Pieces that did not fit tight – is it the manufacturer?

Q: I bought ***** flooring at $4.99 a square foot. I had problems with the flooring not fitting together. There were many pieces that did not fit tight, along with many gray streaked pieces in one box. Is this common at this cost range? I would estimate at about 30 % were sub standard. FYI I purchased 4 inch prefinished gunstock in oak.

A: It is the manufacturer! Back in the early years when I was struggling to establish my own reputation as an independent floor contractor I had to do sub contract work to get by. Much of this involved installing ***** flooring in new homes. I kept warning the flooring company I was doing the work for that sooner or later somebody is going to complain about all the gaps and poor milling of these floors. And sure enough the complaints did come. It appears there is poor quality control during the manufacturing process. I wouldn’t buy this product or recommend it to any home owner. Generally, I don’t like factory finished floors, which will cost more in the long run to maintain. They offer initial convenience but that is all the good I can say about them.