5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Floor Coating Supplier

2018-06-06

A supplier should be more than a source of materials. A good supplier acts like a business partner—as committed to your success as you are, on hand to back you up, answer your questions, and make running your business easier. Consider these 5 questions when picking suppliers, to ensure you’re making the right choice:

1) Is the supplier the manufacturer?

Beware: there are a number of suppliers that private-label concrete coatings manufactured by a third party. This is all well and good until you have technical questions or issues or need customized materials. With the original manufacturer, there is no better source of product information and support. (You can read more about private labelers vs. manufacturers here.)

2) How big and/or experienced is the supplier?

The advantage of working with a big company lies in their years of experience and depth of knowledge—which saves you time and money trying to figure everything out on your own. Additionally, the more established the company, the more likely that they’ll be around when you have a question or need to go back to them one, five, or ten years from now. For example, Citadel has evolved over 40 years from a mid-sized installation company to the leading manufacturer for polyurea coatings in the world.

3) What is the level of support?

Do they provide tools and support in estimating the amount of material needed per job, based on the square footage? Can they provide all technical data and specs on their products? (For example, 40+ years in the industry has given us the knowledge and experience to create multiple tools to make your job easier—including estimating tools. We know the industry inside and out; if you have a question, we have a guy who can answer it.)

4) Does the supplier warranty their products?

You want to work with a supplier who stands behind their materials. This is as important to your customer as it is to you as the contractor—so a good warranty becomes an ally in helping you sell your services and the product you install. (For example, we offer a 20-year residential warranty and a 5-year commercial warranty—better than anyone in the business).

5) Does the supplier offer trainings on installing their product?

There’s nothing better than hands-on experience to determine a product’s ease of application and workability—especially in a training environment where you can ask any question you may have regarding installation or the product itself. (Citadel offers monthly trainings that includes classroom and hands-on application, run by one of our seasoned senior technical service reps, whose brain you can pick with any questions.)

When choosing a supplier, consider their experience, support, warranties, and training—and whether they themselves manufacture the materials. Have questions about our materials, or need help estimating your next job? Schedule a chat with one of our flooring experts here.