If you are looking for flooring, you should pay a visit to these guys.
The showroom is incredible, with a sample of every floor type available – including cork! But it’s the quality of the service that has caused me to send people to Chuck Ward, owner, and Ken Calkin, manager, for over ten years – they know their flooring, and they treat you right.
Here’s a review of the hardwoods:
A link to their website: http://oceanside.abbeycarpet.com/default.aspx
Jim Klinge
Klinge Realty Group
Are you looking for an experienced agent to help you buy or sell a home?
Contact Jim the Realtor!
CA DRE #01527365, CA DRE #00873197
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We sold a home with Jim and Donna and from beginning to end they were consummate professionals. Their initial walk through the property resulted in a list of items to be repaired or updated. They supplied a list of vendors and job quotes to do the repairs and updates. We originally wanted to sell ‘as is’ and just get it over with. They gave us a selling price for ‘as is’ and options for doing a few updates/repairs to doing it all with the selling price for each option. We agreed to do all they suggested and we sold for the exact price they predicted. For every dollar spent we got back more than $2 back in the selling price. And they got that price in a rising interest rate environment! Donna and Jim are extremely detailed and guide you through ever aspect of the sale. There were no surprises thanks to their guidance. We couldn’t be more pleased with their representation. Thank you Donna and Jim, Jerry and MaryTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We have known Jim & Donna Klinge for over a dozen years, having met them in Carlsbad where our children went to the same school. As long time North County residents, it was a no- brainer for us to have the Klinges be our eyes and ears for San Diego real estate in general and North County in particular. As my military career caused our family to move all over the country and overseas to Asia, Europe and the Pacific, we trusted Jim and Donna to help keep our house in Carlsbad rented with reliable and respectful tenants for over 10 years. Naturally, when the time came to sell our beloved Carlsbad home to pursue a rural lifestyle in retirement out of California, we could think of no better team to represent us than Jim and Donna. They immediately went to work to update our house built in 2004 to current-day standards and trends — in 2 short months they transformed it into a literal modern-day masterpiece. We trusted their judgement implicitly and followed 100% of their recommended changes. When our house finally came on the market, there was a blizzard of serious interest, we had multiple offers by the third day and it sold in just 5 days after a frenzied bidding war for 20% above our asking price! The investment we made in upgrades recommended by Jim and Donna yielded a 4-fold return, in the process setting a new high water mark for a house sold in our community. In our view, there are no better real estate professionals in all of San Diego than Jim and Donna Klinge. Buying or selling, you must run and beg Jim and Donna Klinge to represent you! Our family will never forget Jim, Donna, and their whole team at Compass — we are forever grateful to them.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. WeI had the pleasure of working with Klinge Realty Group to sell our home in Carmel Valley, and I cannot recommend them highly enough! Jim and Donna demonstrated exceptional professionalism, offering expert guidance on market conditions and pricing strategy, which resulted in a quick and successful sale. Communication was prompt and we were well-informed throughout the entire process. For anyone looking for a dedicated and knowledgeable real estate team, look no further! ---Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Donna and Jim Klinge of Klinge Realty Group have our highest possible recommendation. From Donna and Jim’s first visit to our house through closing their advice and counsel was candid and honest in all dealings. They kept us fully informed throughout the process. The house sold less than three days after listing with a two-week closing. My wife and I have sold several houses during our lives. This was by far the best experience. Klinge Reality is a premium service realtor. You can’t make a better choice for someone to sell your home fast and for top dollar.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Donna and Jim provided exceptional support and professionalism throughout the entire process. We couldn't have been happier with their efforts. They made our house shine, and thanks to their expertise, it sold above the listing price in the very first weekend! Truly a fantastic experience from start to finish.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This year has been difficult on our family, mainly due to having to sell our home. Thankfully we knew God had a plan for us and working with the Klinge team was a key part of it. It was an obvious decision to work with them again after such an amazing experience when purchasing the same home we needed to sell. The challenge was, how will we do this in so little time with so much going on? Jim and Donna held our hand every step of the way. Whenever an unexpected issue arose they found and provided a solution. Never once did we feel pressured to make a decision and the Klinges were always reassuring after providing the information that the decision was ours to make. Despite the curve balls, they never panicked and exemplified the “can do” attitude, making us feel optimistic and taken care of. Their expertise and professionalism was superb. But of all the reasons to work with the Klinges, the most impactful and valuable is their compassion and genuine care for their clients. We pray that we can one day purchase our forever home and you better believe that Jim and Donna will be representing us - as long as they will have us of course. Thank you again Klinge team! Your execution, experience, and care are unmatched.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jim and Donna were fantastic! Jim understanding my needs, recommending potential places, pointing out the pros and cons of each property was invaluable. Then when the offer was accepted Donna’s organized guidance through the inspections, paperwork etc made the whole process seem effortless. So grateful that I had them on my side!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We first found Jim through his blog at bubbleinfo.com, which really showcased his knowledge of SoCal real estate. Since then we've done three transactions with Jim and Donna, and they are an incredible full service agency, with Jim's deep market insight and Donna's deft contract and project management. We trust them implicitly in their analysis and strategy, which is based on years of experience. They're always available and on top of things, and we strongly recommend them to anyone.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Good The Klinge Realty Group operates like a finely tuned machine, with a very personal touch. We contacted them on a Sunday and they were talking to us about our family and our needs on our living room couch the following day. They carefully listened to us and worked with us to identify the best and quickest path to listing within 2 weeks to take advantage of the low inventory conditions in our South Carlsbad neighborhood. They knew our tract specifically and had many previous sales there over the years - they came prepared with a thorough analysis of comparative sales and recommended a pricing strategy that they felt confident would yield offers the first weekend on the market. The Great Over the next two weeks Donna coordinated a range of vendors who she knew from experience could get the preparation to list work we needed done on time and with high quality. Our light tune-up involved excellent experiences with their stagers, landscapers, contractors, electricians, and plumbers. Throughout this period Donna's daily communication was clear, concise, and responsive. Any time we had questions Donna picked up the phone or texted immediately - but almost always, she answered our questions before we even knew we had them. The Outstanding We had a tricky situation with a shared fence that could have delayed our escrow. Donna used superb mediation skills to negotiate the terms of replacement and was personally on site with the fence contractor to make sure everything went smoothly. The fence looks great and escrow closed on time. The Truly Exceptional Our house came on the market on a Wednesday and between then and Monday morning Jim was personally at all three open houses. He was in constant communication explaining potential buyer reaction and strength. As he predicted offers began to come in on Saturday and each one was incrementally higher than the last. At the end we had 5 offers, 4 of which were over list, and the final accepted offer was $100,000 over list. In addition to being over list it included rent back terms that met our needs. The Recommendation For all of these reasons we would strongly recommend The Klinge Team to anyone wanting to sell in North County Coastal San Diego. I had been reading Jim's bubbleinfo.com blog for 15 years and knew when the time came to sell that he would be our first call. Jim Klinge is not your standard realtor. He is keenly aware of market conditions and sales strategies. And, works his tail off - though not as hard as Donna . At this point he's gone from realtor to friend and I plan to have him over to grill and chill at our new place to talk real estate, but also just about life and raising kids in San Diego. He's more interested in relationships than his sales numbers - and that's why his sales numbers are so high. We have already recommended the Klinge's to some close friends and another successful sale is on deck right around the corner...Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We recently had the pleasure of working with Jim and Donna from Klinge Realty Group to sell our house, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the experience. From the initial meeting, they listened attentively to our needs and provided invaluable guidance on specific improvements to get our home market ready. Their responsiveness throughout the entire process was truly impressive. Anytime we had questions or concerns, they were quick to address them, ensuring we felt comfortable and informed every step of the way. What stood out the most was their team and extensive network of tradespeople, which made addressing any necessary repairs or updates seamless and stress-free. Thanks to their expertise and dedication, our house sold quickly and at a great price. We highly recommend Jim and Donna to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. They are a fantastic team who truly care about their clients and deliver exceptional results.Load more
I’d like some coverage on bamboo products in the next segment, if possible.
Thanks Jim – this was very interesting and helpful. I would also like some information about bamboo.
One of my friend’s girlfriends in highschool had the nickname “floor muffler”. I won’t say why.
These guys know their stuff… sounds expensive.
Sad that this is usually the case. You get what you pay for, very few true “values” out there.
Chuck
Thirded on the bamboo. Or just “sustainable” product flooring in general.
thanks jim! i just contacted these guys for the new pad i am building–we are looking for real oak that is distressed,brushed,whitewashed,etc! always good info my friend!
Thanks Jim. I’m in Oceanside so I’ll have to check them out.
We have two young kids so we thought a higher end laminate would be a good solution BUT we were told that you can’t find laminate stair noses that lay flush with the step. They make a little lip that creates a tripping hazard. Does Chuck know of any manufacturers that make a flush stair nose? Or should we just go with engineered wood, and would that wear any better than laminate on the stairs?
Thanks!
A couple questions:
What are the pros and cons of regular wood vs. engineered wood?
What are some more of the exotic woods to use? (I guess bamboo is a popular one!)
BTW, this is awesome…many people who continue to come here aren’t looking to buy or sell, but rather, to improve their property. Your home walk-throughs give great insight into alot of this, but a specific focus on this is cool also. Especially when it comes time to sell one day.
#7 – Macassar Ebony is pretty, and expensive. It’s good for fretboards too.
Genius, yes, beautiful wood, I just looked it up.
Jim, another question, is the disparity in price solely based on the type of wood? i.e. are the labor costs are the same for all woods, or are some wood’s labor costs more because it is harder to install?
Love to hear local shop doing well in a world of Home Depot product.
What about antique barns? Is that popular with high end homes? I know some people love that “vintage” feel.
Upkeep on cherry floors? The dog has scratched a lot of ours, but you can’t tell unless you get down and look. Even still, we’re going to have to get them refinished.
They’re beautiful (especially in light)….but not exactly hardy! haha
Jeeman, some of the real wood costs depend on the scarcity of the tree (which is why the interest in sustainable products.)
I’ll guess when it comes to engineered product it has to do with the labor that went into the distressing.
I’d imagine that installation labor is pretty much the same across the board, the cost difference is in the materials.
Art, that is what I figured as well. But I’ve seen some horrible parquet jobs because they were just “clicked” together…caused some bad foot injuries on kids!
Thanks for all the comments. I’m going to have Chuck and Ken chime in on the questions asked, but I’ll give you my impression on this one:
What are the pros and cons of regular wood vs. engineered wood?
Walking in yesterday I was convinced that I was a real-hardwood-only kind of guy.
But I learned this about engineered:
1. The composite that’s under the real-wood floor is sturdy, and better than real wood. It has five layers of fiber crossed-laid for extra strength.
2. With the floor muffler you don’t have the tingy sound. I thought the engineered floors were the cause, but it’s what’s underneath that determines the noise.
3. Thinner is better if you are in an existing house, and the real hardwoods are 1/4 to 1/2-inch thicker.
4. While you can re-finish both real and engineered, the real hardwood – being thicker – should endure more sanding. But because of the way they interlock, you might only get one or two extra re-finishes out of real hardwoods.
5. The Chinese engineered hardwoods only had 1/8-inch of wood on top, which doesn’t leave much to re-finish. If you are tough on floors, you might be replacing the cheaper ones every 5-7 years. Don’t glue those down!
” Thinner is better if you are in an existing house, and the real hardwoods are 1/4 to 1/2-inch thicker.”
Jim, can you elaborate as to why thinner is better in an existing house?
We went with a high-end laminate to avoid any pet-scratch issues, and it’s been perfect for that. The version we got seems indestructible. Getting the good underlayment made a big difference, and is only like a buck more a square foot than the cheap underpad. I can’t imagine why anyone gets the cheap underpad. Also had a reputable installer, he spent an entire day grinding down the high spots in the concrete with a thing like a diamond-impregnated floor buffer and bringing up the low spots with leveling concrete. At the end he was crawling around with a 8′ bar demonstrating how it was leveled to 1/8 of an inch. I think the bad rep some products have comes from bad installation.
Thank you – this was very informative and helpful.
Jeeman – the engineered floors are REAL hardwood. They are just 1/8″-1/4″ of wood put on top of an engineered base which is superior relative to expansion, warping, etc.
The reason ‘thinner’ engineered wood floors are better for renovations/existing homes is that they are more consistent in height relative to your other floors.
Thus, the wood floor will be flush with your existing tile, or carpet and not have that big giant ‘trip-lip’ at the transition.
In a perfect world of designing a home you might set your foundation down by 1/2″-1″ (- the height of your plywood subfloor – the hardwood surface + thickness of adjacent tile surface) in the areas you want wood. Thus the wood will then flush out with the other surfaces and not be 1/2″+ higher.
In today’s market, the engineered product has become so advanced that I would expect it to be appropriate for over 95% of homeowners. The other 5% of homeowners can afford to be so picky that their selections may only come in traditional hardwood thicknesses (african mahogany, etc).
Just wanted to answer some of the questions. As far as laminate bullnose are concerned yes there are flush bullnose available.
Engineered hardwoods were designed for concrete slab installations. Hardwood expands and contracts so by cross plying the layers it makes the wood more dimensionally stable so they can be glued down over concrete. A solid hardwood has to be nailed down with spacers over 3/4 plywood and will raise your floors over 1 1/2 inches so it becomes a problem for doors,appliances,etc.
If you buy a good quality engineered hardwood it can be refinished as many times as a solid and its a more stable durable floor. Hope this helped feel free to contact us at Abbey Carpets if you have any questions (760)757-5033. Ken the manager.
I think it is primarily at the glass sliding doors where you have the most problems with real hardwoods being too tall.
You can cut off the bottom of doors, but when the hardwood approaches the sliders, they need to be lower by at least a half-inch, and an inch lower would be ideal.
To comment on the blog entry concerning the beautiful cherry wood floors that have scratches from pets: Cherry wood has a very rich and natural appearance, the only downside is the softness of the product. We suggest having the floor screencoated and a commercial clearcoat applied for more durability. Congratulations on choosing such a beautiful product that will last for years with the correct maintenance.
Chuck Ward Owner
Left on the youtube comments:
Hi Jim,
To remove fade spots from a natural color wood floor you need to have the floor sanded and recoated. A topical application will treat the fade spots as well as the non faded areas and you will end up with the same issues. If the reason the sun faded areas are showing up is from moving furniture or rugs the new exposed areas will catch up in about 6 months. All natural woods will change color and character being exposed to the sun. Remember to recoat your floors every 5 to 7 years.
Jim, can you cover cork flooring in your next installment? I’ve been researching it for a while, and it seems preferable in many ways to both wood and tile: warm, soft, hardwearing, attractive, ecologically sound, and nearly as sound-absorbing as carpet (particularly for upper levels). It’s been used extensively in Europe for decades. I don’t know how local installation prices compare to more common flooring choices here. Thanks!