Flooring installation is a serious business. This is why reading through key Dos (and Don’ts) of flooring and carpet installation is well worth the time.
Professional Flooring & Carpet Installation Is Worth the Investment
Whether the installation was DIY or involved the work of helpful friends, neighbors, or local handymen, doing it wrong rarely allows the opportunity for “re-dos.” By then, the flooring material is typically damaged or has been cut/reshaped in ways that will no longer work as ordered.
In the case of carpet, the material can be over-stretched and unusable, even if you are brave enough to try a round two.
3 Essential “Dos” For DIY Flooring & Carpet Installs
Here are three essential “Dos” when you’re ready to install new flooring.
1. DO Work With Local Flooring Design Professionals
There are multiple components involved with flooring and carpet selections, but two of the most important are choosing the right material for the space and installing it correctly.
The only way to achieve both the first time is to work with a local flooring design professional dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction from start to finish. Take time to visit their showrooms and get to know their designers before selecting the one that feels most comfortable to you.
2. DO Invest In the Right Flooring & Subflooring Materials
If you honor #1 and work with a reputable local flooring specialist, choosing the right flooring and sub-flooring materials is an inevitable bonus. Not only does choosing the right materials ensure you gain longevity with minimum maintenance required, but you’ll also support the installation process.
Even the best flooring installers in the world can’t make your flooring last or look its best if you don’t select the best materials for the location and your lifestyle.
Selecting the right flooring and sub-flooring materials refers to:
- Which materials are best suited for the living space and household activities?
- Ensuring there is some element of waterproofing or resistance in our humid climate.
- Choosing sub-flooring materials designed to work with the final product (this is something your flooring designer can help with as you may not know what goes with what).
- Considering potential elevation changes for transitions between one material and another and making accommodations for that.
- Taking accurate measurements, including accommodating any stairs, ramps, or uniquely shaped room features.
If any of these bullet points aren’t accurately addressed, the installers can’t do much about your end results.
3. DO Use a Licensed Professional Flooring Installer
We can’t emphasize enough that installing flooring is not a DIY project, and the extra emphasis on this if we’re talking about carpet installation.
Professional flooring installers:
- Know exactly what they’re doing so they honor proactive industry methods, such as the proverbial “measure twice, cut once.”
- Are licensed, bonded, and insured so that any mishap that may occur is financially covered on your behalf.
- Leave your flooring in perfect showroom condition.
- Are required in order to protect your flooring warranties (if your flooring is defective, the manufacturer may not honor the warranty if you can’t prove you used a licensed, experienced installer.
- Are courteous, tidy, and trustworthy when working in your home.
Always do your homework when hiring a professional carpet installer by:
- Asking them questions about licensing, insurance/bonding, experience, etc.
- Learning more about their flooring installation crews (what are their requirements for hiring new installers?).
- Scouring online reviews to get a general gist of the customer experience.
- Requesting they provide recent referrals and photos of their recent work (verified by the referrals so you know they’re genuine).
- Checking the Better Business Bureau website to see if they have a rating or any unresolved customer complaints.
Creative Floors has longstanding partnerships with the best Orlando-area flooring installers. We organize installation for our customers with these crews because we can confidently vouch for the quality of their workmanship.
3 Emphatic “Don’ts” When It Comes to Flooring Installation
That leads us right into the Don’ts when you’re ready to replace flooring in your Florida home.
1. DON’T Make It a DIY Project
There is far more to choosing and installing flooring than doing online research or taking advantage of “amazing discounts” advertised by big box stores.
We always feel sad for customers who come to us after their online flooring or big box installation debacles. While we are always happy to help them get the job done right, there’s nothing we can do about some of the most common mistakes made by DIY flooring purchases or installation.
Examples of common DIY flooring mishaps include:
- Selecting the wrong flooring (so it warps, fades, shreds, stains, etc.)
- Not getting what you ordered (quantity, quality, or even the same pattern/color) on delivery.
- Receiving damaged flooring.
- Mismeasured flooring that has to be torn out and redone.
- Not understanding how to lay flooring (especially hardwood options) to avoid repeat patterns.
- Not stretching the carpet enough (or stretching it too much), leading to uneven surfaces, wrinkling, air pockets, etc.
- Flooring pieces that don’t fit together properly.
- Not ordering enough materials and not realizing it until it’s too late (if you took advantage of deals, this can mean learning they’re sold out).
The list could go on, but you get the idea. You truly do get what you pay for when it comes to the quality of flooring materials and their installation.
2. DON’T Trust the Neighborhood Handyman or Other Industry Pro
We appreciate that there are plenty of skilled handymen and subcontractors out there. However, if they’re not professional flooring installers – the odds are they aren’t licensed or insured to do that type of work. That leaves you in a bind if they:
- Swore they could get you a bunch of discounted flooring for cheap (without seeing it first or having any consultation about whether it will work in your home).
- Stop midstream because the scope of work is beyond their ability.
- Leave materials under the flooring (Yes! This happens and leads to broken, damaged, or misshapen flooring as it settles).
- Are not careful about nails and staples, which can leave sharp injury-causing pokeys for bare feet and paws.
- Damage the flooring, leaving you stranded because manufacturers won’t cover it.
Helpful neighbors and friends are invaluable, but they’re not the answer when it comes to professional flooring installation that stands up to the test of time – and manufacturer warranties.
3. DON’T Believe “Too Good to Be True” Gimmicks
There’s a reason we have the expression “too good to be true.” Some things are—and significantly discounted or underpriced “quality” flooring is one of those things. It simply doesn’t exist.
Yes, reputable flooring showrooms frequently offer reasonable discounts and sales, but that’s not typically going to be an exponential cut of the recommended sales price of a given product.
When you’re talking about a major upgrade or significant home project – like redoing your floors – you need high-quality materials that meet or exceed their projected lifespan.
Ready For New Flooring? DO Meet With Creative Floors
Why pay twice (which ends up being far more) when you can pay once and enjoy a stress-free, personally customized flooring purchase and installation experience from start to finish?
Schedule your consultation with Creative Floors in one of our two showrooms or request an in-home appointment where we can bring the showroom to you. We always ensure our customers select the best flooring for the space and benefit from the most professional hard flooring and carpet installation.
