In a world where renovation choices are harder than ever, one thing is clear: homeowners want more clarity, more confidence, and more control when choosing their new floors. At Steller Floors, we’ve always believed that floating floors—real hardwood, easily installed, easily repaired—offer a smarter foundation for any home. But in early 2025, we turned to our growing community of nearly 22,000 subscribers—DIYers, designers, contractors, and homeowners—to ask a bold question:
What would make flooring smarter for you?
A slew of Steller Floors owners, DIYers, designers, architects, and contractors responded to our call. Their feedback wasn’t just helpful—it will shape how we lead the flooring industry forward in 2025. In this post, we’ll share what we heard, what surprised us, and what we’re doing about it.
If you’re planning a flooring renovation or considering floating floors for your home or project, this article is for you.
What We Heard: Top Insights from the Survey
We asked our community to share their biggest frustrations, their wish list for new flooring tools, and what would give them the confidence to move forward with their renovation project.
Here’s what rose to the top:
What is the total cost of installing new floors?
The top pain point across the board was simple but significant: understanding the real cost of new floors.
"Sticker prices on materials aren't cutting it - we need to know the total of what we are budgeting for including shipping, labor, and supplies. With big brands, we're flying blind because they don't care."
The total cost of new floors includes materials, shipping, optional warranties, and either professional or DIY labor. At Steller Floors, we also recommend budgeting for tools, subfloor prep, and trim work to avoid surprise expenses.
Our respondents want clarity—not just in the initial material cost, but in installation, warranty, shipping, and long-term maintenance. The message was clear: if flooring is going to be smart, the pricing has to be smarter too.
Can I install hardwood floors myself?
Steller Floors are designed to empower homeowners and while we have a set of animations and videos that cover the basics (https://floorsbysteller.com/quick-start) - it isn't quite enough yet. That's okay! We always want to improve, because even the most determined weekend warrior wants reassurance.
"I think I can install this myself—but I want to be sure before I pull out my check book.’"
Respondents asked for clear, visual installation resources, step-by-step checklists, and examples from real homes to really hammer home the details. They don’t want fluff—they want confidence. And we’re listening.
What builds trust when buying new floors?
Skip the Swiss-cheese warranties provided by legacy brands—our community wants to know we have their back. From clear warranty terms (https://floorsbysteller.com/warranty) to a real human answering questions when something doesn’t go as planned, trust was a recurring theme.
"What happens if a board is damaged? How fast can I get a replacement?"
Floating floors are a smarter system because they’re easier to maintain and repair. We just need to make that support experience feel as seamless as the install.
What We’re Doing About It: Smart Changes in Progress
Every voice in our survey helped sharpen our focus. Here’s how we’re turning feedback into action.
What should I know before installing floating floors?
We’re developing a pre-installation checklist that clients can use before they ever open a box. It will include:
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How to evaluate your subfloor and room conditions
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Links to video and photo guides from real installs
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A quick quiz to determine if DIY or contractor-led is your best path
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A budget worksheet to outline full project costs (including shipping, warranty, etc.)
This resource will live on our website and be automatically shared with clients requesting a sample or quote. It's part of making floating floors more accessible and reducing project stress. Until that's ready you can check out our project planning guide (https://floorsbysteller.com/project-guide).
How can I track my flooring order?
You asked, and we heard you loud and clear: delivery visibility needs to improve.
We’re now implementing an upgraded order tracking system, including:
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Clear shipping confirmation emails with tracking numbers
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Estimated delivery windows
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Optional SMS updates for those who want real-time alerts
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A live order status dashboard you can check any time
The result? You won’t have to wonder where your new floors are—or when you can start your renovation.
What’s the best flooring choice for 2025 renovations?
We’re working on new side-by-side comparison tools that highlight:
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Total cost of ownership over 5, 10, and 20 years
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Differences between solid hardwood, engineered wood, LVP, and floating floors
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Visual differences, durability, and refinishing potential
These tools will help you—and your clients—make smarter, long-term decisions without sorting through biased product claims. Because real hardwood floating floors should speak for themselves. Between now and when the new tools are ready, you can discover Understanding Steller Floors Pricing (https://floorsbysteller.com/steller-blog/understanding-steller-floors-pricing).
What Surprised Us (and What Didn’t)
We weren’t surprised that our community wanted clarity, support, and confidence. That’s been at the core of our product design from the start.
But we were pleasantly surprised by just how thoughtful, generous, and smart your feedback was. Many clients offered not just critiques, but creative ideas. Others shared glowing install experiences that reminded us exactly why we’re in this business.
One homeowner said:
"That I did it 100% myself :) (done, it was an awesome experience!)"
Another told us:
"Love the system. Took a bit to get the hang of it, but now I want to install more."
Those stories are the fuel behind every upgrade we make.
Want to Add Your Voice?
We’re still collecting insights as we continue to build a better experience for flooring renovation and DIY clients across the country.
If you haven’t already taken the survey—or if you’ve had new ideas since—you can share your feedback in just a few minutes:
👉 Have tips or questions about flooring renovation? Share Your Feedback in The Comments Below. Your ideas help us make flooring better for homeowners, installers, and designers alike.
Let’s make real wood flooring smarter—together.