Flooring installation is one home improvement project that needs to be done right or it affects the look of your home. Wrinkles in the carpet or imperfections showing through vinyl make your floor look unattractive. Unless you have experience with flooring installation, you'll probably want to hire a flooring installer even if you buy the materials yourself. Here are some important steps in residential flooring installation.
1. Choose The Materials
If you hire a professional to install your floors, they can come to your house first to measure for the amount of flooring you'll need. In addition to buying the square footage of the room, you'll also need to buy extra to allow for lining up the flooring right for the best look.
In addition to planks, tiles, or carpet, you'll also need supplies for the installation. Depending on the flooring material you choose, you may need underlayment, adhesive, padding, or grout.
2. Prepare The Old Floor
If you buy carpet, sheet vinyl, or a floor that floats, you might put it on top of the old flooring you already have. To do this, the old floor has to be repaired so cracks and other imperfections won't show through. Plus, you'll want the old floor to be dry, clean, and free from odors before you cover it up.
You may need to pull up the old floor instead. With the old materials out of the way, the installer can assess the condition of the subfloor to make sure it doesn't have water damage. Part of the subfloor may need to be replaced, and the floor should be cleaned and repairs made so the surface is level and smooth.
Once the floor is ready, the contractor can put down padding, underlayment, or a vapor barrier if they're needed. After that, it's time to install the new floor.
3. Install The New Flooring
Installation methods vary according to the type of flooring you buy. Some types are started at the wall and worked toward the middle of the room while others start at the middle of the room and work to the outside walls. A residential flooring installation contractor has experience with all types of flooring and they know how to give your new floor the best look.
They may need to remove the baseboard molding and doors. They may also need to cut the flooring so it can go around columns or a toilet. Some flooring is called loose lay because all that's needed is to lay it on the floor. Others need to be attached in some way, such as gluing, nailing, or clicking planks together. That makes some types of flooring, such as hardwood planks, much harder to install than others.
Choosing flooring can be quite a challenge, mainly because you have so many options. On the lower end of the cost spectrum, you have things like sheet vinyl and vinyl tile. On the higher end of the cost spectrum, you have stone and ceramic tile. Then, there's carpet. It's installed over a subfloor, but most people do consider it to be a separate type of flooring. You can read more about flooring on this blog, equipping yourself to make a better decision about the flooring that's right for your home. You'll then have a better idea of what questions to ask and what factors to consider as you choose a floor.