You’ve purchased your new floors from a retailer – hardwood, tile, carpet – and can’t wait to see what they look like in your home. Sure, you could hire a flooring professional to install them, but for those looking to save on renovation costs, flooring can be a great do-it-yourself project – if done correctly. To make sure your flooring looks its very best, here’s how to avoid common installation mistakes.
Ignoring moisture issues
Moisture is the most common cause of wood flooring problems. While many homeowners like the look of hardwood flooring in a basement, the moisture in most basements can cause the floors to warp. For this reason, many contractors prefer to use laminate or engineered flooring in a basement. Installing DRIcore can also help to reduce moisture and prevent it from affecting your floors. DRIcore is an engineered subfloor specifically designed for basements that keeps basements dry and comfortable, especially during the damp season.
Not preparing the subfloor
Before laying your hardwood or laminate flooring, your subfloor should be level and completely clean of debris. Not preparing the subfloor properly can cause loose areas and floors to squeak, making your brand new flooring more of a hassle than a neat home improvement.
Installing flooring as soon as you bring it into your home
When you bring your new flooring home, you’ll probably be eager to start the project right away. But wait! Wood flooring needs to acclimate to the interior environment before it’s installed. Hardwood and laminate are vulnerable to environmental factors such as moisture and humidity, which will be different in the warehouse where the wood is stored and your home. To keep floor from buckling, wood should be allowed to sit in the room where it will be installed for at least 48 hours prior to installation, giving it time to expand or contract in relation to the room’s temperature and humidity level.
Not considering the direction of planks
Hardwood floors should run perpendicular to underlying beams. This allows the floors to be stronger. Laminate flooring offers more options and can run in any direction. One design suggestion is to lay laminate in the same direction with the light coming into your home. Another suggestion is to run the flooring parallel to the longest wall in the room.
Make your next home flooring project a success by keeping these tips in mind before you renovate!
Before you run to the store to purchase your new flooring, consider our list of flooring retailers and read their customer reviews. Not interested in a DIY project? That’s fine, too! We can put you in touch with flooring experts in your area.
