We are going out tomorrow, yes I know, I am late asking about Lumber Liquidators. Any dealings with them?

Barb M.
by Barb M.
We want to get laminated flooring and don't know really where to go specificly to look for one. I should have asked days ago.
Thanks everyone. I checked with the BBB about lumber liquidators and they have a massive amount of complaints so we are not going there.
  18 answers
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Oct 05, 2012
    A friend of ours bought her lumber there and my guys installed it for her. They found it to be great quality and they had absolutely no problem with dealing with them. They put down about 800 ft. of the laminate flooring, wide plank with a cushioned back. It turned out fabulous!
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 05, 2012
    I am a big fan of lumber liquidators...but not laminate. To me laminate is a cheap disposable floor that goes clickity click when you walk on it, For long term value a real hardwood floor or tile is your best option. I have worked on real hardwood floors that were 80 to 100 years old and still have lots of life left in them. I have never seen a laminate floor more than a couple of years old that did not look like crap. if you replace your laminate every 5 years to keep it looking nice you could have paid for 3 or 4 real wood floors.
  • Warren G. Warren G. on Oct 05, 2012
    KMS make some valid points. But if you are still in the market for Laminate, try "Bob's Carpet Mart and Flooring Store" if you have one in your area. That is who we use and found then to be more cost effective and have a better product then "Lumber Liquidators". They also installed the flooring for us. My opinion for what it is worth....
  • Shari Shari on Oct 05, 2012
    I can't speak on Lumber Liquidators but I give laminate a big fat two thumbs down. Have it. HATE it. Big, expensive mistake. :(
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Oct 06, 2012
    I LOVE my laminate! Why? Because with pets and kids, after 7+ years it still looks like it was put down yesterday. Most people make the mistake of not putting the "quiet pad" underneath because it is a little more expensive. It is like any other product...it is only as good as the installation! I am past the age where I can run around after people to make sure there is no tracks or spills on the floor. I have some real wood and love it. However, I grew up on real oak and it takes so much more care! Oh, and I am not on a concrete slab so tht makes it better!
  • Connie C Connie C on Oct 06, 2012
    Two years ago I went to Lumber Liquidators and from the time I walked into their door until my entire lake home had real wood floors laid down, I have been over the top excited with their customer service to their employees who laid it, and even came back 4 times upon my requests for just little spots I needed corrected. They came with a smile and were more than helpful and passionate about their wood floors they laid down. They even said not to let anyone talk me into putting shiny stuff over it ever and to call them in 5=7 years to give them a real good clean. I got an awesome deal of only $1.99 per sq. foot and every person that has walked through my doors absolutely love my floors. They are all different color browns/tans/honey color, they are beautiful. I have even had 4 people order the same wood I have. Give them a try, you won't be sorry.
  • Pat Dareneau Pat Dareneau on Oct 06, 2012
    we got flooring at Lumber Liquidators we installed it with support from LL Very satisfied
  • Jan C Jan C on Oct 07, 2012
    We got laminate there a year ago, put it down, used good padding and couldn't be happier!!! We have two large 100 lb. dogs and I was very concerned about scratches, but so far nothing. They slip and slide when playing and running through the house and no scratches. It looks great, cleans great (use a Shark Steamer) and absolutely love it. I agree, if you use the padding as suggested, you'll be happy. I got ours for $.59 per square foot by watching on-line their closeouts over a 3 month period, and love what we got. In fact, my home office, which we put new Berber down 2 years ago is gonna get changed to the same laminate as the rest of the house this winter when we have time. We installed ourselves and, again, couldn't be happier!
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 07, 2012
    @Jan C The use of a steamer for laminate and wood floors is a recipe for early failure. No competent flooring manufacturer recommends it on laminates or real wood. A steam mop is best used for cleaning tile. The steam mop manufacturer may say different but then again they want you to buy and use their product.
  • Jan C Jan C on Oct 07, 2012
    Thanks KMS Woodworks, so far no problem at all. My neice cleans our house and she moves it very quickly, in fact she is sweating once she makes it through the whole house! I appreciate you telling me as we will keep a close eye on it and if it seems stressed, we'll discontinue. I think the main thing is it is only on for literally a second, not sitting on it steaming it. She is very careful to do it fast so it just cleans and doesn't ruin. Again, I do appreciate the reminder to be careful with it! ;-)
  • Shari Shari on Oct 07, 2012
    I got the "noise reducing" underlayment and my laminate is still loud. And slippery to walk on. And it easily bubbles when exposed to a minimal amount of moisture that isn't wiped up immediately (like a melted ice cube). It wasn't cheap either...more than $4.00/sq. ft.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 08, 2012
    @Shari for that kind of money why did you not install real hardwood?...When I did my master suite I got 5" wide full 3/4" thick Jatoba ( Brazilian Cherry) for $2.79...granted it was few years ago...but I routinely see lots of hardwoord at prices in that range.
  • Shari Shari on Oct 08, 2012
    @KMS Woodworks I was grossly uneducated and misinformed about laminate, and completely overwhelmed with all the renovation decisions that needed to be made on the rundown foreclosure 30 acre horse farm and house we bought. Typically, before I make any big investment purchase I research and research...and research. However, this property opportunity "fell" into our laps and within 5 weeks of looking at the property, we were walking out of the closing with keys in hand. The list of projects that needed to be done (both inside and out) were unbelievably long and unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of time to do much research or shopping around (or waiting) for the best deals on some of the things that needed immediate attention (flooring being one). While my husband worked like a madman outside getting the barns renovated, new fencing up etc., for the horse boarding business we were starting, I only had 2 months to get the house somewhat livable so we could stop making the 45 mile commute between old house and new, and be on site to run the new business. Under pressure, I made some good choices and a few not so good...laminate being the one that has given me the most regret and heartburn.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 08, 2012
    Sorry to hear.. BTW... When I was working my way through grad school I worked at a dressage stable. I was chief mucker and all around handy man. We had 38 horses total...counting school horses and boarders. I was there at 7 am 6 days a week..for a bit over 4 years... sometimes I miss the simple farm type life
  • Barb M. Barb M. on Oct 09, 2012
    We decided against Lumber Liquidators because checking with the BBB, I found out that they had 291 complaints about them over 3 years, so we decided against buying there, Thanks to everyone for replying.
  • Shari Shari on Oct 10, 2012
    @KMS Woodworks we have 19 horses on the property that belong to boarders and 4 that are my daughter's. We have mix of riding diciplines here but mostly hunter/jumpers. My daughter (who has been riding for 21 of her 30 years) also has a home on the property and she is barn manager/riding instructor/vet tech/chief stall mucker, etc. My husband does the farm maintenance (in addition to his regular 40 hr/wk job) and I handle the bookkeeping end of the business. Most people probably don't realize how much work horses are (and how expensive they are to maintain). You'd probably be surprised to know Timothy & Alfalfa hay is running $15.00 per bale now. Straight alfalfa is $18.00 a bale! Bet it wasn't nearly that expensive when you were in the business, huh?
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 10, 2012
    I remember prices in the 4 to 5 range for alfalfa...Straw was about 2 to 2.50 with our drought this summer some folks are paying twice what the did last year...most in the $15 range http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/golden/news/drought-means-higher-hay-prices/article_14fca86e-f2c5-11e1-bc99-001a4bcf887a.html http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=673957#.UHXP8a5wxy0 Fortunately back then the stable owners family had quite a bit of land and they grew lots of hay. I remember unloading wagon after wagon and filling multiple barns many times. I thinks the "family rate" was about 3 bucks
  • Evelyn McMullen Evelyn McMullen on Aug 09, 2015
    I had my whole house done by LL in bamboo (because it was a sustainable product) I couldn't be happier.