Installing hardwood floors - help!

[otowngirl]

So MH and I have decided to install hardwood floors in our condo. At this point, we'll just be doing our living room and bedroom, so we're looking at ~500 sq ft total.

We've scoped out a few places and I think we've decided on a particular stain and engineered hardwood, but I'm open to any suggestions in that regard.

So, now what do I do? Lol. We're certainly not the DIY type. Should I set about finding a good contractor? Is it better to higher one directly from the store? What about budget? I figure this will cost a few thousand including everything...does that sound about right?

I appreciate any input/advice!

[kaylie]

I would contact a few local hardwood floor suppliers/installers and get quotes to start. Try Angie's List. I would stay away from big box stores and lumber liquidators type places.

If you're definitely going with engineered, make sure you get a high quality one. The lower end ones tend to have very negative reviews and don't hold up well.

The budget will depend on quality and how much work you need the installers to do. Installation typically starts at $2.50 per square foot, add a dollar if you need them to remove the floor that is currently in place, add more money if the subfloor needs repair -- the price could easily double once you factor in installation.

[minniebee]

Ditto the comment about Home Depot. I wouldn't recommend them. We had them come out to measure for engineered hardwood installation at my condo, and it was a nightmare. They told us that we needed some kind of extra subfloor prep that was going to cost an extra $800. It didn't sound right, so we also got quotes from 3 other flooring installers. Home Depot was the only one who said anything about the extra sub floor prep. We even asked the other installers about it, and they all basically said "what? Home Depot doesn't know what they're talking about." More than one person told us that HD doesn't pay installers very well, so they don't get the most qualified workers, they get new people who don't have much experience.