Installing new flooring can be a great way to rejuvenate your home. There are many different types of flooring and many factors that should be considered before installing them. If all the choices seem overwhelming, you might want to consider hiring professionals for the installation process. It is important that they know how to install each type of flooring without damaging it.
The experts from flooring companies will take the proper measurements of the area to be carpeted. An ideal building contractor knows that the measurements are always taken from the tip of one wall to the tip of another. The floor measurements are not taken at a diagonal or against an angled wall because it affects how much material is needed and thus its cost. Having a reputed contractor will help you measure every room and hallways, entryway, and closet separately in the right manner. Below are some things to consider when installing new flooring:
Determine the Type of Flooring
There are many different floorings available, and it is important to consider which one will work best for your particular application. Some factors that come into play when considering what type of flooring would be the best include: cost, durability, maintenance requirements, water resistance (if you plan on installing it in a bathroom or near a pool), wear resistance, and of course, aesthetics.
Consider the flooring options available. When thinking about various flooring options for your home, consider the different types of flooring available and what might work best for your particular application. For example, vinyl flooring might be the best option for you if you want to replace your current flooring with something similar or if you do not require high levels of durability.
Some types of flooring are better suited for places with lots of foot traffic, while others are meant only for accent or are used behind furniture or cabinets because they cost less than other options. When choosing where to install tile, wood floors, or carpeting, remember that if it is installed on a level surface without any dips or valleys, water will flow through it more easily during times of flooding, which means you might end up spending a lot of money to replace it after a big storm.
Consider the Floor Prep Work That Must be Done
It is important to consider your existing flooring when looking at new flooring options for your home. For example, if you have a carpet in a room and plan on replacing it with laminate flooring, then removing and disposing of the carpet yourself can be a great way to save money. Consider your existing flooring as it will determine whether you require excavating contractors to assist with the new floor installation.
If you are replacing existing flooring with the same type of product, however, it is generally not necessary to do much floor prep work. For example, if you do not want to remove the existing wall-to-wall carpet in a room, you can skip this step. However, suppose your new flooring will be installed over a different material, or you are installing a laminate/engineered wood product over concrete. In that case, it is usually necessary to remove the existing material and put down a vapor barrier before you install your new flooring.
It is vital to ensure you remove any existing carpeting. Whether you plan to lay your new flooring on top of existing tile, wood, or vinyl, or if you are starting with nothing but subfloor, removal can be as simple as pulling up ceramic tiles or as time-consuming as removing baseboards from a tight spot where walls meet angles floors in a hallway corner.
In cases where glue residue is still attached to the floor, prime it with a special adhesive remover and let it sit for a few minutes. Then rub away glued areas using mineral spirits in a well-ventilated area. Once these two steps have been completed, you can lay your new flooring right over the top of your old one.
The wood floor installation requires simple home improvements like painting walls, repairing cracks in plaster, and filling nail holes before installation begins. Wood floors are not chemically treated, so removing any residue left behind by varnishes or finishes is important. For this job, use a solution of three parts water to one part mineral spirits in a well-ventilated area. Use steel wool to remove rust stains and scuff marks on flooring, which can be sanded down if there are deep scratches.
Be Aware of the Edges
When installing new flooring, it is necessary to consider what edges you will need to work with to get the job done. This includes finished sides, unfinished sides, and flooring that needs lapping like wood-looking tile or sheet vinyl. If you need to turn a finished side out (such as with a carpet), you will need to figure in an additional three inches for this when measuring your space to have enough room to work. It would help if you also decided on the right edge treatment for your new floor.
Many flooring types require different types of edge treatments, and it is important to decide what your final choice will be before you begin the installation process. For example, hardwood flooring needs rounded edges to be installed properly when attaching boards. In addition, if you need to place the flooring in a straight line, it is important to choose an edge treatment that will allow you to do this easily and efficiently.
Consider the Underlayment
It is always best to place an underlayment between your subfloor (or existing flooring) and the new flooring material. This will provide at least some added cushion when you walk on it, in addition to protecting your original flooring. If lapping or another type of strong adhesive is required to install your new flooring, the underlayment will also provide a smooth surface for easier installation. Suppose you install one piece of flooring over another, such as placing one sheet of vinyl over another. In that case, it is recommended that you place an underlayment in between to make the transition between the flooring smooth. It is important to remember that different types of underlayment are required for different floorings (carpet, laminate, floating vinyl planks, etc.).
When you are thinking about installing new hardwood flooring in your home, you may wonder what type of underlayment to use to protect the floor from moisture and provide a good foundation for the wood. There are several options out there today for underlayment for hardwood floors, so it is important to do some research into the material before deciding which one to use. Plywood is one of the most common materials used as underlayment for hardwood flooring.
Take a Look at the Cost
A floor can be one of the most expensive things you buy for your home, and it is important to consider the overall budget before you begin shopping around. To stay on budget, it might be necessary to use less expensive materials in areas where they will not make a big impact, such as where the floor meets the wall.
When you want to buy new flooring for your home, you will want to consider the total cost of installation. For instance, you need to know the cost of commercial concrete services before embarking on a new flooring installation that entails concrete pumping services or commercial paving services.
Some flooring types have an expensive price tag but are well worth it because they come with professional installation included in that price. Other options may be less costly but require a significant investment in the labor associated with the installation. For example, when you are considering laminate flooring for your home, not only is it less expensive than some other types on the market, but installation will be costly as well.
On the other hand, if you want to go with a luxury vinyl tile option, you will find that while it may be pricier than laminate, installing this type of flooring is much less expensive because anyone can usually do it. You need to decide if you want to take on the labor yourself or pay someone else to do it.
Not only will different types of flooring have different costs when it comes to installation, but individual projects can vary in price as well. For example, if you are looking for natural stone restoration, or on wood floors and the type of wood is exotic hardwood, it could be more expensive than a basic oak or maple floor. In addition, if the boards need to be cut in a certain way for the project to work out, you will need to factor in the additional labor cost.
Flooring is already an investment, but if it can be installed by someone who knows what they are doing, then not only will your floor look better, but you will not have any additional costs associated with having a pro do it for you.
Decide on Synthetic or Natural
This may depend on your lifestyle and the décor you prefer, but synthetic floors are much easier to clean when accidents happen; they are less likely to be damaged by moisture and can add real value to a home. In addition, there is no need for refinishing or recoating when synthetic flooring becomes worn because its color does not change over time, and surface scratches do not show up as easily.
On the downside, some people have allergies to chemicals used in making plastic which makes natural materials a nice alternative make even if they may be slightly more difficult to maintain.
Add Insulation & Vapor Barrier Under Carpeting
When the carpeting is installed without insulation and a vapor barrier between it and exterior walls, condensation can form under the carpet, which means mold spores have a damp, warm place to grow. To avoid this problem, add batt insulation before installation on the top of existing insulation whenever possible and always use rigid foam board underneath wall-to-wall installations. In cases where there isn’t any existing insulation, or it has been removed for whatever reason, install an R-rated underlayment.
Insulate inside walls under carpeting. If you are installing, replacing, or repairing carpeting and notice no insulation between your exterior wall and your hardwood floors, use rigid foam board insulation to make the floor safer. Though it may seem like a good idea to lay down fiberglass butt insulation before laying down new carpeting because it may reduce noise, this is not only ineffective, but it can cause toxic particles from loose fibers to fall off as people walk on them, which makes this a poor choice for anyone who has allergies or respiratory issues.
When installing new hardwood or carpeted floors, it is important to remove the door threshold because it can damage if left in place. Though it may need replacing afterward whenever removal is necessary, this part of the installation is an easy process that only requires pry bars and hammers to pull up nails or screws holding down wood trim boards into the subflooring. Once it has been removed, cover the opening with plastic sheeting and tape around its edges before laying down your new flooring material on top of the subflooring.
Recognize Floor Level Distinctions
Variations in tile flooring sometimes occur when tiles that are not the same size are installed next to each other without leaving space between them, but they can also happen when the subfloor has dips, ridges, or valleys that cause some tiles to sit higher than others. If you notice unevenness in your tiles, the floor needs to be leveled using a self-leveling mortar that mixes with water or polyurethane glue that will harden when dry.
When matching a new area rug with existing floor design elements, be aware that rugs should never hang lower than one-third of the way up a wall, which means that if your baseboards are two inches tall, your rug should never hang lower than six inches off the floor. If you use an area rug that hangs lower than this proportion, it will make any wall look too short.
When installing new floors, many important factors to consider can affect safety and how well they hold up over time. Some of these include choosing the right material for your needs, prepping subflooring before installation, leveling out uneven surfaces, and adding insulation and vapor barriers to prevent mold growth.
Though there may be some obstacles along the way, such as door thresholds or large appliances which might not fit through doors without having to remove them first by uninstalling hinges or disconnecting electrical cords before moving them into rooms with tile or concrete floors, this is not a process that requires very much time or money to complete.
Home improvement projects add value to your home: getting renovation services like hardscaping and flooring services increases the curb appeal of your home. Be keen to look out for the tips above to undertake a successful flooring installation in your home.