insciodsetco
the toll-free phone number printed on each
program’s brochure to confirm availability in
their area and/or set up a free in-home
appointment with a professional consultant,
if needed. With two of the programs—
carpeting and window fashions—a visit to
costco.com (go to the Decor category and
select “Services for Your Home”) is all it takes
to get things started.”
Eco-logical
The greening of Costco’s
Special Order kiosks
BuyingSmart
Consumer reporter Pat Volchok
gives a behind-the-scenes look
at Costco products and services.
Send your questions to:
buyingsmart@costco.com
FOR GOOD VALUE, convenience and a great
approach to improving your green footprint
on many home-remodeling projects, look no
further than Costco’s Special Order kiosks.
Special Order kiosks are available in
most Costco warehouses across the country,
and two of the kiosk programs can be found
on costco.com. They are where members can
find a growing variety of customized home-improvement programs—from carpets and
window treatments to countertops, gutters
and home heating and cooling solutions—at
great savings. The selection of programs may
vary between warehouses.
Special Order kiosk buyers Chris Hendrix
and Al Omer and their teams do all the
groundwork. They meet with suppliers, investigate products for quality and value, scrutinize craftsmanship, then ink the best deal.
That means all members need to do is call
Carpet diem
The Special Order kiosk carpet program
includes measuring, installation and a resi-dential-carpet quality-assurance warranty.
No remnants or discontinued styles are ever
allowed.
Shaw, a leading U.S. manufacturer of a
wide variety of flooring, is Costco’s longtime
carpet partner. All Shaw Special Order kiosk
residential and commercial carpets are premium grade and made in the U.S.
JIM FAGIOLO
If you’re sensitive to or concerned about
fumes associated with carpet installation, it’s
worth mentioning the level of gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Shaw’s
carpets. VOC gases are released by a variety
of manufactured products, such as paints,
cleaning supplies, pesticides, and building
materials and furnishings, including carpets.
More and more manufacturers have been
trending away from using VOCs, and that
includes Shaw. Their recyclable carpets are
certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute
Green Label Plus for the lowest amounts of
VOCs on the market today.
I requested a sample of eco-chic Anso
nylon from Al and found no difference
between it and other similarly rated nylon
carpets. It has a great, luxurious feel. Al
reports, “Anso nylon is extremely durable,
fashionable and inherently stain resistant with
Shaw R2X, a combined soil- and stain-repel-lent system, applied to the carpet.”
Commendably, Shaw doubles the texture
warranties on all carpets sold through Costco
if the Premium Touch™ foam cushion is also
used. (We installed this green pad, containing
recycled content, in our home last year and
found it pleasantly fume-free and cushy soft.)
For those in a hurry, Rapid Install is now
offered in many areas. Pick from Shaw’s
most popular colors and styles of carpet and
Costco will ensure that it gets installed within
10 business days from the date of purchase.
Call 1-888-992-2773 to schedule a complimentary appointment in your home or to
ask questions.
DuPont is in the LEED
Costco kiosks offer a variety of beautiful, long-lasting DuPont countertop materials, including solid acrylic Corian and
polymer/natural quartz Zodiaq, that are
scratch, stain and heat resistant.
Nontoxic and nonallergenic, Corian and
