Installing Hardwood Flooring Questions
With all of the do-it-yourself (DIY) television shows presented on HGTV and other networks, today’s homeowners are more inclined to tackle home improvement projects themselves than ever before . But, while it may look easy on TV, my strong recommendations is that you not attempt a hardwood flooring installation yourself .
I can’t tell you how many times we have been called in to “fix” a DIY installation gone wrong . Unfortunately, the only thing we can usually do is tear up everything that the homeowner laid down and start over again, wasting hundreds or even thousands of dollars in materials and labor .
People just don’t understand how difficult it is to install hardwood flooring correctly . You have to do 100 or more installations as a helper before you should even think about leading a project yourself .
DIYers often start off by purchasing the wrong hardwood for their application . Then they start laying down the planks and get about half finished when they realize that they are way off center in the room .
They will stagger the boards the wrong way . They start installing backward and then realize their mistake and have to rip it all out and start over . These beginners often make every mistake in the book because they just don’t realize what they’re getting themselves into .
I’ve been doing this for over 11 years, and I can tell you that every room, every project is different, with its own unique challenges . An inexperienced homeowner, doing their first installation, would have trouble in a room that was perfectly square with no door jambs or other cut-ins .
If the floor is not level, or there’s a dip in the middle of the sub-floor, or you run into anything the least out of the ordinary or unexpected, you’re going to find yourself in trouble and become frustrated over the time and money you’ve wasted . After all of that, the worst part is that you still don’t have your floor completed . Please take my advice and let professionals handle this project for you .