What does "Attic Stock" mean?

Surplus Flooring Materials

"Attic Stock" is a term used by many flooring retailers, contractors, and suppliers to describe excess material that is taking up valuable space in their warehouses. This can include all types of materials - anything from ceramic tile and rolls of carpet, to boxes of hardwood, laminate flooring, rolls of pad, area rugs, supplies and more.

Balances and Overstocked Items

These excess items are often balances leftover from jobs, extra material ordered to get better pricing, discontinued product lines, or cancelled and unclaimed orders. Although these items are new and unused, many companies are willing to sell them at huge discounts.

Commercial and Contract Flooring

"Attic Stock" is also a term used in the construction industry to refer to extra material that is contractually required to be purchased for a job. The purpose of this "attic stock" is to ensure that identical materials can be used for future repairs and replacements.

For a typical commercial flooring installation (banks, offices, schools, shopping malls, etc.), this amount can be as much as five to ten percent of the total material required for a job. Upon job completion, this excess material is either delivered to the customer or safely stored for a period of time in the contractor's warehouse. Once the customer no longer needs the material, or after the storage period has expired, the contractor can either dispose of the material, give it away, or sell it - typically at a greatly reduced cost.