The absolute cheapest. Where can I get it?

4/9/2008 3:14:04 PM

I saw some at Biglots... didnt check the price tho.. I figured it was probably pretty poor quality

4/9/2008 3:17:52 PM

i'm working at this discount flooring place in gvegas for the moment. how much do you need? i can probably check

I think you can get some bullshit retarded laminate for .79c/sqft

[Edited on April 9, 2008 at 3:22 PM. Reason : .]

4/9/2008 3:22:11 PM

^ thats in my price point

4/9/2008 3:26:19 PM

there are 3 pallets being delivered tomorrow. I wouldn't think pergo is that cheap, I don't know what style/brand/price it is, but I'll ask.

I just know you can find a laminate *in* that range, granted it probably won't last long at all. I assume it's for a rental property or something you're wanting to flip?

[Edited on April 9, 2008 at 3:30 PM. Reason : /]

4/9/2008 3:29:13 PM

18x12 room

I do not know how much to factor for waste.

It is for my townhouse which will be converted to a rental eventually and probably trashed by drunken students just like it was when I bought it.

4/9/2008 3:31:33 PM

^^ Is your work called lumber liquidators?

4/9/2008 3:45:11 PM

^nah, it's a recently acquired/transfered discount stock store. If you factor 10% waste you're looking at 10 boxes to do 216 sqft. I'll reply here or PM you some more info tomorrow, if you want.

4/9/2008 4:01:12 PM

bttt

9/9/2008 1:20:06 PM

costco/sam's etc when they have it on sale

9/9/2008 2:03:56 PM

you don't want to buy .79c/sqft laminate. We have some kronotex in at 1.79 to public, no idea what I'd be able to grab 10 boxes for. My last day is Friday though. Fuck pergo, too expensive and not really worth it.

Lowes will probably have one or two colors that they stock semi-cheap.

Also never buy laminate with pad already attached.

[Edited on September 9, 2008 at 2:13 PM. Reason : .]

9/9/2008 2:12:56 PM

Quote :

"Also never buy laminate with pad already attached."

Because?

9/9/2008 2:35:14 PM

it's usually a cheaper grade of flooring, similar to the peel and stick vinyl. It's not worth the mild convenience it offers for the DIYers and you're not going to have gaps in the underlayment where the laminate is joined.

obviously it was a blanket statement and i'm sure quality attached underlayment laminate exists, but meh. we don't sell it.

[Edited on September 9, 2008 at 6:28 PM. Reason : .]

9/9/2008 6:26:42 PM

there is a place on south sauders, just north of the 40 junction that has pretty cheap stuff ...

We ended up getting ours for free cause the installer did a shitty job on the details, and they just didnt want to mess with redoing it all. Was just the kitchen and dining room (in a condo near ncsu).

I think the place was Real Deal flooring or something like that. Definitely in your price point.

9/9/2008 7:58:39 PM

I got mine at lumber liquidators and yeah. dont go cheap.. Put some money into it and you'll be much happier, not to mention better off when you sell the place.

9/9/2008 9:10:32 PM

dont even waste time with laminate period

9/9/2008 10:26:38 PM

bamboo FTW

just FYI

9/9/2008 11:00:49 PM

Bamboo ftw!
For like four months.

That stuff has horrible long term reviews. There's a reason it is $2 per square foot. And good luck refinishing if you bought the caramelized finish.

9/10/2008 12:44:17 AM

http://www.lumberliquidators.com

9/10/2008 1:43:16 AM

^^My buddy has had it in their house for almost 3 years now. Still amazing. And it will be amazing in another 10 years.

It completely depends on the manufacturer, process and finish. The average person is just a fucking idiot and wants the cheapest price and whatever material they saw on HGTV or TLC.

Lumber Liquidators is the hotness if you make sure to LOOK at the shit before you buy it.

9/10/2008 2:55:25 AM

Real Deal Flooring. I got some nice Shaw laminate for less than $2/ft^2 it even has the padding/moisture barrier built in so it saved me a step + cost of barrier.

9/10/2008 7:54:12 AM

Quote :

"Lumber Liquidators is the hotness if you make sure to LOOK at the shit before you buy it."

That company has some of the worst customer service ratings out there and their "Bellawood" house brand is junk. Their quality control is terrible. Boards come in with bubbles and debris in the finish. Boards come in that are not cut straight. You shouldn't have to look at shit before you buy it. How do you think you're going to look at boards that are in cartons on a pallet anyway? If you're lucky enough to get a product that isn't trashed before you receive it the pre-finished stuff will show wear very quickly.

Oh, and their product names such as "Brazilian Cherry" are intentionally misleading. Brazil is a country. Cherry is a hardwood. Brazilian Cherry should be cherry grown in Brazil, right? Well it's not. It's made from the Jatobá tree. Why not call it Jatobá hardwoods? Fucking scammers.

Lumber Liquidators is great for people who are flipping a house and need something that will look great for a month while they sell it. That's why you see that stuff on TV all the time.

As for bamboo...Stuff like this is pretty damning and it's all over the web if you get away from the manufacturer's websites:
http://www.finishing.com/260/96.shtml

I'm sure the finish durability does come down to the brand, but finding a reputable brand for bamboo seems impossible. There are too many shady companies making the cheapest product possible and selling it to Americans who think they are getting a product they can feel good about. Not to mention some of the concerns about the chemicals they use to produce the wood (it's shredded bamboo glued together with various types of resin) and the off-gas it creates.

Bamboo ftl.

[Edited on September 10, 2008 at 11:32 AM. Reason : l]

9/10/2008 11:20:37 AM

^ in regards to the bamboo, i agree that a lot of it is absolute crap...the problem is that as a (relatively) new flooring material in the US, it's touted as cheaper than hardwood, yet "just" as strong and durable...and let's not forget the "green" aspect (since it's much more efficiently renewable than hardwoods)

the problem isn't the bamboo itself...unfinished bamboo is softer than unfinished hardwoods, but both are susceptible to scratches...it's the FINISH that makes the big difference...a lot of these manufacturers/installers are using crap in the way of finishes and yes, the bamboo flooring will scratch and dent easily...the traditional finishes for hardwood don't adhere well to bamboo, which is why it's not typically used (or if it is, it flakes and scratches off)

saying you're using "XXXX" finishing on your floors (bamboo or hardwood) doesn't ensure quality...i've seen hardwood finishes flake off, too...it's about getting a quality product and installation

[Edited on September 10, 2008 at 11:31 AM. Reason : .]

9/10/2008 11:30:30 AM

Quote :

"Bamboo ftw! For like four months. That stuff has horrible long term reviews. There's a reason it is $2 per square foot. And good luck refinishing if you bought the caramelized finish."

what, i know folks with it for many years and they have not had any issues at all....

9/10/2008 11:48:02 AM

Dollar Tree has some flooring. I imagine it is terrible but I have no idea. It should be on their website.

9/10/2008 12:50:34 PM

Quote :

"That company has some of the worst customer service ratings out there and their "Bellawood" house brand is junk. Their quality control is terrible. Boards come in with bubbles and debris in the finish. Boards come in that are not cut straight. You shouldn't have to look at shit before you buy it. How do you think you're going to look at boards that are in cartons on a pallet anyway? If you're lucky enough to get a product that isn't trashed before you receive it the pre-finished stuff will show wear very quickly."

Hence why you look. And why you pay attention during installation. The times we've used flooring from them, we overbought by ~20%, and restacked all the defective pieces back into cartons and returned them at the end. Never had a problem. It's all about knowing what you are looking at. They get in some VERY high quality, VERY high end stuff on occasion, you just have to get to it in time. I definitely do not think the average DIYer should be shopping there. Like I said, most people are idiots.

Quote :

"Oh, and their product names such as "Brazilian Cherry" are intentionally misleading. Brazil is a country. Cherry is a hardwood. Brazilian Cherry should be cherry grown in Brazil, right? Well it's not. It's made from the Jatobá tree. Why not call it Jatobá hardwoods? Fucking scammers."

You do realize Brazilian Cherry is the common name across the entire industry right? That's what it's called. I've never in my life heard of it called Jatoba hardwoods. It looks like cherry and it IS common in Brazil and South America. Don't blame LL for industry terminology.

Quote :

"Lumber Liquidators is great for people who are flipping a house and need something that will look great for a month while they sell it. That's why you see that stuff on TV all the time."

Did you even read my post? That's exactly my point. You CAN get good stuff from there, but most people just buy the shit they see on TV.

9/10/2008 12:56:17 PM

the guy i bttted this for never even posted

9/10/2008 1:26:21 PM

i'm reading

9/10/2008 1:46:48 PM

yeah, I heard real deal flooring has great deals. Off of south saunders. Looks like some rundown warehouse. They'll even price match from what friends have told me. Going there when we can save up enough to pergo our floors.

9/11/2008 2:33:32 PM