LL Flooring Boasts Hundreds of Flooring Choices—But Is It a Good Option for Homeowners?

With a history dating back to 1994, LL Flooring (formerly Lumber Liquidators) is a well-known supplier of hard-surface floors, including hardwood, vinyl, laminate, and hybrid options. The company has over 400 locations in North America, though customers can also purchase flooring and schedule installation on the LL Flooring website if they prefer. But will customers get what they expect by working with this company for their flooring needs? This LL Flooring review will explore available products and services, explain the process of working with LL Flooring, and help potential customers determine whether this company may be the best match for their hard-surface flooring needs.

See more:

• Best Flooring Companies
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At a Glance

LL Flooring

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Our Verdict:

LL Flooring boasts more than 500 flooring options, from hardwood and hybrid floors to vinyl and laminate. Customers can browse the selection online or visit an LL Flooring location near them to see their options in person, and they can choose to work with LL Flooring for installation or install their flooring themselves. The company’s unique Duravana hybrid resilient flooring is waterproof and resistant to dents, scratches, and other damage, which makes it a good option for homeowners with small children, pets, or high-traffic areas in their home. All this and more make LL Flooring a top choice for customers who want to revamp their home’s flooring.

SPECS

• Types of flooring available: Hybrid, vinyl, hardwood, laminate, tile
• Estimate scheduling: Online, phone
• In-home shopping: Restrictive
• Next-day installation: Not available
• Warranty: Not specified

PROS

• Wide range of natural and hybrid wood flooring
• Unique wood- and stone-look tile options
• Augmented reality visualizer tool
• Free samples available online and in-store
• Exclusive damage-resistant Duravana hybrid flooring line

CONS

• Restrictive in-home shopping

LL Flooring Review: Claims

LL Flooring boasts a large selection of hard-surface flooring options, a user-friendly website with tools designed to help customers choose the best flooring for them, and free samples to help customers make their final choice.

About LL Flooring

Although LL Flooring may seem like a relatively new name in the flooring industry, it’s actually been around since 1994. However, the company went by Lumber Liquidators Flooring until 2020. LL Flooring was founded by Massachusetts building contractor Tom Sullivan, when he started purchasing excess wood from other companies and selling it from the back of a trucking yard. Sullivan moved his business into an official storefront in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, in January 1996, and by mid-1997, he’d opened a second location in Hartford, Connecticut.

Today, LL Flooring has more than 400 stores across North America and is one of the biggest names in hard-surface flooring. The company sells more than 500 flooring options, meaning customers are likely to find something they like within the large selection. LL Flooring caters to DIYers, homeowners who want installation help, and professional contractors who are helping a client make a choice for their flooring needs.

How It Works

LL Flooring customers begin their journey on the company’s website, where they can see a selection of available flooring as well as pricing information, local store availability, and LL Flooring hours at their location. Customers can browse through different types of flooring, including hardwood, bamboo, laminate, tile, and vinyl. They can learn more about their shortlisted options by clicking into the product listing, where they’ll see information such as plank width, thickness, texture, finish, and any specific installation requirements. Once customers have narrowed down their choices, they can add up to four free samples to their cart and check out without needing to provide credit card information—which can be beneficial to customers who aren’t comfortable sharing their financial details before they’ve finalized their flooring choice. Alternatively, customers can order a free sample kit if they know the type of flooring they want to install—the following sample kits are available:

• Waterproof floors sample kit: Includes six samples that are designed to be waterproof, including vinyl plank, hybrid resilient, and laminate.
• Vinyl, laminate, and hybrid floors sample kit: Includes six samples that are resilient to scratching, denting, and other damage that can be caused by a busy household.
• Customer favorite sample kit: Includes six samples of LL Flooring’s best-selling options, including vinyl plank, hybrid resilient, laminate, engineered hardwood, solid hardwood, and luxury vinyl plank.
• Popular brown floors sample kit: Includes six samples of brown flooring options, including rigid vinyl plank, hybrid resilient, laminate, engineered hardwood, solid hardwood, and luxury vinyl plank.
• Popular gray floors sample kit: Includes six samples of gray flooring options, including rigid vinyl plank, hybrid resilient, laminate, engineered hardwood, solid hardwood, and luxury vinyl plank.
• Hardwood floors sample kit: Includes six samples of hardwood flooring options, including three solid hardwood and three engineered hardwood in similar colors to allow customers to see the difference between the two options side by side.

Alternatively, customers can visit physical LL Flooring locations in 47 states (there are no LL Flooring stores in Wyoming, Alaska, or Hawaii). There, they can browse in-stock flooring to get an idea of what might work best in their home. They can also talk to LL Flooring salespeople about their requirements and get recommendations for the types of flooring that might best suit their needs.

Once the customer has decided on their flooring, they can either place their order online or in-store. If ordering online, they can choose between picking up their order from their local LL Flooring location or having it delivered directly to their home. The latter option carries a flat-rate shipping charge of either $249 or $299. Customers can also decide whether they want to install the floor themselves or hire a professional installer through LL Flooring to complete the project. The company uses independent contractors for installation work, and all contractors are required to be licensed, insured, and background-checked to give customers additional peace of mind. Customers can request a quote online to find out LL Flooring installation costs and determine whether they want to work with the company or by themselves. The installation project will be managed through LL Flooring’s Project Coordination Office from estimate to installation. This means the customer can call one central number with questions throughout the entire project rather than needing to call separate offices and contractors for different stages of the project.

It’s worth noting that many flooring companies offer less restrictive in-home shopping options; in many cases, a professional comes to the customer’s home with samples of flooring so the homeowner can assess all of the options available to them. This isn’t the case for LL Flooring, which may be off-putting. Some customers live too far from a showroom and may find the online samples rather unhelpful (since they would only receive a limited number for free). Other customers may simply prefer to have a professional come to their home, since it’s a simpler and more straightforward process. This restrictive element risks alienating potential customers.

Services Offered

The main service that LL Flooring offers is flooring sales. Customers can also choose to schedule their installation through LL Flooring, though they also have the option of installing the flooring themselves or hiring a contractor to complete the project for them. When it comes to choosing flooring for their home, customers can browse through specific products on the website, use the Picture It! Floor Visualizer (explored in detail below), or use the Floor Finder resource on LL Flooring’s website.

To use the Floor Finder, customers will need to choose the room in which they plan to install the flooring—they can only choose one room at a time but can go back and repeat the process for multiple rooms if they would like. After choosing the room, they’ll be asked to specify whether the room is above- or below-ground, as this will affect the types of flooring that will be recommended. Then, they’ll be asked to choose the style of flooring that appeals to them the most, such as wood-look or stone-look flooring, and then pick a color palette from the following options:

• White
• Gray
• Blue
• Beige
• Tan
• Red
• Brown
• Purple
• Black

From there, the customer can determine whether they prefer a distinct, subtle, or uniform color variation; the plank width they’d like to install; and whether they’d like a smooth, textured, or distressed feel. Next, they’ll be asked whether they have a flooring material in mind or whether they’re open to suggestions, and who/what will be using the floor (children, pets, guests, or gym equipment). Customers will then need to enter their email address to get their customized recommendations, and from there they can click into the product details to see which option would best suit their needs.

Services such as the Floor Finder make it easier for customers who aren’t sure what kind of floor they need to narrow down their choices from the hundreds of options available from LL Flooring.

Flooring Selection and Additional Materials

When it comes to flooring selections, LL Flooring has several choices. The company is best known for its LL wood flooring, which includes solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, and unfinished hardwood. Depending on the wood species chosen, customers can opt for one of several color choices, such as brown, blonde, red, white, and gray. The following wood species are offered:

• Acacia
• Bamboo
• Brazilian cherry
• Brazilian oak
• Hickory
• Maple
• Red oak
• White oak

In addition to hardwood, LL Flooring offers vinyl, laminate, tile, cork, and Duravana hybrid resilient waterproof flooring. Duravana is an LL Flooring–exclusive floor type that uses wood from certified responsibly managed forests that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, making it an eco-friendly flooring option. Duravana hybrid resilient flooring is made to replicate the look and feel of wood but with added durability and water resistance. It’s also resistant to scratches and dents, which makes it ideal for homes with small children or rambunctious pets.

LL Flooring customers can choose to install their flooring themselves or enlist LL Flooring installation services. If they want to have the flooring installed by LL Flooring, they’ll work through the Project Coordination Office to schedule delivery of the materials and installation. LL Flooring works with independent contractors for its installation services and claims that all contractors are licensed, insured, and background-checked. Customers who prefer DIY installation can get all the supplies they need from LL Flooring, including underlayment and padding, adhesive, tools, trims and baseboards, stair treads, and installation tools. These can also be ordered online or purchased in-store.

LL Flooring also offers a small selection of butcher block countertops, island tops, backsplashes, desktops, tabletops, and cutting boards. Although this may not be the main reason a customer shops at LL Flooring, it can be useful if they’re looking to redo their kitchen at the same time as their flooring as it allows them to order from one place rather than from two or more.

Room Visualizer

In addition to ordering free samples, customers can get an idea of what their preferred flooring styles will look like in their home using LL Flooring’s Picture It! Floor Visualizer. The tool is easy to use—customers will simply upload a photo of their home to the tool, and then select different flooring styles to see what each would look like.

Customers can filter flooring choices by category, brand, color, and species, or choose to browse through all options to find the ones they like best. From there, they can click directly into the product page for the type of flooring they’re viewing so they can see information and pricing details. Customers can then download or share their favorites to review at a later date or to show to family members or friends.

The Floor Visualizer also lets customers change the color of their walls so they can see what paint colors might work best with their flooring choice. Interestingly, they can also apply any type of flooring to their walls, which could be beneficial for customers considering wood paneling.

Estimates and Scheduling

LL Flooring gives customers the option to install their flooring as a DIY project or schedule installation through the company. In general, Lumber Liquidators installation reviews are positive, and scheduling through the company makes the process more efficient and streamlined. Customers who want to have their flooring professionally installed by LL Flooring can schedule a free in-home estimate by filling out a form on the website. They’ll need to include the following information in the form:

• First and last name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Project address
• Installation location
• Flooring type
• Project timeline
• Preferred date and time

Once the customer has submitted the form, they will be contacted by a licensed and insured Professional Independent Contractor to schedule the appointment and go over any specific details. At the appointment, the contractor will examine the rooms in which the flooring is to be installed and come up with a unique plan. Once the customer signs off on the plan and signs the contract, they will work with the Project Coordination Office for the duration of the project. This means customers can contact the office at any time with questions or concerns rather than trying to get in contact with the installation contractors themselves.

Cost, Offers, and Financing

LL Flooring is refreshingly transparent about its cost: Prices are clearly displayed on each product page, allowing customers to determine which options will fit within their budget. Prices are listed per square foot, so customers will need to have an idea of the size of their room in order to estimate their total cost. LL Flooring also lists prices by the box for each type of flooring and lists the approximate square footage that will be covered by a box. There are frequent LL Flooring discounts, which are listed on the website home page so customers can easily see which type of flooring or materials are valid for the discounts. In addition, LL Flooring’s Best Price Guarantee will beat any validated competitive price—so if a customer finds a similar flooring option for a cheaper price elsewhere, the company will match the price once it’s been verified by a member of the LL Flooring sales team. The Lumber Liquidators price guarantee can help reassure customers that they’re getting the best price for their flooring.

Flooring is a relatively expensive purchase, but luckily the company offers financing through an LL Flooring credit card (issued by Synchrony Bank) to help customers pay for their project over time. Qualified customers can choose to finance their flooring purchase for 6, 12, 18, 24, or 48 months with no down payment required. If it takes longer than the promotional period for the customer to pay off their balance, they will be subject to an annual percentage rate (APR) of 29.99 percent, so it’s in a customer’s best interest to pay off their balance within the agreed-upon time frame in order to avoid paying additional interest on their purchase.

The LL Flooring return policy specifies that customers can return or exchange their purchase within 90 days of receipt, though returns and exchanges are not permitted in certain circumstances, such as for custom orders or if the box has been opened. Customers will need to pay return shipping costs, so it’s a good idea for them to make sure they are certain about their choice before purchasing to avoid these additional costs.

Customer Service and Support

LL Flooring has several customer support departments designed to assist customers with their specific needs.

• The sales department is reachable by phone or through online chat if customers need help deciding which type of flooring will work best for them. A representative will ask questions to learn about the customer’s flooring needs and budget and make recommendations on options that may fit the bill.
• The Customer Care Center is available to answer questions about warranties, returns, and exchanges, as well as general questions customers may have during the process of ordering and installing their flooring.
• LL Installation Services can help schedule project estimates and installation for customers who choose to go through the company for installation.
• The Pro Sales department can help business owners and commercial clients with their specific flooring needs.

All departments are open 7 days a week, though customers are encouraged to check operating hours and note that all times are listed in Eastern Standard Time. The website also lists email addresses for each customer support department for customers who want to contact a representative outside of normal business hours or who prefer to communicate via email.

Warranty

LL Flooring provides a Limited One-Year Residential Installation Warranty for customers who choose to have their flooring installed through the company. The warranty covers the installation for 1 year from its completion date and promises that the installation will meet relevant industry standards. If it doesn’t, customers can make a claim to get any necessary repairs or replacements taken care of free of charge. Damage that results from improper care or unauthorized repairs will not be covered. The warranty only applies if the customer arranges installation through LL Flooring; customers who install their flooring themselves or hire a contractor independently will not be covered by the warranty.

LL Flooring products also carry warranties, though the length and exact details vary between different flooring options. For example, Bellawood engineered hardwood flooring has a 100-year transferable residential warranty, while Duravana hybrid resilient flooring comes with a limited lifetime residential warranty. Other flooring types, including certain vinyl or laminate options, may have shorter warranties; customers are encouraged to check the warranty information on the type of flooring they’re considering to make sure they understand the duration and terms of each individual warranty.

Flooring Resources

The LL Flooring website has a plethora of flooring resources available to help customers better understand their options, from informational guides on different types of flooring to step-by-step guides on the installation process. The “Learn About Flooring” section breaks resources down into the following categories.

• Flooring basics: This section includes articles on basic flooring topics, like whether vinyl flooring is waterproof, the pros and cons of laminate flooring, why underlayment is necessary, and how to create accent walls.
• Buying guides: This section includes articles designed to help customers understand their flooring choices so they can pick the right flooring for their specific needs.
• Floor care and maintenance: This section includes articles that help customers understand how to care for and maintain their flooring to keep it looking fresh for years to come.
• Installation tips and guides: This section includes articles that can help homeowners who plan on installing flooring themselves; topics include how to remove carpet and whether to choose nails or screws for LL hardwood flooring installation.
• Planning your project: This section includes articles for customers in the planning stages, with topics like how to prepare for flooring installation and how to get the best performance from newly installed flooring.
• ProFiles podcast: This section houses a podcast series where homeowners can learn from home improvement professionals, as well as spotlighting pros that are using their skills and influence to better their communities by repurposing vacant buildings or building affordable housing.

These resources are useful both to customers purchasing flooring for the first time and to those who have been through the process before and have questions based on their experiences. The resources are available to anyone—so even if the customer doesn’t plan on working with LL Flooring, they can still use the website to build their knowledge before embarking on their flooring project.

LL Flooring Reviews by Customers

New flooring is a major purchase, so many customers will read reviews of the flooring companies they’re considering to get an idea of the customer experience and see which option might be the best fit for them. It’s perhaps unsurprising to learn that the customer reviews on LL Flooring’s home page are overwhelmingly positive—after all, LL Flooring is a business that wants to attract customers, and what better way to do that than to display rave reviews right on the website? However, when customers dig a little further into LL Flooring reviews, they’ll find that independent review sites also skew mostly positive for LL Flooring.

For example, LL Flooring has a 4.6 out of 5 rating on Consumer Affairs, with customers raving about the company’s affordable flooring options, quick installation process, and top-notch customer service. Negative reviews (which are few and far between) mention issues with specific salespeople and damaged materials, but customers will want to note that these situations seem to be the exception. However, it does speak to the importance of checking materials before accepting delivery, and that the customer experience may vary between LL Flooring locations.

How LL Flooring Stacks Up to the Competition

LL Flooring has its fair share of competitors in the flooring industry. When comparing the best flooring companies, customers will want to note that LL Flooring does not offer carpet and instead narrows its focus to hard-surface flooring options such as hardwood, vinyl, and laminate; therefore, customers looking to install carpet will need to look elsewhere for their flooring needs. Competitors such as Empire Today, Luna, and National Floors Direct all have carpet options as well as hard-surface flooring, which may make them a better choice for some customers.

However, when it comes to hard-surface flooring, LL Flooring is a strong contender. Customers can choose from more than 500 options, including solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, hybrid resilient, bamboo, cork, vinyl, and laminate flooring. They also have the option of shopping entirely online or by visiting a local LL Flooring store. Customers considering Empire Today, Luna, or National Floors Direct will want to note that there’s no online ordering option available from these companies and no pricing information online—they will need to schedule an in-home consultation to get a quote for their flooring project. While this may be the preferred route for some customers, others will prefer the transparent pricing and ability to purchase online from LL Flooring.

The other factor that sets LL Flooring apart from its competitors is the ability for customers to purchase their flooring and install it themselves. While LL Flooring does offer installation, it’s not required for a customer to work with the company to install their floors like it is with other flooring companies. This can be a benefit for customers who have some experience installing hard-surface flooring or who want to save money on labor costs by attempting to DIY their new floors. LL Flooring provides helpful guides for DIYers to walk them through the installation process, so there’s no pressure for them to pay extra for installation through LL Flooring.

Should You Choose LL Flooring?

LL Flooring is a solid contender in the flooring industry. Customers looking for solid-surface flooring are likely to find an option that will work for them within the company’s extensive selection, and those who aren’t sure what type of flooring they want can use LL Flooring’s online tools, such as Floor Finder and the Picture It! Floor Visualizer to get a better idea of their options. This, in addition to free samples, can help customers feel confident in their flooring choice, giving them additional peace of mind when planning this relatively expensive home improvement project. Finally, with the option for DIY or professional installation, LL Flooring gives customers more freedom to choose the method that works best for them.

We independently reviewed this service by weighing the company’s claims against firsthand experience with its professionals. However, due to factors such as franchising, human error, and more, please note that individual experiences with this company may vary.

 

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