Can we take samples home?

At Kerns Carpet One Floor and Home we highly recommend customers take home samples. We suggest looking at samples in the daytime and nighttime hours. In addition, we would advise you look at the samples in different rooms of the house due to different lighting issues. This exercise will help you finalize a decision.

I cannot make it to the store, can you come to me?

We'd love to. Just fill out our quick Shop at Home form and we'll come to you!

Does Kerns Carpet One Floor and Home sell more than carpet?

Absolutely! In fact, Kerns Carpet One is one of the largest suppliers of wood, ceramic tile, vinyl, and luxury vinyl tile/plank in Southeastern Wisconsin. In addition all hard surface products purchased and installed by Kerns certified installers backed by our lifetime installation warranty.

We have heard the term “Carpet One” used in your name. What does this mean?

Good question. Carpet One is the largest purchaser of flooring in the world. As an affiliate of this buying co-operative we are able to buy better, provide the best warranties, and have access to the latest trends. In fact, we buy more flooring than Home Depot and Lowes combined and can offer better pricing than the big box stores or the competition in Milwaukee!

How long does it take to have a new floor installed?

This depends on the size and scope of the project. Plus, material can dictate timing as well.

Getting the material is the easy part. Installing the material can take days due to acclimation issues or floor conditions.

Carpet is the easiest and least cumbersome product to install. A typical job of between 500 – 1000sf can be done in one day provided the area is free of furniture and take up/disposal of existing carpet.

Hard surface can take upwards of 1 – 4 days depending on the conditions. In most cases we can install between 300 – 450sf per day provided the room is free of furniture, appliances, etc. If underlayment or prep work (poor floor condition) is required this could delay our timetable.

Should you have special needs or require immediate assistance we can work directly with you on a timeline to insure the work is completed on time and to your satisfaction.

Is Pat Kerns still involved with Kerns Carpet One?

Yes, he is. Pat Kerns’ face has been a staple in the Milwaukee market since 1986. Despite his age he continues to be the face of the organization and continues to play a significant role within Kerns Carpet One. His son, Bill, runs the day to day operations.

What kind of installation warranty does Kerns Carpet One offer?

Kerns Carpet One is the only specialty flooring store in Milwaukee to offer a lifetime installation warranty on everything we sell and install. If a problem occurs contact your sales person for assistance. The sales person will make an appointment to look at the area and if a repair is needed, he or she will follow up to schedule a date to address the problem.

Do you offer design service?

The bulk of our sales staff have a degree in design from MATC (Milwaukee Area Technical College) and other well known institutions. These individuals are skilled in design, product knowledge, and color coordination.

Our sales staff are required to attend periodic training classes in product, installation services and techniques, and attend Carpet One University classes and take online classes from Carpet One and suppliers.

We are very proud of our sales staff and believe you will find them to be friendly, knowledgeable, and provide outstanding customer service from the start to the finish of your project.

Do we need to move the furniture and take up the old carpet?

These two issues come up often and we have found customers put off their projects because they don’t want to move the furniture or take up the carpet.

We have some good news for you. Kerns will do both at a nominal fee! That’s right, for pennies on the dollar Kerns will move and re-set your furniture and take up the old carpet. In addition, we'll also dispose of your old carpet.

There are certain restrictions on moving the furniture. For example, computers need to be disconnected, we cannot move a water bed, or a hospital bed. Plus, things like slate pool tables, grand pianos/organs, must be moved by others. We do have access to people who can move the items listed above for a nominal fee.

We are considering new flooring in the kitchen. What happens to the appliances?

In order to do the job right we need to move appliances. We can move these items for a nominal fee, but cannot disconnect a gas line or an ice maker. Unusual toilets, etc. might require a plumber.

Also, if you’re considering a vinyl or ceramic tile floor remember underlayment or cement board may be needed. This will raise your floor by 1/4” to 3/4”. This added height would change the existing transitions to other floors and alter appliance heights as well. At Kerns Carpet One, every effort will be made to address these issues prior to the installation of your new floor.

What do you do with the old carpet and pad?

Great question. Kerns is dedicated to the preservation of our environment and has become the leader in the Milwaukee area in recycling both carpet and padding. Working in conjunction with C.L.E.A.R. (Carpet Landfill Elimination and Recycling) Kerns no longer contracts to have carpet dumped in landfills and instead makes sure old carpet/pad removed from residential and commercial jobs are recycled. In fact, this past year Kerns was recognized by the Brookfield Chamber of Commerce and the City of Brookfield for their initiative on recycling.

Is it true Kerns Carpet One can clean my carpet and upholstery?

Yes, it’s true. Kerns Carpet Cleaning has been cleaning carpet, upholstery, tile/grout, area rugs for over 4 years.

We are very concerned with preserving the investment people make in their homes and our cleaning business is manned by individuals with IICRC certification. Most carpet mills require IICRC cleaners be used in order to guarantee the performance and to preserve the warranties.

Our cleaning department can also address flood damage or remove lint from dryers, and do commercial cleaning as well.

Finally, manufacturers recommend carpet be cleaned every 12 – 24 months (depends on activity in the home i.e. kids and pets). Failure to have carpet cleaned can void a warranty from the manufacture or fiber company. Visit the Kerns Carpet Cleaning website to get more information.

Why should I buy from Kerns and not the big box stores or the shop at home businesses.

First and foremost, Kerns has been in business since 1935. We are the oldest specialty flooring store in the Milwaukee metro area. We have sold and installed over 1 million square feet of carpet in the past 75+ years!

Our number one focus is you. You'll have no concerns with Kerns!

We are very different than the big box stores or the shop at home businesses. Our focus is on you, not your pocket book. We are dedicated professionals determined to find the right fit for your home and budget.

We spend countless hours on training and educating our sales staff and installers through Carpet One University, in-store product knowledge seminars, and attending installation related symposiums. We have found the big box stores and the in-home selling operation’s personnel are poorly trained and are challenged to answer basic questions on product placement or installation related issues.

Remember, flooring is an expensive purchase and mistakes can be made. At Kerns we offer you an insurance policy called our Beautiful Guarantee. If the style or color selected and installed is not what you anticipated, we will replace the goods with a comparable style and color, plus pay the labor! What big box store or in-home shopping operation offers a similar plan?

Making a room look beautiful is no easy task, especially if the job is installed by someone unqualified to do the work. We see this often and have taken steps over the years to mandate that all installers working for Kerns be certified by CFI (Carpet Flooring Institute), Karastan certification, and Installation Excellence.

We take installation very seriously and understand an installer can make or break our reputation. To help us maintain our edge in the marketplace we rate our installers based on a four part grading system. The grading system has led to constant improvement in the performance of our installation teams and enabled us to achieve a repair ratio of less than 1/10th of 1% for the past three years!

We understand flooring is a big ticket item and customers are very concerned about cost. With our affiliation with the largest buying group of flooring we are confident we can save you money and add tremendous value to your purchase.

Our buying group is the single largest purchaser of flooring in the world and buys more than Home Depot or Lowes combined. Our buying power enables us to secure the lowest prices available on carpet and hard surface products. Rest assured, buying from Kerns will not break your piggy bank and in fact, save you money and provide years of enjoyment with your new floor.

Finally, Kerns Carpet One is proud of being locally owned and operated. We are a family business and our employees and installers live here. The money you spend in our store stays here, unlike the big box stores and the in-home operations. We pride ourselves on giving back to the community by donating our time and money to organizations like the Community Warehouse, Habitat for Humanity and the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation.

Does Kerns do commercial work?