How To Get Samples Of Different Flooring Types Delivered
Free manufacturer samples narrow the shortlist — but a swatch will never show plank length, batch variation, or how the floor reads in your home's actual light. Here is the two-step process that actually works.
How to get samples of different flooring types delivered
To get samples of different flooring types delivered, order free manufacturer samples online from Mohawk, Shaw, Mannington, COREtec, or Karastan — most ship within a week. Samples confirm color and texture but not plank length, batch variation, or how the floor reads at scale in your lighting. Floors and Beyond recommends ordering free samples to narrow the shortlist, then requesting an in-home measurement with full-size planks viewed in the room's actual light.
Free manufacturer samples are the right first step in any flooring selection, and ordering them is straightforward. Mohawk, Shaw, Mannington, COREtec, and Karastan each maintain sample programs that ship a small swatch or plank chip to a residential address, usually within a week and at no charge. A shortlist of three to five samples is enough to eliminate the colors that read wrong in person and keep the ones worth a closer look.
The limit of a sample is that it only shows color and texture at swatch scale. It does not show plank length, it does not show batch-to-batch variation across a full room, and — most importantly — it does not show how the floor reads under the home's actual lighting. Northern Virginia's seasonal light shifts dramatically. A north-facing room in a Reston townhome reads cooler year-round, while a south-facing room in a Burke ranch runs warmer. The same swatch will look like two different floors in those two rooms.
Floors and Beyond uses samples as the narrowing step, then brings full-size planks to the in-home measurement so the homeowner sees the floor at scale, under the room's actual light, beside the paint and cabinetry it will live next to. That is the step where the decision actually gets made.
Where to order free manufacturer samples
Each of the five major manufacturers maintains a free sample program. The table below lists what each is best known for, so the homeowner can match the sample order to the product category under consideration.
| Manufacturer | Best known for | Sample format |
|---|---|---|
| Mohawk | LVP, engineered hardwood, carpet | Plank chip or carpet swatch |
| Shaw | LVP, engineered hardwood, carpet | Plank chip or carpet swatch |
| Mannington | LVP, porcelain tile, hardwood | Plank chip or tile chip |
| COREtec | Waterproof SPC/WPC LVP | Plank chip |
| Karastan | Premium wool and synthetic carpet | Carpet swatch |
Why a swatch is not the same as the floor
A free sample is a useful tool with a hard ceiling. It confirms color and texture at the scale of a chip — and nothing beyond that. Three things live outside what a sample can show, and all three affect whether the installed floor matches the homeowner's expectation.
Plank length & layout
A 4-inch swatch does not show how a 7-inch-wide, 48-inch-long plank reads across a 200-square-foot room. Long planks in a small room read busy; short planks in a large room read choppy. Only full-size planks laid in the room reveal that.
Batch variation
Hardwood and LVP both vary batch to batch. A single swatch cannot show the range of color and grain across a full order. A professional bringing three or four full planks shows that range honestly.
Lighting at scale
Northern Virginia light shifts by exposure and season. North-facing Reston townhomes read cooler; south-facing Burke ranches read warmer. The same floor looks like two different products in those two rooms — and only full planks in the room make that visible.
Color beside cabinetry
A floor never lives alone. It reads against paint, cabinetry, and trim. A swatch held against a cabinet in a retail aisle is not the same as a full plank laid on the subfloor beside the actual kitchen.
"Order the free samples. Narrow the shortlist to three. Then ask a professional to bring full-size planks into the room — because the floor you live with is the one in your lighting, not the one in the catalog."
Floors and Beyond · Northern Virginia · Since 1987
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get samples of different flooring types delivered?Order free samples online directly from manufacturers — Mohawk, Shaw, Mannington, COREtec, and Karastan all offer free sample programs that typically ship within a week. Samples confirm color and texture but not plank length, batch variation, or how the floor reads at scale. Floors and Beyond recommends narrowing the shortlist with free samples, then requesting an in-home measurement with full-size planks.
Are free flooring samples really free?Most manufacturer sample programs ship a small swatch or plank chip at no charge. Some manufacturers limit the number of free samples per household. Full-size planks are usually reserved for in-home consultations, where a flooring professional brings several full boards to view under the home's actual lighting.
Why do flooring samples look different in the store than at home?Lighting changes how a floor reads. Northern Virginia's seasonal light shifts dramatically — north-facing rooms in Reston townhomes read cooler, while south-facing exposures in Burke ranches run warmer. A swatch viewed under retail fluorescents will not match the same floor viewed under a home's northern exposure at scale.
Can I order full-size flooring planks as samples?Manufacturers rarely ship full-size planks as free samples. Full planks are typically brought to the home during an in-home measurement by the installer or retailer. Floors and Beyond brings full-size planks from the narrowed shortlist so the homeowner can view them in the room's actual light before ordering.
From sample to decision — in your home's lighting
Floors and Beyond has guided flooring selection across Northern Virginia since 1987 using in-house crews and full-size planks viewed in the room, not in a catalog.
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