Your project may require specific tools and expertise depending on the type of flooring you select; educate yourself about DIY abilities before consulting with experts if necessary for best results.
When installing laminate floors, be sure to place wooden spacers between your walls and the initial row of flooring – this will prevent changes in humidity from warping or damaging either floor or walls.
Tile
Whenever installing tile floors, it’s essential that the subfloor be clean. Start by taking all existing flooring up, prepping it as per manufacturer recommendations, and starting at a tile store where expert staff will offer expert advice about this project. Ask them to create a transition so the new floor blends in nicely with existing hallway floors.
Before the scratch coat dries, mix your mortar according to manufacturer recommendations while being careful not to overmix. Keep a bucket and sponge handy as an aid for keeping the area wet.
Reaching the center of each wall and snapping chalk lines that meet there, this serves as your starting point for laying tile. To avoid an unbalanced floor look, use a framing square to create a grid to ensure you lay tiles in a visual balance pattern.
Hardwood
Solid hardwood flooring adds a luxurious aesthetic to any room, yet the high cost of professional installation may prevent you from adding this luxe touch.
DIY wood floor installation can save hundreds by planning carefully and understanding the process, tools and materials involved.
Begin by giving the flooring time to adjust to your home for three to five days before beginning installation. Lay out boards from various cases, mixing their shades and lengths up as you go. Be mindful of any damage or warping as soon as you notice it – discard any suspect boards immediately!
Install a vapor barrier over your subfloor using red rosin paper or another product designed for this task (Photo 4). This will protect it from moisture that could cause it to swell and buckle, while leaving at least three-eighths-in. expansion gaps along walls so your flooring can swell without getting trapped against them.
Laminate
Installing laminate floors can be a straightforward home improvement project for even novice DIY-ers, making this home improvement task accessible even to non-experts. Before getting started, however, you will require several key tools and materials. These include measuring tapes, wood flooring cutters and spacers as well as saws with blades specifically designed for laminate available from hardware stores in your area.
As soon as you’re ready to begin, start in one corner of the room and install your first row of laminate floors using spacers to maintain an expansion gap due to temperature and humidity fluctuations. When starting this task, keep these tips in mind for optimal results:
Once the first row is installed, work your way outwards using plastic shims and tapping blocks to secure side joints and match tongues with grooves on adjacent rows. After installing all rows, add quarter-round molding and baseboards for a finished look before mopping with equal parts of vinegar and water (rubbing alcohol can also be added for additional sanitization), using either an online recipe or one from local hardware stores as mop solution.
Carpet
Carpet flooring provides soft, warm comfort without breaking the bank. Before purchasing new carpeting, determine what color and texture will best complement the space in which you will place it; consider your budget and lifestyle when making this decision; any doors needing unhinged may require taking down and taking out floor vents depending on the project you undertake.
Before installing any carpet, first install padding. Start by fastening strips from wall to wall along the bare side of the room with 1/4-inch spaces between them and nailing them firmly onto the subfloor with a hammer and work gloves.
Roll out enough carpeting to cover all areas of your room, with its back facing down and its pile paralleling your padding. Stretch it using a knee kicker with teeth designed to latch onto fastening strips and stretch as necessary.
If you need to sew two pieces of carpet together, use heat-activated seaming tape for optimal results. It will ensure the seams remain flush.
