rocknrobn26 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 First of all, thanks again to Bring Back Pat & nuke'em ttg as they helped a lot making a decision between Engineered and the 3/4" prefinished. Were down to 3 brands (all 3/4" pre-finished, ~360 sq ft, remove carpet, move furniture, etc all the same on each bid): Lauzon (~$5600) Mirage (~$5800) Shaw (~$3300) Our problem in deciding is the price. The Lauzon & Mirage look nicer than the Shaw. The fit is better, the finish slightly clearer. But $2K+ difference gets me to thinking..... Is it really worth $2300-$2500 for the brand? I've always tried to go w/ the higher quality w/ things like this, but the Shaw is very tempting (price) and is a decent product. Hard to believe ~$6 more per square foot is worth it. As an ex-contractor, I used to get pissed for people trying to save $200 on a $5000 job, when the quality of the materials made up for the diff., but in this case the diff. is substantial. If someone walked in w/ a stone in their shoe, I sincerely doubt any of the floors would fare better. FWIW....we are NOT planning on moving anytime soon. Sooooo.....can you help me/us decide? Which floor would you get? Why? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 I just bought some wood from these guys and it looks great. From their website, you can find a distributor by plugging in your zip code. It's lots cheaper than finding them in a showroom somewhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 I've been asking the wife for one of those. She just won't do it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Robn, have you tried to negotiate the price with Lauzon or Mirage? Tell them you think it's more cost effective for you to go with Shaw since it's cheaper, you just can't justify spending that much more when the quality isn't that much more for the price. That should at least get the wheels rolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted November 20, 2007 Author Share Posted November 20, 2007 I just bought some wood from these guys and it looks great. From their website, you can find a distributor by plugging in your zip code. It's lots cheaper than finding them in a showroom somewhere... One dealer near me, a couple of more about a half hour away. Robn, have you tried to negotiate the price with Lauzon or Mirage? Tell them you think it's more cost effective for you to go with Shaw since it's cheaper, you just can't justify spending that much more when the quality isn't that much more for the price. That should at least get the wheels rolling. No...that was my next move. The dealers for those 2 have lower end stuff, but they're a lot lower in quality. Sorta like a bait and switch, and I think that's what they'll do. I checked as well as I could on the internet and as far as material pricing goes, there is only a $3 to $4 diff.tween the Mirage/Lauzon & Shaw not $6. That's what is confusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted November 21, 2007 Author Share Posted November 21, 2007 ^ bumpers Anyone else??? Pleeze??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 The price difference is not worth it for the brand. Shaw makes good commercial products, and I would assume their residential products are the same. It really comes down to whether or not you like the look of the other ones $2,300 - $2,500 more than you like the shaw. With regard to resale, if you ever decide to move, I doubt anyone looking at he house 5 years to 10 years from now is going to say wow look at those Lauzon wood floors, so you won't get the price back at the time of sale. I would be more worried about who is installing the wood flooring than I would about which of the three you are putting down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 With regard to resale, if you ever decide to move, I doubt anyone looking at he house 5 years to 10 years from now is going to say wow look at those Lauzon wood floors, so you won't get the price back at the time of sale. I would be more worried about who is installing the wood flooring than I would about which of the three you are putting down. Ding ding ding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarina Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Hey RR, is there a Lumber Liquidators in your area? They have some good prices. When we had ours done a few years ago, it was around $8 sq/ft installed. I forget the brand name we went with, but years later it's holding up great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zooty Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 We also did the whole house in hardwood. We didn't find any difference in brands really and once they are in they will look good with any. As was said, more the installer than the brand (as long as it's not awful looking before going in). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 The price difference is not worth it for the brand. Shaw makes good commercial products, and I would assume their residential products are the same. It really comes down to whether or not you like the look of the other ones $2,300 - $2,500 more than you like the shaw. With regard to resale, if you ever decide to move, I doubt anyone looking at he house 5 years to 10 years from now is going to say wow look at those Lauzon wood floors, so you won't get the price back at the time of sale. I would be more worried about who is installing the wood flooring than I would about which of the three you are putting down. Good points! Hey RR, is there a Lumber Liquidators in your area? They have some good prices. When we had ours done a few years ago, it was around $8 sq/ft installed. I forget the brand name we went with, but years later it's holding up great. The nearest one is 45 mins. away. I should have thought of them sooner, but I was trying to stay local, as I always do for things like this. I'm getting burned out on this. Never realized how many choices there are. Thanks, Czar. We went to our fourth and last contractor yesterday. By chance he has the largest selection of choices. So far he has beat our previous Lauzon dealer by over $1200. He has some house brands, and tomorrow he is coming for the hard estimate and bringing some Shaw samples also. What it will probably come down to, as priorities, is: ALL edges beveled Color (Mrs. RR is very particular on that....and very good I might add) Price Stay tuned I think were getting close. Thanks to all that replied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 (edited) RR....I've also had good luck with iFloors. Trick is to find the flooring (or a few) that you like in person....feel it, see the color and edge in person. Then go shop it online. iFloors has a $99 shipping rate going right now. But you have to be aware that there are many lines within the same company which will not be available online. And also....some "collections" that are sold exclusively at certain stores/websites, etc. With the Lauzon line....I'm guessing you are sold on a 3 1/4" strip/plank and the available stain choices? And you're deadset on beveled edges....not eased? You never mentioned which species of wood, width and color preference....so it's a little hard to search out alternatives for you. I will say this...as much as I like natural wood, more than likely the sample you see will NOT be comparable in color to the flooring you receive (speaking about natural wood with clear finishes). Those samples have been handled and have aged some.....and lumber just has some innate color variations from lot to lot. For flooring....I prefer a stain of some sort....even if it is just a stain to even out the color of the natural wood. This is especially true for woods with heavy color variations.....cherry, walnut, hickory. Maples, oaks and ash...not as much. So if you go the "natural" route....probably stick with a local dealer/installer. That way.....if the shipment arrives at your house to acclimate and you open a case and are unhappy with the lot.....it's easy to just call them up. I think you can also request a case from a lot for inspection before they ship your whole order. (Have the supplier hold your entire order for approval.) We had to do this on a kitchen once. The cherry plank sent was the shade of light maple when the store sample was clearly inbetween medium and dark. Now...while cherry does age darker.....lol.....it would have taken 40 years for the two to match up......LOL. Also......and you know this.....but nail down your contractor on strictly an installation price, even if you buy the flooring elsewhere. Just in case. Happy Turkey Day, RR!! Edited November 23, 2007 by SteelBunz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Also.....$15-16/sqft installed for the Lauzon sounds a bit high to me. $11-12 sounds about right. Another buck if they use a premium underlayment. Now....I don't know what they are charging you extra for carpet and baseboard removal, but if it's $1000.....lol.....go hire a handyman @$15/hr for half a day. Prepping the floor should be included in installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarina Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 What kind of underlayment would you need for hardwood floors? Is Lauzon something different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted November 23, 2007 Author Share Posted November 23, 2007 Also.....$15-16/sqft installed for the Lauzon sounds a bit high to me. $11-12 sounds about right. Another buck if they use a premium underlayment. Now....I don't know what they are charging you extra for carpet and baseboard removal, but if it's $1000.....lol.....go hire a handyman @$15/hr for half a day. Prepping the floor should be included in installation. Whew.....thanks for all the info! Were looking only at Oak, 2.25", in a medium brown or reddish color. We have mostly cherry wood furniture in those 2 rooms (LR & DR). The "eased edges" don't look as nice to me. The sub floor we have is 3/4" plywood and is in fine shape. The latest estimate for Lauzon is $12.50/sf, so it's in the ballpark you mentioned. All the ancillary stuff, furniture moving (we do have a piano and a large breakfront), carpet removal/haul away, vents, and primed base shoe are ~$400, no where near $1000. BTW... handymen around here get ~$30/hr. Some even charge mileage! I'm waiting for the guy to call today so we can see the samples in the house, get a hard estimate, and maybe fly w/ it. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 (edited) What kind of underlayment would you need for hardwood floors? Is Lauzon something different? In most cases, there is no underlayment necessary, Czar.....you're right. As long as the subfloor is thoroughly prepped and swept. But sometimes installers use tar paper(roofing felt) or rosin paper....and sometimes you need some sort of vapor barrier, depending on the subfloor and/or what's below it. In condos and apartments in some areas of the country, I think code insists on 3-6mm cork as an underlayment for sound deadening purposes on 2nd floor and above....even for hardwoods (as opposed to laminates). Edited November 24, 2007 by SteelBunz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarina Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 In most cases, there is no underlayment necessary, Czar.....you're right. As long as the subfloor is thoroughly prepped and swept. But sometimes installers use tar paper....and sometimes you need some sort of vapor barrier, depending on the subfloor and/or what's below it. In condos and apartments in some areas of the country, I think code insists on 3-6mm cork as an underlayment for sound deadening purposes on 2nd floor and above....even for hardwoods (as opposed to laminates). Now you mention it, the guy who put my floor in may have used tar paper. Robin, FWIW, I tried to stay away from the beveled edges because to me it highlighted the fact that it wasn't installed-then-finished old-fashioned hardwood flooring. You can still tell with the eased edges but it's the only thing I wish I could change about my floor. I wish I could remember the name of it but it has 7 baked on layers of finish in a natural white oak. If I had it to do over again, I think I'd go for something striking, like hickory. A friend of mine had hickory pre-finished put in and it's beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted November 23, 2007 Author Share Posted November 23, 2007 Now you mention it, the guy who put my floor in may have used tar paper. Robin, FWIW, I tried to stay away from the beveled edges because to me it highlighted the fact that it wasn't installed-then-finished old-fashioned hardwood flooring. You can still tell with the eased edges but it's the only thing I wish I could change about my floor. I wish I could remember the name of it but it has 7 baked on layers of finish in a natural white oak. If I had it to do over again, I think I'd go for something striking, like hickory. A friend of mine had hickory pre-finished put in and it's beautiful. We had HW floors in our old house throughout. I know what you're talking about, but I still like the bevel. Also, we have a lot of oak stuff (railings, kitchen cabs, though we'll be changing the cabs next year we'll prolly stay w/ oak) plus I really like the Oak grain more than anything. Maple and bamboo did nothing for us. Lauzon has a Titanium finish, 16 coats plus a sun shield. We don't get the late PM sun in these rooms (NE facing), but it couldn't hurt. The guy is supposed to be here in 10 mins. Dang, I hope all turns out....I'm getting ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 i use 30# felt over the subfloor to protect the wood from moist/ damp basements below.......also elimanates some squeeks of wood on wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Back Pat!!! Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 We had HW floors in our old house throughout. I know what you're talking about, but I still like the bevel. Also, we have a lot of oak stuff (railings, kitchen cabs, though we'll be changing the cabs next year we'll prolly stay w/ oak) plus I really like the Oak grain more than anything. Maple and bamboo did nothing for us. Lauzon has a Titanium finish, 16 coats plus a sun shield. We don't get the late PM sun in these rooms (NE facing), but it couldn't hurt. The guy is supposed to be here in 10 mins. Dang, I hope all turns out....I'm getting ! You know my opinion on the Lauzon , it'll be worth it in the long run. And the $12.50 sounds better than the first quote. I'd say your search is over as long as the color works. Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 You know my opinion on the Lauzon , it'll be worth it in the long run. And the $12.50 sounds better than the first quote. I'd say your search is over as long as the color works. Congrats you know my opinion on your opinion............you young whippersnapper.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Back Pat!!! Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 you know my opinion on your opinion............you young whippersnapper.... Oh, go pour yourself a drink allready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted November 24, 2007 Author Share Posted November 24, 2007 It's DONE!!!!! We just got back from placing the deposit. We picked a house brand (Downs Decade). 2.25", oak, eased edges, coffee (slight red tint & medium brown), aluminum oxide w/ scotchgard. Side by side w/ the Lauzon it was the hard to tell which was which, but we liked the color better, and it was $1200 cheaper ($2100 less than our first company w/ Lauzon!) than their Lauzon and $2200 less than Mirage. Thank you all for the help! Now I have to spend some of the savings......... .......................PS3 here I come!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Great news, RR! If I had it to do over again, I think I'd go for something striking, like hickory. A friend of mine had hickory pre-finished put in and it's beautiful. I'm about 40% of the way done laying my new hickory floors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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