Why does my floor look different after it’s installed? A common question our Design Consultants receive after a customer has had an installation. “The color is different.” “It’s too light.” “It’s too dark.” And many more specifics. The Carpet Guys can help explain why this happens.
Time of Day Changes the Look
One of the biggest changes that happens is time of day lighting. One of the best things about The Carpet Guys is that we send our showroom of samples to your home, so you can see what the flooring will look like in your homes lighting and near the furniture. Our Design Consultants are knowledgeable and helpful in finding the best flooring product for you household needs. You get to choose the color based on what looks best right inside the room your reflooring.
If the appointment time the Design Consultant is in your home is in the morning, your grey laminate may look warmer with the sun rising into the room. But when the installation is complete, it may be evening, and the flooring looks greyer under the artificial lighting. We recommend giving yourself a couple of days before calling. It may be that the flooring was chosen at a different time of day.
Flooring Looks Lighter When Installed
Often, the small sample of flooring on a board looks darker than when it is installed. Once the flooring has been installed, it opens up in the room and looks lighter than what was chosen. We recommend when you are choosing flooring from a sample, especially in a room with little to no furniture, choose something a shade darker than what you think you want to avoid it looking too light.
Empty Room vs. Full Room
Once in a while, when choosing from a small sample on a white board, a sample will look lighter. When installation is complete, and all your furniture is back in the room, shadows from overhead lighting can make the flooring look darker than the sample. Just like when you paint, and the paint gets darker as it dries. If you’re room is full of furniture, choose a shade lighter than normal so it doesn’t make the room feel darker once installed.
Direction of Vacuum Lines
When hard surface is installed (like laminate, luxury vinyl plank, hardwood, etc), the direction the planks are laid, will change the colors you readily see entering or exiting the room. Even carpet has a flooring “direction”. Depending on the direction it’s brushed, the fibers look a different color. This is most noticeable after vacuuming. When our installers finish your installation, they vacuum the carpet to fluff the fibers and will recommend you vacuum every day for a week and then once a week afterwards (see carpet care and maintenance for reference. This helps the fibers to sprout so it will look uniform. Again, finish the weeks’ worth of vacuuming before calling because it may just need to open up.
The Carpet Guys professional Design Consultants are all trained on these phenomena. And can help you decide between darker or lighter shades of whatever flooring you love! If for some reason you are not COMPLETELY satisfied with your installation, don’t hesitate to contact us. We want you to enjoy your flooring from the day you choose it from a sample board to the day you have it replaced. If you’re looking for all the best colors, textures and styles, call The Carpet Guys at 855-4-MY-GUYS (855-469-4897) or schedule your Free In-Home Estimate today. We can’t wait to help make your flooring dreams come true!
