in the ground. Your most likely stuck going with bamboo these days.

[LVSteve]

I found some yesterday that I could have mixed in with the spares I have color wise and probably got away with it. This plan was frustrated by the attachment flanges being a different size. I feel a visit to a flooring place with my wife coming on...

[Bald1]

Try Floor and Decor or Lumber Liquidators. I think they go by LL Flooring now.

[ladder13]

Originally Posted by TheHobbyist

Flooring costs have gone up a ton in the past few years and the quality of installation in my area has gone down. Why? My theory is that most contractors don’t want the existing home jobs. They are focused on new builds, multiple rooms, big $$$$$.

…Aaaand I totally get it. Why work 20 jobs, for example , when you can work 10 and make more?

As a result, most contracted services are about a year here….

My BIL, as his father before him, does nothing but existing homes with his brother for ~40 years. Not much new construction in the area that’s pretty much built up. He gets a new install now and then but doesn’t like working with GC’s.

He even did a house for Property Brothers which cost him money initially but the exposure brought in new business.

SAVINO BROTHERS - Home







I think he’s retiring next year or 2026, and selling the business (his brother too, who can’t stand dealing with people ), because he wanted his son to find something else for a career, and enjoy the fruits of his labor.
His son @26 is making 150+ as a math teacher, coaching sports + tutoring in the HS he graduated from.

[CalifEd]

Do you know what brand and color your existing flooring is?
I have a few unopened boxes of Bruce Tabaco available.

[DWalt]

I had two cases of spare wood parquet squares, but that was not nearly enough to replace my entire dining room floor. I tried the big box stores, searching the Internet, and contacting at least seven local flooring companies. I drew a blank everywhere. No one makes it. I did find a place that had reclaimed used parquet, but it was expensive and I did not want to use old flooring. I seriously considered carpeting, but neither my wife nor I wanted that. We removed all of the carpeting from the house when we had wood parquet flooring installed over 25 years ago and don't want to go back. We've gotten used to having mixed floor covering after two years.

[LVSteve]

Originally Posted by CalifEd

Do you know what brand and color your existing flooring is?
I have a few unopened boxes of Bruce Tabaco available.

It's called the St James Collection, African Mahogany. The box is dated 2009.

[Telecaster]

My dad’s house has golden oak solid wood flooring, and it’s held up great since 1987. I put bamboo click-lock flooring with cherry stained veneer in my office, and it scratched all to hell in just a few months. The porcelain wood-look tile in our house is good, but the dining chairs eat it up.

[DWalt]

We once lived in a two-story rental house for about 18 months. It had nice reddish-brown ceramic tile covering the entire downstairs floor. I really liked that floor, except it was cold on bare feet.