I'm looking for some local stores that have a good selection of hardwood flooring in stock. been to Home Depot and Lowes left feeling mehhhh. Anywhere around the Bay Area you've used and had good luck. Just bought a new place and my friend offered to install them for me so I just need to buy the materials. Thanks!
Hardwood flooring local recommendations
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kingmoochr
WHARRGARBL
Beronio lumber?
mrzuzzo
Well-known member
I recommend you look at bamboo flooring. We redid the whole house in bamboo and are super happy with it as it's extremely hard of a material so it lasts for a long time and it's sustainable.
We got ours online though after ordering samples. Couldn't find anything good in local shops as well.
We got ours online though after ordering samples. Couldn't find anything good in local shops as well.
Starpower
Well-known member
Can't agree more!! Cannot beat bamboo for durability, harder than rock maple, hell it's harder than mild steel (the product I used)! Super products, price, service and selection from where we got ours about 8 years ago. We live in the mountains in dirt and rock and the floor still looks like the day we put it down. Super easy DIY with this click system - https://www.calibamboo.com
It's a fun project as it goes fast, I live in a modified dome without a 90 degree anywhere all cuts custom angles and it still went super fast and this was my 1st flooring experience with hardwood.
Eldritch
is insensitive
Bamboo varies a LOT in quality so you need to be careful on bargain basement products. If they seem to good to be true, they probably are.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janka_hardness_test
Gixxergirl1000
AFM #731
Try Lumber Liquidators.
I used to manage a flooring company, did all the sales. I'd highly recommend getting prefinished flooring (don't go with sand & finish), and DON'T get laminate.
Even cheap pre-finished hardwood flooring will come with a 7 year wear warranty.
To keep the finish looking its best for years, run a Swiffer over the high traffic areas every day or two. Dust and grit act like sandpaper on the finish, and eventually you'll walk through it.
However, if you spend more for something by Robbins or Bruce, it'll take you 20 years!
Lastly, make sure you acclimate it before install. Put the boxes down in the room it's being installed in at least 3 days prior to install.
I used to manage a flooring company, did all the sales. I'd highly recommend getting prefinished flooring (don't go with sand & finish), and DON'T get laminate.
Even cheap pre-finished hardwood flooring will come with a 7 year wear warranty.
To keep the finish looking its best for years, run a Swiffer over the high traffic areas every day or two. Dust and grit act like sandpaper on the finish, and eventually you'll walk through it.
However, if you spend more for something by Robbins or Bruce, it'll take you 20 years!
Lastly, make sure you acclimate it before install. Put the boxes down in the room it's being installed in at least 3 days prior to install.
Eldritch
is insensitive
I don't think they make a sand in place bamboo product, do they? Never even heard of that.
I don't think you're going to find a lot actually in stock unless you go to the huge Usual Suspects places. it's just not feasible to keep the volumes needed on site unless you have a store the size of a warehouse or one nearby.
We bought engineered flooring from these guys and they loaned me the nailers to install it, though i don't think that's something they typically do.
Kapriz Hardwood Floors
891 Laurelwood Rd #101, Santa Clara, CA 95054
https://goo.gl/maps/B5fPSumM6KzACo8g6
we shopped around and around and around... and finally ordered something from Kapriz. it took a day or 2 to arrive
We bought engineered flooring from these guys and they loaned me the nailers to install it, though i don't think that's something they typically do.
Kapriz Hardwood Floors
891 Laurelwood Rd #101, Santa Clara, CA 95054
https://goo.gl/maps/B5fPSumM6KzACo8g6
we shopped around and around and around... and finally ordered something from Kapriz. it took a day or 2 to arrive
PorradaVFR
The Temptations of Christ
How does bamboo do with moisture? We a leak while out and our Home Depot laminate shows it. Thankfully minimal, but enough to have me looking around for options when I can’t bear it anymore.
anything will be beter than laminate with moisture. laminiate is compressed sawdust with a sticker on the top. it is a sponge
bamboo i've seen, prefinished, has finish on all 6 sides of the plank, so unless it's gettting soaked for long periods it'll be fine with some moisture. the "engineered hard wood" in my house is fancy plywood and the surface you see cares not one bit about getting wet due to the pre-finish being hard and water tight. if it gets soaked and the other 5 surfaces of the board get wet, they are unfinished and there will be problems. that said, i have had scraps spend most of the last 3 years on the ground outside including languishing in some puddles as rain does what it do, and i'm really impressed how not-that-bad they have done. a little peeling of the finish (uv i assume) and some delaminating of the plies but still quite solid. They weren't squeezed up tight or restrained though. in an "installed" scenario, i'd expect buckling* due to the expansion to be the actual problem.
*the winter we were remodeling was a really wet one ~4 years ago. we were looking for flooring and cabinets etc etc etc. one of the showrooms we went to evidently had a roof leak. the floors in the ~3k Square foot showroom got quite wet and buclked severely. 10-12" speedbumps all over the place. looked cool, but also expensive and a huge pain in the ass
bamboo i've seen, prefinished, has finish on all 6 sides of the plank, so unless it's gettting soaked for long periods it'll be fine with some moisture. the "engineered hard wood" in my house is fancy plywood and the surface you see cares not one bit about getting wet due to the pre-finish being hard and water tight. if it gets soaked and the other 5 surfaces of the board get wet, they are unfinished and there will be problems. that said, i have had scraps spend most of the last 3 years on the ground outside including languishing in some puddles as rain does what it do, and i'm really impressed how not-that-bad they have done. a little peeling of the finish (uv i assume) and some delaminating of the plies but still quite solid. They weren't squeezed up tight or restrained though. in an "installed" scenario, i'd expect buckling* due to the expansion to be the actual problem.
*the winter we were remodeling was a really wet one ~4 years ago. we were looking for flooring and cabinets etc etc etc. one of the showrooms we went to evidently had a roof leak. the floors in the ~3k Square foot showroom got quite wet and buclked severely. 10-12" speedbumps all over the place. looked cool, but also expensive and a huge pain in the ass
2legs2wheels
Well-known member
Thank you. I ordered some samples.
2legs2wheels
Well-known member
Good advice, thank you.