Real Estate Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2016 · 77 posts · 18 votes
All - i am rehabbing a 3-flat and would like to find out what stores are 'open' for shopping for materials like tile, flooring, etc. I do not want to shop places like Home Depot - I have had enough terrible experiences with them! They are an option of last resort. I am finding some places you can only shop their showrooms "online" but I need to get in there and see, feel and shop the actual inventory!
With the pandemic and now the protests, I am finding it hard to find open showrooms.
Where are you guys finding open showrooms?
Are any of you traveling out of state, where the retail is more fully opened compared to Illinois' phase 3?
Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 138 posts · 54 votes
6y
@Maria Bocanegra why don't you try Floor n Decor. Make a appointment and they have everything you can imagine. We're working on a rehab project currently and just went there. Good luck.
Chicago, IL · Member since 2016 · 172 posts · 38 votes
6y
IMO Floor and decor while having beautiful displays, has crap for quality. Their crap quality results in unpleasant experiences then trying to return the material too. I don't recall their actual policy but we bought 8 cases of glazed subway tiles (same production run) and after opening the first case and setting out a few tiles realized there were a lot of pits in the glaze. Opened all 8 cases and had 6+ cases that we wouldn't use. Unfortunately, we had already done a small separate area that was going to match so we felt like we were stuck with that tile. Brought the full cases back and tried to look for other production runs to see if quality was better. They didn't want you opening the cases on the floor. Okay, then how are you supposed to select it? Bought 8 more cases, different run, expecting some quality issues.... back and forth several times, going to three different locations to find different production runs. Absolutely not worth it. Customer service wasn't very helpful either. Good to go there to get design ideas, they really do put together nice displays.
Try Tile Outlet on Fullerton. The place has been around for decades (and still uses the same voiceover commercial). We've gotten tile from them for at least a dozen different jobs in the last couple of years, maybe even more than 2 dozen. Any issues, always handled professionally and generously. Not a beautiful show room, but some ideas and you can get samples. The limitation is what they have in stock.