For Floor Renovations, Think Restoration

Do your research before spending money on new flooring products.

“I’ve seen a lot of less-than-stellar flooring products over the years I have been in business, and some of them have been touted as being ‘brand new.’ New is nice, but if the quality isn’t there, why spend the money on flooring that will not last?” said Dean Dupre, owner of Champion Tile, a Tampa flooring and tile installation company. “It’s a waste of your hard-earned dollars.”

When homeowners head out to shop for flooring to upgrade their homes, they need to be aware that just because something is marketed as ‘new and improved,’ it does not mean it will meet expectations after it is installed in a busy home. Newer products have an unfortunate history of being slapped together with glue and rushed to the marketplace to start earning the manufacturer money. Often the goal is to make money, not make consumers happy with the product.

“Some customers get the new flooring home, install it and it looks great. Six months or so later, they realize their shiny new floor is cracking and peeling, swelling and chipping and separating. It looks like an army of elephants have been using it for a runway,” said Dupre. “This product, made on the cheap, was not made to last. It was made to be new and dupe consumers. Older products that have been around for some time and have a slightly higher price tag, due to their quality, are often the better choice.”

Over time, the marketplace has moved from making quality flooring that often outlived the homeowner to shoddy imitations. There is no mystery behind this change on the part of flooring manufacturers. They sell cheaper products that do not last as long because the consumer will need to come back and buy more to replace it.

“Before you decide you want to do something about your floors, take a hard look at what you have right now. If it is quality flooring, think about restoring it first. The last thing you want to do is rip up good but older and worn flooring and replace it with something that won’t last long and may give you headaches,” Dupre added.
To learn more, visit http://www.champtile.com.

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