Ignorance is not always bliss.
When it comes to purchases, ignorance can burn in you in a few ways. To my shame, I’ve made these mistakes when shopping multiple times. Once, it was a sweater I liked. The picture looked great, I found the right size, and the price was unbeatable. When it arrived, I could hardly wear it. It was way too small, even with it’s XL size tag, it wasn’t sown together properly, and when I did finally learn where it came from, it all made sense. My ignorance wasted my money.
Another time it was with a vacuum. This company had a good amount of reviews, but was relatively small. Just like with the sweater, the price and the look had me, so I sent them my money and they sent me a vacuum. It worked. Barely. Had I known more about vacuums in general and this product in particular, I probably would not have purchased it and saved myself money. Once again, my ignorance cost me.
Do You Understand the Quality Difference?
I’ve talked to tons of homeowners and renovators (the latter are people who work with building materials all the time!) who don’t know the specifications of the vinyl plank flooring options they are considering. I know this because some have flat out told me so. I also know this because I do my homework.
Here’s an example of how this conversation goes:
Person: “Hey, I saw your ad and was wondering what’s the lowest price you can give on LVP?”
Me: “Thank you for reaching out! Are you aware of the specifications on our LVP?”
Person: “No.”
Me: “No problem, let me tell you about it. We provide a 12 mil wear layer padded LVP that’s 5mm thick and has an SPC core. It is designed for high traffic residential use and light commercial use. This normally retails at $2.60 per square foot and higher, but we provide it for just over $2/square foot.”
Person: “Oh, I saw it for $1.89 at another store. Thanks anyway.”
Me: “Do you mind me asking how thick it is and what it’s wear layer is?”
Person: “Yeah it’s the same stuff you have.”
Me: “It’s 5mm thick and has a 12 mil wear layer?”
Person: “I don’t know the exact specs, but here’s the product name, you can look for yourself.”
Once I do look up the product they’re referencing at whatever store they said it was from I find that either a) it’s laminate (not even the same product) or b) that it is thinner and has a lower wear protection.
What they are getting is a lower quality product and they’re sometimes only saving pennies.
What will suit your needs best and give you the greatest value at the lowest price?
So, Homeowner (or Rental Property Owner or Flipper or Renovator or Installer), when you see a price tag for a product, have you done your research? How does the quality compare? It’s baffling the amount of people who don’t even know what the specs are on products they are installing, yet they think they are getting a deal because they see a lower price tag.
Maybe this will better illustrate what I’m getting at. Picture yourself at a car dealership. You’re looking at 2 brand new cars. One is listed for $40,000 and another is listed for $20,000. They’re both cars, right? So you would go with the $20,000 one. Obviously, that’s foolish. As you well know you need to consider the type of vehicle it is, what features it has, what you need it for, how reliable it is etc. They may both be vehicles but they’re not going to be the same.
It’s no different with LVP (or many other products for that matter).
Not all LVP is the same. You can find plenty of info online very easily. Heck, I’ve even provided a free buyer’s guide that will help you shop for LVP! Sure, you may be saving 10, 20 even 40 cents by getting a sub $2 product, but I can almost guarantee you’re getting a floor that will best suit your space? Most vinyl flooring that is the same price as or cheaper than what we offer has half the protective layer, is thinner, may not have padding attached, and is sometimes not as durable.
No matter what you’re buying, you need to take the time to look beyond the price and consider the quality. Take the time to do some learning. It really only takes a few minutes of your time and may save you hundreds of dollars.
Whether you buy from us or somewhere else, I want you to be aware so you make a more informed buying decision. Part of why I share this is because our company’s business model provides us with a lot of savings which we pass along to customers! For example, I’m sure you’ve heard of Mint Mobile by now. Do you know why they’re able to provide such affordable wireless service? Low overhead. While their competitors have tons of expenses, they’ve kept their overhead low. It’s the same reason we are able to provide a vinyl plank flooring that is normally $2.69 to over $3 per square foot for just over $2 per square foot – our overhead is low and we pass those savings along to you.
If you have questions or need LVP, let us help you out. Call or text today to talk to someone now.
Kevin Lowe