Questions to Ask Your Flooring Contractor
When it comes to your floors, the question a lot of times seems to be: To DIY or Not to DIY. While DIY projects can save you money, they can also lead to potential nightmares from not being skilled in the areas needed to complete the project in a professional manner and potentially cost you more time and money than you originally planned for. As for hiring a contractor, it will cost more than a DIY approach, but having a trained professional do the work can better guarantee a job well done. Also, using a professional can give you more time for yourself and peace of mind—priceless commodities with today’s busy schedules. Before you hire a flooring contractor, here are some things to consider so that you can hire with confidence.
Training and Certification
Make sure your contractor is well trained, up-to-date on their industry knowledge and certified by important organizations within their field. A good professional contractor will be active in continuing education and will be able to share with you their technical and educational background. If you are looking for a hardwood floor contractor, check to see if they are a member of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) and if they are a Certified Bona Craftsman. You can look for these logos on their website:
Licenses and Insurances
Save yourself headaches down the road and make sure the person/company you hire can legally do the job. As you check out the credentials of potential contractors, make sure they’re licensed by your state to do the work. You’ll also want to make sure they have contractor’s insurance to cover any accidents at the worksite.
Portfolios and References
Be sure to look at a contractor’s portfolio of work to see if it’s what you expect. Also, check to see if any references/reviews are available so you can get a better sense of how well customers are treated.
Project Specific Questions
Be sure to ask questions about the specific project, such as:
- How soon can they begin the project?
- How long it will take?
- How much will it cost?
- What prep work is needed from your end (moving furniture, appliances, etc.)?
- What to expect during the job (Dust, Fumes, etc.)?
- How waste materials are handled/disposed?
- Will your contractor be using subcontractors?
Getting any and all questions out in the beginning will give you better peace of mind. No question is too trivial, and the flooring contractor should be more than happy to make sure you know exactly what to expect.
Continued Care
After the initial job is done, will the contractor do anything to help keep the integrity of their work in place? Many contractors have warranties on their work and offer other future services to help maintain your floors such as maintenance coats to extend the life of your floor. Contractors should also help answer any maintenance questions you may have or recommend products and procedures to keep your floors looking great.
At Mansion Hill Custom Floors, we are members of the NWFA and are Bona Certified Craftsman. We are also members of the Better Business Bureau and are also certified to conduct Continuing Education Trainings by the NWFA. We have over 50 years of combined experience and hire only the best professionals that meet our extremely high standards. If you’d like to see what some of our customers say about us, click here to see our latest reviews. If you’d like to see our portfolio of work, click here.
For more tips on hiring flooring professionals follow these links:
https://us.bona.com/articles/How-to-Hire-a-Flooring-Contractor.html
https://www.woodfloors.org/find-a-professional.aspx