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heather_luisi

Flooring Disaster! Help! please

3 years ago

So I had 5 different floors in my house and decided to simplify and go down to two. I was keeping my kitchen/den faux wood tile because it was fairly new. And I purchased a engineered hard wood for the other half of my home (foyer, living room, dining room, hallways and bedrooms. I received the flooring today and it’s very different from the wood I selected. What I picked had lots of grey in it so it would match my faux wood floor on the other side of the house. I even brought samples of the wood home to lay it next to the tile to be sure. What I received is much more brown. It was special order so I doubt I can return it. Can I make it work? Is there anything I can do to ease the transition and make it look intentional?

Attached images show the color of the sample wood (grey) compared to what I received (brown). And also a picture of my kitchen with the faux wood tile.

Comments (31)

  • 3 years ago

    You should at least try to get this fixed by whomever you bought this from...not acceptable!

  • 3 years ago

    The last photo is the samples in my house. The one closest to my feet is the one I selected. I thought it was a close enough match to even run the floors the same direction. Do you really think the manufacture will take it back if it’s special order?

  • 3 years ago

    You received the wrong flooring. This is not about returning something that didn't work for you. Return the floor to the store and show them picture of what you actually ordered. ITs their mistake and will fix it.

  • 3 years ago

    They sent you the wrong stuff. Whether it is a custom order or not, you did not get what you paid for and what you ordered.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Where did you purchase? Any reputable dealer would see the photos and order a replacement. If you can ID the intended/actual model numbers that should be all you need.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Your receipt from the source shows a style number. The boxes have a style number. Go back to where you purchased, and I will hope that was not online, but local to you.

    Tip for anyone who stumbles on this thread: I will call it......"how not to floor yourself into a corner"

    The decision to use a wood look tile in a home, and where to use it if at all, requires this question to be asked. ................

    Am I prepared to use it everywhere? Why do I say that? Because marrying an engineered wood, or a sand on site species to a faux WOOD tile is never a great idea, or a great look. Notice I did NOT say you can't marry wood to tile! You certainly can. But the faux wood tile is a completely different animal. It is most successfully used in humid/wet/ southern climes, where it is selected for an ENTIRE living floor .

    If you are not in this type of clime? You still want tile somewhere ( particularly a kitchen ) but not everywhere? Select anything but a faux WOOD.

    Someone will yell and scream at this advice. Go ahead. : )

    The fact is, it is good advice. Make that VERY good. "Apologies" in advance.

    Just do not paint yourself into a "close!.....but no stogie !!" match /mismatch situation. Your eyes will never be fooled.

  • 3 years ago

    If someone didn't triple check the numbers and the style numbers/color are wrong on your order than a reputable dealer will make an exchange for you with a probable restocking fee. Call them, here you get opinions but no facts as to your specific company and situation.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Restocking fees apply to YOUR mistake. Not a mistake in packing and shipping the correct product. .

  • 3 years ago

    The flooring appears to be correct. It matches the sample board label. Is there any way the sample board and actual flooring could vary this drastically?

  • 3 years ago

    As for not using faux wood tile, I wish I could go back and undo that decision. However I can’t... But let’s say I can swap the engineered wood to something of the same tone. Is there any way to marry them nicely? Or a transition that would help let the eye know it’s not intended to be the same floor? Does anyone have any design recommendations?

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Yes........... It could vary that drastically. Have you unboxed ALL ? Or it has been sitting within it's boxes, acclimating for a few days in your home?.

    Might be worth a check of all the boxes for how wide the variations are. You will have a hard time returning unless you pay a ( usually 25 % ) re stock. Let alone the delivery back to wherever you purchased , and HOPE that is local to you. A big box such as Home Depot? Other? Does it say anything about "expect variations from sample" on the back of that sample board?

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    IMO, best way to marry is to go for more contrast rather than having a close clashing match. Too bad you have 3 surfaces at one corner. That oak is gonna be tough

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Supplier messed up their labeling. You have the proof in your hands. i don't see where they can claim otherwise.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @ Perfect Edge

    The OAK and carpet are BOTH being eliminated.

    If the source is local and reputable ? Get them to your home and show the floor. It is entirely possible boxes were incorrectly slapped with a label. But a deep dig of all boxes may be necessary.

  • 3 years ago

    What do you mean by 3 surfaces? There is only 2 floors? The wood between the rooms is a temp wall/wood protection piece to keep the edge of the tile safe before they lay the floor.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Gotcha, missed that

  • 3 years ago

    If I do get the floor I actually ordered, which is close in color and tone of the tile. Do you have any recommendations for the point where they meet? It only meets at the one side of my foyer and Den. No other points will touch. One thought was to make the foyer floor in herringbone pattern so all the break off rooms have a straight pattern and it will camouflage it more.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    You certainly could try. Have the installer lay some boards out.....see if you like it.

    Lesson learned on faux wood tile: )

    Hope others see it.

    One more thing: Don't scream.

    Some things are "forever". Some are not. Gray seemed nearly forever, in every possible way from walls to floors to upholstery to the pictures on the wall. Part of a two decade trend.

    Ask yourself how LONG you plan to be in the house. The GRAY in engineered product? I won't lie. Fading fast as one huge fad. Fading faster than the speed of light. Do you want to go further trapped into a design corner? Maybe not.

    If you're staying? I'd actually be looking at a medium deep, brown toned engineered product for everywhere on that floor. Kids ..dogs... ? I'd really not obsess. A good engineered product can be refinished. Often two times!

    I might consider a re select to something else entirely, buy enough to do the kitchen AND DEN.......at some future point.

    Kids , dogs..... say what you want, but in these cases of potential " can't help it" potential floor abuse? LVP everywhere can be a really great solution. There are some fabulous selections.

    In short? The different tone might become a gift - depending a long term plan. Think long and hard before you attempt the "match"

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Agreed on the darker brown, it's already hidden in the faux wood.


    And FYI herringbone/chevron/alternative pattern is tricky to lay, requires good floor prep and consistent pieces that will lock in those orientations. Labor cost can be double, more material waste also. If you go that way make sure you trust the installer is detail oriented. Pro tip- specify in writing what your expectations are for grout line discrepancy and lippage. Final quality in tile seems to be very subjective.


    One last idea, full time designers will cringe with 90's thowback, but I just saw a place with planks laid on the diagonal, and a perimeter border and it was stunning, perhaps just the novelty of not seeing that anywhere around here. Another option if you want to create some contast. I want to do one now.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @Perfect Edge........

    The OP IS NOT TILING!!! Is not grouting! Where does grout apply in an engineered hardwood?

    It's an engineered floor meeting a two year old faux wood tile floor in a kitchen and den. Jeeesh: )

  • 3 years ago


    @JAN MOYER I agree about the grey going away. Maybe the new floor is a blessing. I would just need to convince my husband that busting up fairly new tile is smart. lol See picture above. This is the engineered wood over the tile in my kitchen. I actually prefer the look of the engineered plank.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Absolutely agree!

    Tell him the gods from heaven have intervened. EVEN if he says no, now? Convince him to BUY the quantity necessary for a future install. Store it!

    You do not want to revisit this problem again. Any of these ( engineered ) can go discontinued, with no warning. Then? WAH, and more wah,. Buy it now.

    Even investigate going a bit deeper if this all turns out to be their huge labeling mistake.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Wow, even after realizing I initially missed the scope, I still misspoke about irrelevant tile details. Sorry for the confusion. Point is, hire a perfectionist for special layouts.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    ..........It's early : )

  • 3 years ago

    @JAN MOYER Great advice! Thank you! No the biggest problem I have is a husband:)

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Medium gets you the lovely warmth.....without fad, without seeing every crumb. As to hubby??

    "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."

    Hon.....you're IN the hole : )



  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    ONE more very important thing!

    Your existing tile in the kitchen is a bare 1/4 inch thick porcelain product.. Your new engineered? Probably 3/4" or 9/16. ?

    You do not want to be stuck with a dishwasher impossible &^^%$ to be pulled out for repair or replacement. Nor a range sitting above the counter tops.

    While you are battling this out? Go look at QUALITY LVP. Luxury vinyl plank.

    Impervious to dogs, kids. Thinner and a better level with any future tile removal/no dw issue.

    This is one of THE fastest growing materials in flooring, for all the reasons I just stated. Six foot by 7" planks look great on install. Five feet? Fine! Same thing. But I WOULD investigate, and get that floor pro in there.

  • 3 years ago

    The floor is 5/8 thickness. You think this would be a problem in the kitchen? 😬 I’m not sure if the manufacturer will let me do a complete return. Was hoping to just order more and bring into the kitchen and den.

  • 3 years ago

    @JAN MOYER I forgot to @ you to the comment above. Do you think the thickness will be an issue?

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Not a thickness problem I'd guess. Find out first...... your options for more. What a re stock would be..

    Honestly? I'd like to see you do this very locally. NOT Online. Unless you tell me you are in some long forgotten woods of nowhereville.

  • 3 years ago

    Very common for sample boards not to match the current dye lots being shipped out. A sample board could be months or years old. Before ordering the whole quantity, you should have ordered one box of the current dye lot for color approval, while having the supplier hold the needed quantity for your job, which would be released as soon as you approve the color.