| Homepage |
| Books |
| Speaking |
| Consulting |
| Best California Carpet Retailers |
| Services |
Free Articles & Landlording Information
There are dozens of smart ways that a rental property owner or manager can reduce flooring replacement and repair expenses. Read my free articles and advice below! Apartment Flooring Solutions - Property Management Efficiency Expert Consulting Services. Property Management Efficiency Expert Consulting Services. Flooring management, replacement & repair.
1. Ten Ways to Save On Carpet Replacements
2. Rental Property Carpet Maintenance Guide
3. Flooring Replacement Schedule (part one)
4. Reducing Carpet Replacement Expenses
5. Apartment Carpet & Flooring Guide
6. Article: What to Expect from Flooring Installers
7. Ten Questions to Ask Every Carpet Installer
8. Finding Qualified Carpet Installers
9. Carpet & Vinyl Installation Inspection Checklist
10. Seven Carpet Buying Secrets Revealed
11. Flooring Replacement Schedule (part two)
12. Apartment Turnover - Order of Events
13. Apartment Maintenance Training
15. The CFM Solution
"What You Need to Know before You Shop for Carpet"
©2002 Alan J. Fletcher
Alan J. Fletcher has over 30 years of experience in the carpet and flooring profession and provides money-saving consulting services to real estate investors and Property Management Companies worldwide. He has authored several books about carpet and floor covering management including "Landlord Flooring Management" and "The Complete Carpet Buying Guide eBook" available at www.Howtobuycarpet.com.
Consumers in need of flooring are often misinformed, over-charged or sold the wrong flooring materials. There are too many flooring salespeople that will tell you just about anything in order to convince you to buy from them. Because many are not paid by the hour, they are commissioned salespeople. For them, no sale means no pay, and hunger can easily cause people to sacrifice integrity. Also common and I have seen this time and time again, is where consumers have absolutely no knowledge about the flooring that they have purchased. They usually know how much they spent on it, but they don’t know what type of fiber the carpet is made of or what type of padding was selected to have installed underneath it. They have trusted the salesperson completely to make all the decisions for them. Sometimes that works and everything turns out all right, sometimes it is a costly mistake.
Don’t trust a salesperson to make decisions for you, do your homework. Always get a second opinion on flooring materials that have been recommended to you.
Be sure to buy flooring that is designed to meet your needs and your lifestyle.
While I am sure that not all the blame should be placed upon the salesperson, I am concerned with the fact that a large percentage of flooring salespeople may not know complete or accurate product information to be able to recommend the right flooring for consumers. It is also fairly common that they may not have their customers’ best interests in mind. One factor that contributes to this is that there are factory incentives and contests offered to dealers and salespeople that include bonuses, trips and prizes for selling quantities of a certain flooring product. Similarly, if a dealer can purchase a large quantity of a flooring material at a discounted price they may require that their salespeople urge customers to buy it whether it is the best choice for them or not. Anyone could become a victim under any of these circumstances and end up with flooring that doesn’t meet their needs or perform the way they expected.
How can you determine the durability of resilient flooring?
In order for you to determine the durability of various types of resilient flooring (sheet vinyl) as related to traffic wear, several factors would need to be taken into consideration.
These include:
1. Abrasion resistance
2. Resistance to gouging, Punctures, Cuts and impacts
3. Rolling, sliding and standing load tolerances
Unless you are prepared to personally test the abrasion resistance of flooring materials yourself, the above chart makes it is easy to see that the average consumer would not have the knowledge or resources readily available to be able to determine the durability of resilient flooring. For this reason, consumers are almost completely reliant upon the advice of the flooring salespeople that they encounter or information obtained from the flooring manufacturer.
Speaking of trusting the salesperson, whom should you trust to measure your home to determine how much material you need? If you were to trust the salesperson to determine the proper measurements you could easily be over-charged for the amount of materials you need. In fact, it is common for consumers to be over-charged for the amount of material they need. Consider this: Most two-bedroom homes require about 100 yards of carpet. If you were to choose carpet, pad and installation that added up to $20 per yard ($2.23 per foot), for 100 yards, your total price would be $2000.00. Now, if the salesperson measures your home incorrectly (or deliberately over-measures) and determines that you need 110 yards of carpet, your total price would be $2200.00, a difference of $200! Any homeowner could easily be over-measured by 10 yards and not even be aware of it.
Unless you know how to properly measure for flooring, (and very few homeowners know how) you would not have any way to be sure. That’s the problem. Most consumers don’t get several estimates. They usually buy flooring from the first dealer they find with a product that they like. It is a well known fact that consumers will most often buy from people that they like, and any smooth talking personable salesperson could easily convince most consumers to buy the products in the quantity they recommend without ever seeking a second opinion.
- Always get several estimates.
- Insist that a flooring diagram be provided to you including measurements and seam locations.
- Consider paying a carpet layer to measure your home for you.
- Unless you are a professional never use your own measurements.
Car sales or Carpet sales?
In recent years, the auto sales industry has been publicly exposed to some degree and because of this it is now much easier for consumers to get a fair price when buying a new or used car. Consumers can now gain access to information about how much the dealer has paid for new automobiles or find out the blue book value on used vehicles and use that information to negotiate a fair deal. Some Internet sites reveal the factory to dealer incentives that are currently available. The automotive industry was exposed because too many people were getting ripped-off and were paying way more than they needed to. Maybe this has happened to you or someone you know. The same thing is going on in the flooring industry right now and flooring business is the next industry that needs to be exposed.
When you walk into a retail carpet store or flooring showroom they make you feel so important! They want you feel that their main goal is your satisfaction, and they want to convince you that they are willing to go the extra mile to earn your business! You have all the options available to you, product knowledge, service after the sale, great selection, long warrantees, payment plans, no money down and no payments or interest for the first year! It sounds to me like the same tactics that have been used in the car business for years. So how would you know if you were getting a good deal on your carpet or other flooring? You wouldn’t. There is no carpet blue book. There is no consumer flooring report. All you can do is shop around from one store to another to hopefully find another identical carpet to be able to compare prices.
What about their offer of free pad with your purchase? What about the banner hanging outside that says, "wholesale to the public?" All these tactics and many more are used to lure you into coming into their store. Once you are inside the store they will use every trick in the book to get you to select one of their products. The really is no free lunch anything offered for free will be charged to you one way or another, or else the free item is not worth having. A flooring salesperson will often ask you to feel how soft the carpet is with your hand. Perhaps they will have you walk on a swatch of carpet with a square of pad underneath it to show you how good it feels underfoot. These sales techniques are just like the test drive at the car dealership. If they can get you to imagine in your mind how great it would look and feel in your home then they know you will buy it.
- Don’t fall for sales gimmicks.
- Don’t be pressured into buying right now.
- Take flooring samples home and take your time making your selection
- Take samples to other stores to compare prices with similar products.
Unless the salesperson asks you a lot of questions about your flooring needs in an honest attempt to help you select the right product to serve your needs, you can assume that they are interested in nothing more than their next paycheck. In that case they will likely applaud any selection you might make regardless of it being a wise selection or not.
How to determine flooring value and performance.
A fundamental problem every consumer faces when purchasing floor coverings is that consumers are not provided a way to determine the value of a flooring product beyond the literature or advice offered by the salesperson, dealer or manufacturer of the flooring product.
Everybody knows that when you apply for a loan to purchase a home it must be appraised to determine its current market value. The bank will not approve a loan on it if it is priced above current market value. The appraiser is usually an employee of the lending institution, not connected in any way to the people who are selling the home. This protects you as the buyer so you do not pay more than the home is worth and it also protects the lending institution from losing money in the event you default on the loan and they are forced to foreclose and sell the home. You are also able to access the current sales figures for similar homes sold in the same vicinity. Similarly, when you go to finance a new or used car the bank can easily access information on the value of the vehicle as well as other information including its performance and safety ratings for cars of the same year and make. Publications and other sources to determine the value and information are published by consumer watchdog agencies or governed by strict government safety rating standards, they are not provided by the car lot that is selling the vehicle or by the vehicle maker. This information is provided to you, so you can make informed decisions about what type of automobile to purchase and its current market value.
Floor coverings are one of the most expensive purchases that people can make. It is not unusual for consumers to spend thousands of dollars when carpeting their home. What information is available regarding your flooring purchases? The dealers, manufacturers, and chemical companies involved in the making of those products have put out all the information available to you regarding the facts about carpet or floor coverings! You have to rely on the knowledge of sales people and their being honest and truthful about the products they sell. Where do you suppose the salespeople get most of their product knowledge and information? Directly from manufacturers of flooring products. These are questions that you need to have solid answers to before you buy flooring.
- Where can I find accurate information to learn how to select the right flooring for my needs?
- Where can I learn the facts about carpet and padding?
- How will I know if I am getting a good price on carpet, pad and installation in my area?
- How would I know if my flooring has been installed correctly?
- What do I do if I am not satisfied? Who do I call? What does the warrantee cover?
How can you determine the durability of carpeting?
Carpet performance is determined by the length of time in which it is able to retain its original look and feel. There are seven factors that directly affect the performance and durability of carpet.
They are:
What type of fiber it is made from- Nylon, Polyester, Olefin or Wool is most common. Nylon is by far the most durable fiber.
Face weight- the number of ounces of fiber per square yard. The range is generally from 25 to 80, the higher the number the heavier the carpet. A heavier carpet does not always make a more durable carpet.
Fiber twist- the number of times the fibers are twisted together in a 1-inch length the higher the number the more durable the carpet.
Density- the amount of fibers per square inch, the more durable the carpet
Padding- use ½ inch thickness or less, pad density is rated in pounds. The range is from 3 to 8 pounds. 6 pound padding is the residential standard. Pad is used to provide proper carpet support and for personal comfort.
Carpet maintenance- proper vacuuming and cleaning methods used can significantly increase carpet performance and original look and feel.
Anti-stain treatment- carpets that have been treated to resist stains will allow carpets to be maintained easier and may prolong the performance and original appearance of the carpet.
The above list provides enough information to help most consumers understand the basics about carpet performance and durability. It is easy to buy a quality carpet when money is no object. The hard part for many consumers is when they are hoping to buy the most durable product available that will meet their specific needs and stay within their budget.
As I see it, there are three main problems with the flooring industry that need to be addressed. Before you buy any flooring you should consider these issues carefully.
- It is very difficult for consumers to determine if they are buying the right product for their needs.
- Consumers can not easily compare flooring prices to determine if the price charged for the materials is fair and reasonable.
There is not a simple method available for consumers to verify that they are being charged for the proper amount of material required to complete the job.
I have seen it too many times where a customer has bought the wrong carpet, the wrong padding, at an inflated price and paid for more material than they actually needed. To top it all off the carpet was poorly installed. When the flooring does not meet the expectations of the consumer they must accept the problem and live with it, or pay more money to have something else installed. Flooring businesses don’t generally refund customers’ money if the flooring is not as durable as they had hoped. There are too many factors involved to substantiate a valid claim.
In addition to a standard 1-year warrantee against manufacturing defects, many carpet manufacturers offer a wear warrantee that provides a remedy in the event that there is more than 10% wear within a 10-year period. The fact is, after 10 years a carpet may appear worn-out but it seldom loses more than 10% of its weight. For this reason I believe that this type of a wear warrantee is not worth the paper it is written on, but it is better than no warranty at all.
Styles, colors, prices and fatigue
It is often very time consuming and can be frustrating to go to a flooring dealer and wade through all the different colors, styles and samples. One must select a product that is within the confines of their budget and settle on a desirable style and color. Then you have to arrange a time to meet with the salesperson to measure the job, then discuss the job variables like the extra charge for stairs and furniture moving, and finally to agree on a total price for the job. You still have to pay a deposit, the store needs to order the materials and its usually smart to wait for the materials to arrive before scheduling the flooring to be installed.
Being completely prepared on the day the flooring has been scheduled is time consuming too. Furniture and knick-knacks or appliances have to be moved out of the way from working areas and pets and children need to be safely away from harm. Let’s not forget to mention stress. It is well known that having a stranger perform work inside your home can cause a significant amount of stress on anyone. No wonder most people only get one estimate for their flooring before they agree to buy. Right from the start, I would let every salesperson know that I planned on getting at least two estimates to make them think twice about trying to pull the wool over my head.
Having the correct measurements could save you plenty, not to mention the headaches that could be caused from under-measuring. What if there is not enough carpet to finish the job? They would have to re-order more carpet and re-schedule a time to come back and finish the job, move furniture again, pets and children, time off work and so on. You want it measured right the first time. Carpet and flooring retailers know that you will not usually get more than one estimate. They have even taken steps to insure that you don’t compare prices by placing their own private labels on their flooring samples, just to confuse you and make it more difficult for you to shop around. When consumers buy flooring without getting several estimates it allows the carpet retailers to easily get away with over-charging.
- Tell every salesperson that you will be getting several estimates, even if you are not.
- Never show or disclose details to salespeople about information contained in other estimates you’ve received.
- Tell every salesperson submitting an estimate that you want every detail itemized. You want to know what the charge is for every item. (Carpet, pad, installation, extras).
To learn more order a copy of my book before you begin shopping for flooring.
©2002-2009 Alan J. Fletcher
Want to know more? Order my books!
Additional information can be found on the authors’ web site at www.Landlordfloors.com or at www.abccarpets.com
______________________________________________________________________
Alan Fletcher Consultant to
Landlords and Apartment Owners
Independent Rental Owners (IRO's)
Property Management Companies
Real Estate Professionals
______________________________________________________________________
Alan's Preferred Carpet Dealer Directory
Check out our National list of Carpet Retailers
______________________________________________________________________
©2009 Alan J Fletcher Disclaimer
©2009 Alan J Fletcher
An
indispensable guide for every Landlord & Apartment Owner
