Question 1

What carpet holds up best in a busy St. Louis house?

Accepted Answer

Solution-dyed polyester and nylon in a tight twist or a low loop take the most abuse - kids, dogs, and the grit that comes in off the driveway all winter. Softer plush and frieze read better in bedrooms where traffic is light. We carry Tarkett and Mannington lines in both, and Erik will point you toward the construction that matches how each room actually gets used.

Question 2

What does carpet cost installed in the Greater St. Louis market?

Accepted Answer

Most of our carpet jobs land between $2.75 and $7.50 per square foot installed, and that number covers the carpet, the pad, tear-out of the old floor, and the labor. Bedroom-grade polyester sits near the bottom of that range and a heavy nylon with an upgraded pad sits near the top. Erik puts the whole figure in writing so you are not chasing add-ons later.

Question 3

Is upgrading the pad actually worth it?

Accepted Answer

In most homes, yes. The pad carries the wear, not the fiber - a thin builder pad lets the carpet backing flex until the pile mats down in the walkways. An 8-pound rebond in a 7/16 or 1/2 inch thickness costs a little more up front and adds years of life. In finished basements we usually spec a moisture-resistant pad instead of a standard one.

Question 4

Can carpet go in a finished basement?

Accepted Answer

It can, and plenty of Greater St. Louis basements have it. The question is how the slab behaves. We tape a plastic square to the concrete for a day or two and check for condensation before quoting it. If the slab reads damp, or the space has taken water before, we will say so and steer you toward LVP rather than sell carpet that will smell in two summers.

Question 5

How long does a carpet installation take?

Accepted Answer

Most whole-floor jobs run a single day. A three-bedroom upstairs is usually done between morning and mid-afternoon, including hauling the old carpet out. Stairs add time, because every tread gets cut and wrapped individually. Dale schedules the crew so the rooms you need back first go in first, and you can walk on the carpet as soon as it is stretched and trimmed.

Question 6

Do you move the furniture?

Accepted Answer

The crew moves ordinary furniture - beds, dressers, couches, tables - and puts it back before they leave. We ask you to handle electronics, anything breakable, and the contents of closets, since we would rather not be the ones packing your dishes. Pianos, safes, waterbeds and aquariums need to be dealt with ahead of time, and Erik flags those during the estimate.

Question 7

What happens to my old carpet and pad?

Accepted Answer

We cut it out, roll it, and haul it off the same day. That is part of the price on your quote, not a line item that turns up later. Tack strip gets pulled and replaced wherever it is rusted or split, and the subfloor gets swept and checked for popped nails and soft spots before any new pad goes down.

Question 8

Can you re-stretch carpet that is already wrinkling?

Accepted Answer

Often, yes. Ripples usually mean the carpet was power-stretched poorly or not at all when it went in, and a proper re-stretch can pull it flat again and hold. If the backing has delaminated or the seams have separated, stretching will not fix it. We will look at the floor and tell you honestly which of the two you have before you spend money.

Question 9

How do you decide where the seams go?

Accepted Answer

We plan them before anything gets cut. Seams get placed to run with the light from your main windows and away from the doorways you cross most, because a seam you never walk on is a seam you never notice. Rooms wider than the roll get a seam by necessity, and Erik marks where it will fall on the measurement sheet so there are no surprises.

Question 10

Which carpet stands up to pets?

Accepted Answer

Solution-dyed polyester is the workhorse. The color runs through the fiber, so pet stains and the cleaners that remove them will not bleach it out. Pair it with a moisture-barrier pad so accidents stay on top instead of soaking into the subfloor. A low loop or a tight twist pile also gives claws far less to snag than a long, loose shag does.

Question 11

How often does carpet need professional cleaning?

Accepted Answer

Plan on every 12 to 18 months, and check your product warranty. Most manufacturers require documented hot-water extraction on a set schedule to keep coverage in force, so hold onto the receipt. Between cleanings, vacuuming the traffic lanes twice a week does more for the life of the carpet than anything else, because it lifts out the grit that cuts the fiber.

Question 12

What do I do about road salt tracked in over the winter?

Accepted Answer

Salt and cinders are the hardest thing on Greater St. Louis carpet from December through March. Put a coarse mat outside and an absorbent one inside every door, and vacuum the entry lanes more often through the winter. Salt haze that has already dried in comes up with a mix of white vinegar and water, blotted rather than scrubbed, then rinsed with plain water and blotted dry.

Question 13

Do you carpet stairs?

Accepted Answer

We do, and stairs are where installation skill shows. Waterfall and cap-and-band both work, and cap-and-band wraps the nose of each tread for a more finished look on an open staircase. Stair labor runs $60 to $150 per tread depending on the method, whether the stringers are open, and how much old material has to come off first.

Question 14

What carpet brands do you carry?

Accepted Answer

For carpet Veteran Flooring works with Tarkett, Mannington, Casabella and NextFloor, which covers everything from rental-grade loop to soft, heavy residential plush. We are small enough that we are not stuck moving one mill's overstock. Erik matches the product to the room and the budget, and he can price the same style across two mills so you can see the difference for yourself.

Question 15

Can I see samples in my own house before I decide?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and we recommend it. Carpet color shifts under LED bulbs, under north light, and against whatever is already on your walls. Come by the showroom at 149 Weldon Pkwy on a weekday between 8 and 5 to narrow the field, then take samples home and look at them at night as well as in the morning before you commit to anything.

Question 16

What kind of warranty comes with the installation?

Accepted Answer

Two separate things cover your floor. Our workmanship carries a one-year labor warranty, so if a seam opens or the stretch relaxes in that first year we come back and fix it. The carpet itself carries the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product and covers wear, texture retention and stains. Erik hands you the paperwork for both when the job is finished.

Question 17

Do you offer any discounts?

Accepted Answer

We have a veteran discount and a first-responder discount. Veteran Flooring is a Marine-owned shop and an SBA-verified Veteran-Owned Small Business, so this one matters to us. Mention it when you call to schedule at (314) 897-4383 rather than after the quote is written, and note that these cannot be combined with other offers running at the time.

Question 18

How soon can I get a quote?

Accepted Answer

Call (314) 897-4383 or send the form on this site and Erik will come measure and have a written estimate back to you within one business day. The estimate is free, it covers material, pad, tear-out and labor in one number, and nobody follows up with pressure afterward. If the timing turns out to be wrong for you, the quote is still yours to keep.

Question 19

Should I go with solid or engineered hardwood?

Accepted Answer

It usually comes down to what is under the floor. Over a wood subfloor on grade or above, solid oak is a fine choice and can be sanded several times over its life. Over a slab, or anywhere below grade, engineered is the safer build, because its cross-layered core moves less when Greater St. Louis humidity swings from January to July. We check the subfloor before recommending either one.

Question 20

What does hardwood cost installed here?

Accepted Answer

Engineered hardwood generally runs $8 to $14 per square foot installed and solid runs $9 to $16, with the spread driven by species, plank width, and how much subfloor prep the house needs. Wide-plank white oak sits at the top and a narrower strip in a standard grade sits near the bottom. Refinishing what you already have runs $3.50 to $6 when the wood is worth saving.

Question 21

I pulled up carpet and found old oak. Is it worth refinishing?

Accepted Answer

Very often it is, and it is the best value in flooring. Century-old brick homes in the city and mid-county ranches from the 1950s through the 1970s frequently have red or white oak strip hiding under the carpet. Dale will check how much wood is left above the tongue and look at the tack strip damage along the walls, then tell you straight whether it sands or gets replaced.

Question 22

How messy is the sanding?

Accepted Answer

Much less than people expect. We run dust-contained sanding equipment, seal off the rooms we are not working in, and keep that containment up through the entire cut. You will still want to wipe down horizontal surfaces afterward, but you are not going to find a gray film on every shelf in the house. Dale is on site for refinishing work from start to finish.

Question 23

Can you match the stain on the floors in the rest of my house?

Accepted Answer

That is the part we are most particular about. We mix and test stain samples on your own floor, in your own light, instead of handing you a chip off a rack. The same stain reads differently on red oak than on white oak, and differently again on a hundred-year-old board. You pick from the samples on your floor before we commit to the full coat.

Question 24

How long does a refinishing job take?

Accepted Answer

Figure four to seven days for a typical main floor, though the finish drives it. Sanding takes a day or two, then stain, then coats of finish with dry time in between. Oil-based finishes need longer to cure than waterborne ones. You can usually walk in socks after a day or so, but keep rugs and heavy furniture off for a couple of weeks.

Question 25

What wood species do you install?

Accepted Answer

Red and white oak are the backbone here. They match what is already in most St. Louis housing stock and they take stain predictably. We also install hickory for its hardness and grain movement, maple for a cleaner modern look, and walnut when somebody wants depth and darkness without leaning on stain. Hallmark Floors and Neptune Floors give us good range across all of them.

Question 26

Are you certified for hardwood work?

Accepted Answer

Veteran Flooring is NWFA certified, which is the National Wood Flooring Association standard for installation and sanding practice, and we are bonded and insured and a BBB member. The team carries more than 80 years of combined experience. Certification matters most on hardwood, because a rushed acclimation or a bad sanding job cannot be corrected later with a touch-up the way other mistakes can.

Question 27

Does the wood have to sit before you install it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and skipping it is why floors gap. We deliver the material and let it acclimate in the room where it will live, with the HVAC running at normal conditions, until its moisture content is within range of the subfloor. In a Missouri summer that takes longer than in a dry February, so we meter both the wood and the subfloor rather than going by the calendar.

Question 28

Why do my floors gap in winter and tighten up in summer?

Accepted Answer

Wood gives up moisture in a dry, heated house and takes it back in a humid one, so the boards shrink in January and swell in July. Thin seasonal gaps in solid hardwood are normal in this climate and are not a defect. Running a humidifier through the winter and keeping the house somewhere between 35 and 55 percent relative humidity keeps that movement small.

Question 29

How do I clean hardwood without ruining the finish?

Accepted Answer

Sweep or vacuum with the beater bar switched off, then damp mop with a cleaner made for wood floors. Never a wet mop, never vinegar, never a steam mop. Standing water works into the seams and lifts the finish. Wipe spills right away, and keep a mat at every door through the winter, because road salt is abrasive and will dull a finish fast.

Question 30

Can hardwood go in a kitchen?

Accepted Answer

It goes in kitchens all the time and holds up fine as long as spills get wiped and there is a mat at the sink. What we do not recommend is hardwood in a full bath, a laundry room, or below grade, where standing water and slab moisture are a question of when and not if. For those rooms we would rather sell you tile or LVP.

Question 31

What about squeaks and soft spots in the subfloor?

Accepted Answer

We find out where they come from before covering them up. Squeaks are usually subfloor movement against a joist or a fastener that has worked loose, and they get screwed down from above while the floor is open. Soft spots can mean water damage or failed subfloor, which gets cut out and replaced. Dealing with it later means pulling your new floor back apart.

Question 32

What is covered if something goes wrong with my hardwood?

Accepted Answer

Our labor carries a one-year warranty, which covers the installation and the sand and finish work itself. The flooring product carries its own manufacturer warranty against defects and finish wear, on terms set by the mill. Normal seasonal movement is not a defect under either one. Call (314) 897-4383 if something does not look right and Dale will come out and look at it.

Question 33

What is the difference between LVP, LVT and sheet vinyl?

Accepted Answer

Luxury vinyl plank comes in board-shaped pieces that imitate wood, luxury vinyl tile comes in squares that imitate stone or ceramic, and sheet vinyl arrives in a continuous roll with almost no seams. All three are waterproof through the body of the material. Plank is the most requested for main living areas, and sheet still makes good sense in a laundry room or a rental.

Question 34

What does LVP cost installed?

Accepted Answer

Most LVP jobs run $5 to $10 per square foot installed. The number moves with wear layer thickness, whether the plank is rigid core or flexible, and how much floor prep the room needs. A basement slab that has to be ground and patched costs more to prepare than a flat upstairs subfloor. Erik measures and gets you one written number within a business day.

Question 35

Is LVP actually waterproof?

Accepted Answer

The plank itself is. You can leave water standing on it and it will not swell the way laminate does. What is not waterproof is everything under and around it. If a supply line lets go, water travels through the seams and sits on the subfloor, so a leak still has to be dried out properly. In basements we always look hard at the slab first.

Question 36

Is LVP a good basement floor?

Accepted Answer

It is the floor we recommend most for Greater St. Louis basements. Rigid core LVP tolerates the temperature and humidity swing of an unconditioned basement far better than laminate or engineered wood, and it does not hold odor if the space takes a little water. We still test the slab for moisture and check that the floor drains and the grading outside are doing their job.

Question 37

What is a wear layer, and how thick should mine be?

Accepted Answer

The wear layer is the clear film over the printed surface, measured in mils, and it decides how long the floor keeps looking new. Twelve mil is fine for a guest room. Twenty mil is what we put in kitchens, entries, and any house with dogs. It is the one spec worth spending money on, since the picture underneath looks the same either way.

Question 38

Can you put LVP over my existing floor?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes. Over well-bonded sheet vinyl or ceramic tile that is flat and solid, a floating rigid core plank can go right over the top, though it raises the floor height and door clearances have to be checked. Over cushioned vinyl, floating tile, or anything with hollow spots, the old floor comes out. We check flatness with a straightedge before deciding either way.

Question 39

Does the slab need to be flat?

Accepted Answer

Flatter than most people expect. Manufacturers generally want it within about 3/16 of an inch over ten feet, and a poured basement slab in an older home is rarely that flat as it sits. Low spots get filled with a self-leveling compound and high spots get ground down. Skipping that step is what makes plank click apart and flex underfoot a year later.

Question 40

Is vinyl loud or cold underfoot?

Accepted Answer

Rigid core plank over a slab does feel cooler and sound harder than carpet, and that is physics rather than a defect. An attached pad or a thin underlayment softens both, and it makes a real difference in a basement rec room. In an upstairs room over a bedroom, that underlayment is also what keeps footsteps from carrying through the ceiling below.

Question 41

How does vinyl handle pets?

Accepted Answer

Well, which is why so many customers with dogs land on it. It does not absorb accidents, claws do not gouge a 20 mil wear layer the way they mark softer finishes, and the whole floor cleans up with a damp mop. Trim nails anyway, since dew claws will scuff any surface eventually, and put a mat under the water bowl to catch the splash.

Question 42

How do I clean LVP?

Accepted Answer

Sweep or vacuum, then damp mop with a neutral pH cleaner. Skip wax, skip oil soaps, and skip anything that promises shine, because those leave a film that dulls and streaks. Felt pads under chair legs and a mat at the door keep grit off the wear layer, and grit is what actually wears these floors down over the years, not foot traffic itself.

Question 43

How long does the installation take?

Accepted Answer

A typical main floor goes in over one to two days once the prep is done. Prep is the variable. If a basement slab needs leveling, that adds a day plus cure time before anything can be laid over it. Erik tells you which of those you are looking at when he measures, so the schedule you get from us is the real one.

Question 44

Will LVP fade in a sunroom?

Accepted Answer

Direct sun through a lot of glass will lighten some products over years, and it also heats a floating floor enough to make it expand. In a true sunroom or against a wall of south-facing windows, we spec a glue-down installation and a product rated for it, and we leave proper expansion space at the perimeter. Blinds during the hottest part of the day help.

Question 45

Can I use a steam mop on it?

Accepted Answer

No. Steam forces heat and moisture into the seams and can soften the adhesive or the locking edges, and most manufacturers void the warranty over it. A damp microfiber mop cleans just as well. This is the single most common way we see a perfectly good vinyl floor ruined a few years after it went in, and the damage is not repairable.

Question 46

What vinyl brands do you carry?

Accepted Answer

Veteran Flooring carries vinyl from Paramount Flooring, Mannington, Tarkett, Casabella and NextFloor. That covers builder-grade plank up through 20 mil rigid core with an attached pad, plus sheet goods. Come by the showroom at 149 Weldon Pkwy weekdays from 8 to 5 and you can set samples from several of them side by side instead of judging one mill's board alone.

Question 47

Can vinyl go on stairs?

Accepted Answer

It can, with matching stair nose pieces cut and glued for each tread. That is slower and more exacting than laying a flat floor, which is why stairs price separately at $60 to $150 per tread. A plank stair also has to be fully adhered and never floated. Done properly it reads as continuous with the floor it runs down to.

Question 48

What is the warranty on vinyl?

Accepted Answer

Our installation labor is covered for one year. The plank itself carries the manufacturer's warranty, which typically covers wear-through of the surface layer and manufacturing defects, on terms that differ between residential and commercial use. Erik goes over the specific coverage for the product you pick, and you get the actual paperwork rather than a verbal promise from a salesperson.

Question 49

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Call (314) 897-4383 or fill out the form and Erik comes out, measures, checks the subfloor, and gets a written estimate back to you within one business day. There is no charge for that and no follow-up pressure. If you would rather start with samples, the showroom on Weldon Pkwy in Maryland Heights is open weekday mornings and afternoons.

Question 50

Where does laminate still make sense?

Accepted Answer

Laminate earns its place in bedrooms, hallways, home offices and rentals - anywhere you want a hard surface that shrugs off chair casters and dog claws without paying hardwood prices. Its wear surface is genuinely tough, tougher than a lot of vinyl at the same price. Where it gives ground is standing water, which is why we route kitchens and basements toward LVP instead.

Question 51

What does laminate cost installed?

Accepted Answer

Laminate generally runs $4 to $8 per square foot installed in this market, which puts it between carpet and LVP. The spread comes from thickness, the AC wear rating, whether it has an attached pad, and how much subfloor prep the room needs. Erik writes the estimate as one number covering material, underlayment, tear-out and labor, so nothing gets added on afterward.

Question 52

What is the difference between laminate and LVP?

Accepted Answer

Laminate has a fiberboard core with a printed layer and a hard melamine wear surface. LVP is plastic the whole way through. Laminate usually resists scratching a little better and often feels closer to real wood underfoot, and LVP wins outright on water. In a house with kids and a busy kitchen we lean LVP, and in dry bedrooms laminate is the better value.

Question 53

Is water-resistant laminate good enough for a kitchen?

Accepted Answer

Water-resistant is not waterproof. The newer products seal the plank edges and will survive a spill you wipe up within a few minutes, and that is real progress. A dishwasher that leaks overnight is a different problem, because the core swells at the seams and those planks have to come out. If the kitchen is the room in question, we would rather sell you vinyl.

Question 54

Can laminate go in a basement?

Accepted Answer

We generally advise against it in Greater St. Louis basements. Slab moisture and summer humidity work on a fiberboard core even when nothing ever spills, and a lot of the basements we see down here have taken water at least once. Rigid core LVP costs a little more and removes the risk entirely. If your basement is dry and conditioned, we will talk it through honestly.

Question 55

What does the AC rating mean?

Accepted Answer

AC is an abrasion rating from AC1 through AC5 that tells you how much traffic the surface is built to take. AC3 covers ordinary residential rooms. AC4 is what we recommend for entries, hallways, and anywhere a dog runs. AC5 is commercial grade and overkill in most houses. It is a far more useful number than plank thickness when you are comparing products.

Question 56

Does laminate need an underlayment?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there always has to be something between the plank and the subfloor. Some products come with a pad already attached, and adding a second one voids the warranty and makes the floor feel spongy. Over a slab, a vapor barrier is not optional. The right underlayment also cuts the hollow sound that gives cheap laminate away the moment you walk across it.

Question 57

Why does laminate need a gap around the edges?

Accepted Answer

The floor floats, so it expands and contracts as one piece with the seasons, and in Missouri that swing is real. We leave an expansion gap at every wall and every fixed object, then cover it with base or quarter round. Pinning the floor down with a heavy cabinet or a tight threshold is what makes planks peak and buckle in August.

Question 58

How long does it take to install?

Accepted Answer

Most laminate floors go down in a day or two. It clicks together and floats, so there is no adhesive cure time and nothing to wait on before walking on it. What sets the schedule is prep and transitions - leveling the subfloor, undercutting door casings, and fitting thresholds where laminate meets tile or carpet. The material also sits in the house a couple of days first.

Question 59

How do I clean it?

Accepted Answer

Sweep or vacuum, then damp mop with a laminate cleaner sprayed onto the mop rather than poured on the floor. No steam mops, no wet mops, no wax. Water that sits in the seams swells the core from the inside, and that damage cannot be repaired - the planks have to be replaced. Wipe spills as they happen and the floor will last a long time.

Question 60

Can laminate be refinished if it gets scratched?

Accepted Answer

No. The surface is a printed layer under melamine, not real wood, so there is nothing to sand back. Deep scratches get filled with color-matched putty, or the plank gets swapped out. That is a good reason to keep a box of leftovers from your job in the basement, since dye lots change and matching a discontinued run years later is difficult.

Question 61

Will it fade near windows?

Accepted Answer

Modern laminate holds color well and generally fades less than a stained hardwood would in the same spot. Heavy direct sun over years can still lighten the print, especially on darker colors, and it can heat a floating floor enough to matter. Blinds or a UV film on a big south or west facing window take care of both problems at once.

Question 62

Can you do laminate on stairs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with matching stair nose and riser pieces. Stairs are fully adhered and mechanically fastened rather than floated, and every tread is cut individually, so the labor prices separately at $60 to $150 per tread. Open stringers and winder treads take longer than a straight closed run. Erik counts the treads and puts that number in the written estimate.

Question 63

What is covered if a plank fails?

Accepted Answer

Veteran Flooring warrants its labor for one year, which covers the installation itself - transitions, expansion gaps and seams. The plank carries the manufacturer's warranty against wear-through and delamination, and most of those exclude water damage and improper cleaning, which is why we are firm about steam mops. Dale keeps the product paperwork with the job file so we can pull it if you need it.

Question 64

Porcelain or ceramic?

Accepted Answer

Porcelain is fired denser and absorbs less water, which makes it the better pick for bathrooms, mudrooms, entries, and anything below grade. Ceramic costs a little less and cuts more easily, and it is fine on a wall or in a low-traffic room. For a St. Louis entry that catches winter slush and road salt, we specify porcelain nearly every time.

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