Buy the whole job at once, then install it one phase at a time.
Why shades differ
Manufacturers make hardwood in runs. Cartons from two or more batches can show slight color differences. Tile has the same issue: small color differences between batches are easier to see if you install box by box. Even standard vinyl, laminate, and tile show some shade variation.
Buy the full quantity first
Our flooring-value guide gives a direct rule. If you cannot pay for all the labor at once, buy all the material so the dye lots match. Then do one room or section at a time. This keeps one material and one run across the full project.
The same guide warns against a different floor in each room, because it breaks up the flow of a floor plan. A planned transition can still work, for example wood to tile at the kitchen.
Put the overage for every phase in that first order. A second order placed months later can come from a different run.
Send the full quantity and the phase plan. We will quote the job as one order.
Mix cartons at install
- Hardwood: open several cartons at the same time. Mix planks from three or four boxes.
- Tile: unbox the tile and mix it before you set it.
- High-variation products: open all the boxes and lay the planks out first. Keep similar planks apart.
Our hardwood guide is clear about the risk. If you do not mix the planks, the finished floor can show visible shade differences. Mix the boxes in each phase, not only in the first one.
High-variation flooring has light and dark shades, or several color mixes, in the same box. If you install one box at a time, the floor can look patchy instead of varied. Standard flooring has less variation, but the same box-mixing habit helps. Tell the installer before the job starts that the floor is high variation. Order several samples of the product before you buy.
Store material for later phases
Label the stored cartons with the phase and the area. After the last phase, keep one carton for repairs.