Lumber Liquidators, handyman, hardwood installer ?

[etana]

We want to have our old carpet townhouse 500-600 sq ft main floor replaced with probably 3/4" x 3" maple natural.

1. I am worried it will look like a fitness center or gym. Do people use maple in their homes? We need a very light color since our house is in the woods and very dark. We lean away from oak, since every rental we have ever lived in has been oak.

2. I went to Lumber Liquidators, found wood and had an estimate. But when I went to research customer reviews for LL work, the reviews were 90% bad. Now I know that in searching for appliances etc, there are always good and bad reviews, but LL had a huge negative review response.
a. Cupping within 6 month.
b. Wood width and depth didn't match so hard to fit together and lots of waste, due to poorer milling in Indonesia and Asia where they get their wood.
c. Even with the guarantee, after the wood was nailed down, customers had terrible customer satisfaction from the stores or insallers

Our handyman says he can find wood at a good price when on sale, and install the floor. He says he installs flooring in hotels and has the experience.

I am not going to Home Depot or Lowes, after having a poor experience with them installing TrafficMaster Allure (see my post today in vinyl flooring). Their salesmen and their installers don't know very much. in my opinion.

I don't want to pay top dollar for a professional installer unless there is a reason to do so. My dad was a carpenter and built our home in 1957. He put in hardwood flooring. It is not rocket science. But I don't want moisture problems in the next 6-months forward.

What should I look for in an installer?
How do I know a fair price?
What questions should I be asking?
What about Lumber Liquidators? and their installers?
Why a professional installer instead of a handyman who has installed floors?
The price is significantly different.

The maple I am looking at is in the $5/sq ft at LL range.
LL's installation price is about $2.99 sq ft

Thanks, Etana
Silver Spring, MD

 

[Ernesto]

You get what you pay for as war as the wood goes. Well on second thought same thing with installation.

Pro's vs handymen. Do either have formal training, or did they learn from doing grandma's house? Look for a pro who has formal training with several years of experience, check his license for complaint history. Ask for references, look at his jobs if you can. Get at least 3 quotes, don't take the lowest bid unless your assured he is properly educated and has all the tools.

Questions, does he have a moisture meter and know how to use it. Will he check the crawlspace. basement? There is a science to hardwood, he should know the basics.

 

[etana]

no crawl space or basement. Just the main floor of a townhouse.

check his license for complaint history.

I don't understand what this means. What does checking if he has a license have anything to do with a complaint history? How do you find out about a complaint history?

thanks

 

[Ernesto]

Well in AZ and California you can check a licensed contractor for complaints on the states licensing boards website. Many of those states back east are way behind the game on this. If you have a complaint by a consumer, you better make it good or else they take away your license. May not apply to your state.

http://www.azroc.gov/clsc/AZROCLicenseQuery