Laminate flooring supply problem

[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….

 

[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]

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]

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.