Having nailed down the replacement windows and the hardwood floors, I started looking in to the last project, the carpet. I previously stated that we should have replaced the carpet 5 years earlier. That’s an understatement. It was well past due.
While were shopping for hardwoods, we also checked out carpet. Peggy knew “exactly” what she wanted. It’s pretty much what they are putting in all the new homes. This was confirmed by the carpet folks we spoke with. During our shopping experiences, I also started probing on installation costs. The biggest shock is that on stairs, installers charge $2.50 per spindle and $3.00 to wrap the edge. One flight has 4 spindles per stair, and all the stairs are open-edged and need wrapped on both sides. Ouch!
I knew that some folks had a contact that could buy the carpet at contractor prices, and didn’t add much profit to the materials. Instead they made their money on the install, and in the end it’s a good deal. The problem is that after looking around, I learned many of these folks are now doing something different. Result of the economic downturn, I guess.
Fortunately I found two folks I could work with. The first wanted me to pick out the carpet from Joe’s/Weber Carpet and he’d get the discount and do the install. But he couldn’t come by for two weeks. My good friend and former co-worker Tammy Faye recommended Carpet Direct, and gave me the name and number of the regional manager. I reached out to him, and he put me in contact with the local rep, Susan Conway.
Prior to Susan coming out to measure, I emailed her some photos of what Peggy had picked out. She showed up a few days later with some samples, and measured the two halls and the stairs. What was really nice is that she had four or five samples to look at, increasing in quality. I quickly learned that I did not want the cheapest one I was considering, and I didn’t necessarily need the high grade. I picked one in the middle that seemed to be the best value.
A few days later she provided a quote. At less than $2,000 for the carpet and install, it was about $700 less than I estimated from my conversations with NFM and Joe’s. With this difference, I can’t imagine why anyone would buy from a retail store instead of Carpet Direct. I mailed her a check for the carpet, and she asked that I pay the installer directly.
About the time the windows were being installed, I heard from Susan that the carpet was in. We agreed on the following Monday for the install. This was after the hardwoods were done. I didn’t want the hardwood process messing up the new carpet.
Gustavo showed up on Monday morning with two guys. Like the hardwood crew, they wasted no time getting to it. Not sure I have ever seen three guys work harder, and like the hardwood and window crews, I felt like they took great pride in their work. It was if they were installing them in their own home, and were particular about how it looked. They knocked it out in one day, and again, like the other two crews, did an excellent job on the clean-up. After they left I looked around at all the changes, and wasn’t quite sure who’s home I was in. Man, it looked nice.
So if you are looking for new carpet, do yourself a favor and start with Carpet Direct. In the Overland Park area, you can reach Susan Conway at (913) 706-8008 or stagerightkc@gmail.com.
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