I have a flooring contractor coming this week to give me an estimate on refinishing some wooden floors. On the phone, I asked what I could expect to pay for a decent midgrade carpet with stain guard installed on a standard staircase, a 15 foot hallway and a 14 x 17 bedroom. He told me about $3000. I nearly had a stroke. Is that what carpet costs these days or is he fishing?
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Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.
Just doing the taxes so I had the invoice right in front of me. Last March (09) we did two guest rooms and a hallway. We went through Lowe's which is our only option here but we were very satisfied with the carpet and the installation.
We got the top of the line Mohawk/Stainmaster carpet that they offer (I can't recall the type off the top of my head, I think it's cut and loop...it is very dense and has a really nice pattern that is made by the loops/cuts). It is rated the highest for wear but it still considered residential, not commerical.
Lowe's was offering free installation and free padding, we paid to upgrade to the highest density padding. For a total of 400 square feet we paid $1750.00, so that works out to $2.29/foot installed. So sounds like the guy was fishing and you can do much better.
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What you call love was invented by guys like me to sell nylons.
Wow! what a deal. I'll have to keep my eyes open for the next Lowes sale. They just put in a Lowes about 15 minutes away from me.
They also have wonderful customer service. We were cleaning out the garage and found 4 boxes of peel and stick vinyl tiles we had bought for a project we never started. We decided to try to return them and even after 2 years and the item not being in their stores, they took them back and gave us our full refund on a Lowe's card. Where we shop, there is a Lowe's and Home Depot right next to each other and will shop at Lowe's instead because we know if there is a problem, we'll be taken care of.
They also have wonderful customer service. We were cleaning out the garage and found 4 boxes of peel and stick vinyl tiles we had bought for a project we never started. We decided to try to return them and even after 2 years and the item not being in their stores, they took them back and gave us our full refund on a Lowe's card. Where we shop, there is a Lowe's and Home Depot right next to each other and will shop at Lowe's instead because we know if there is a problem, we'll be taken care of.
I am so over Home Depot. I often thought they should change their moto from:
You can do it and we can help to :
You can do it because there is no one here who can help you.
They also have wonderful customer service. We were cleaning out the garage and found 4 boxes of peel and stick vinyl tiles we had bought for a project we never started. We decided to try to return them and even after 2 years and the item not being in their stores, they took them back and gave us our full refund on a Lowe's card. Where we shop, there is a Lowe's and Home Depot right next to each other and will shop at Lowe's instead because we know if there is a problem, we'll be taken care of.
I am so over Home Depot. I often thought they should change their moto from:
You can do it and we can help to :
You can do it because there is no one here who can help you.
I think there's actually a parallel here to B&Bs. As I said, we will buy at Lowe's over HD, and they are typically higher in price. We will pay more to get great customer service and in my opinion, better selection.
Those people who "get it", will choose a B&B over a cheaper motel for great customer service and better selection of properties and amenities.
We used to have the same problem with HD until Lowe's came in. Or, maybe someone else bought the HD near here. Let me tell you, it went from 'You can do it yourself,' to 'Do you want me to come home with you and install that?'
Unbelievable turn around. AND, they cleaned the store. Really, cleaned the shelves, the floors, everything.
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Spare me the perky.
We used to have the same problem with HD until Lowe's came in. Or, maybe someone else bought the HD near here. Let me tell you, it went from 'You can do it yourself,' to 'Do you want me to come home with you and install that?'
Unbelievable turn around. AND, they cleaned the store. Really, cleaned the shelves, the floors, everything.
How funny, I noticed that too. Just try and make your way from the front doors to the restroom at the rear of the store in HD these days....I bet your'e approached by no less than a dozen employees. From one extreme to the other.
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The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue and gives kisses freely and enthusiastically to everyone!
They are heavily featuring 12 months same as cash deals right now if you open a Lowe's card. They do not work on commission, we found their sales people to be really helpful and never felt like they were trying to push anything on us. Go on a weekday when they will have more time to spend with you.
$5000 for 2 set of stairs, 2 landings & 4 bedrooms. Both of my staircases have 'pie wedges' so that's a lot of cutting. That's carpet with no pattern. Pattern will cost more to match. Mills are dying for work as are installers, you can do better.
I think I paid too much. Whatever you do, get the best pad you can, but make sure it is the right pad for the carpet. The wrong pad can cause wear patterns to develop quickly.
I don't look at haggling as being cheap, you're giving someone business they need. But never say that. 
$5000 for 2 set of stairs, 2 landings & 4 bedrooms. Both of my staircases have 'pie wedges' so that's a lot of cutting. That's carpet with no pattern. Pattern will cost more to match. Mills are dying for work as are installers, you can do better.
I think I paid too much.
Morticia, I guest it all depends on the quality but that sounds like a lot of carpet for all those rooms. And stairs, landings, too! $5,000 doesn't actually sound like a bad price at all.
Chances are, though, that today you could get much better quality than whatever you got then for much less.
Folks need the cash flow. They don't want to keep hanging onto inventory that's only going down in value. Their workers need the jobs.
Every penny helps them right now.
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“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” Pericles
It was from the Kathy Ireland line. Not the best and not the cheapest. I needed something that would last. I am very happy with it. One year in and it's holding up well. I say that because one other room got done 5 years ago and it's awful. Complete wear pattern from door to bathroom. The rest of it looks brilliant, but not that route and around the bed.
Just having it done made me happy. Clean, fresh carpet. No grape soda, no wine, no God knows what. And it's much quieter now.
The quiet alone is always a big factor in springing for the better padding, to me.
And just how much longer it makes the carpet last and keep looking good is an extra nice bonus factor.
Bought about 16 years ago carpet for my front staircase (2 landings).It has 1/2 the pile bent over & 1/2 the pile cut. Carpet company said this type of pile would last longer. Still looks good,guess they were correct. I can't remember what it's called ? Mary in Bridgewater.
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Mary in Virginia
He is fishing.
I had some new carpet installed last year, unbelievably high quality 100% wool, all non-toxic but very thick padding.
Well under half of what that guy is bidding. Granted it was on sale at a very good deal.
But what isn't these days?
Shop around. You'll get better deals.
Oh no. Now I sound like a PITA guest!