What You Need to Know Before Starting a Floor Installation …

New flooring is a good-vibe home improvement project that makes your whole house feel better. And if youre thinking ofDIYingyour flooring installation, thumbs up to you. Youll save about half what it would cost for a pro to do the job, and youll sharpen your DIY chops in the process.

Heres a quick list of what to do before you begin:

Some flooring installations are tailor-made for a do-it-yourselfer, but some are trickier than you might think. Heres a quick primer on where your skill levels need to be for various flooring installation projects.

Where to put it: Laminate floors can go in any room over a clean, dry subfloor. The plastic-coated planks are slippery when wet, solaminate isnt a good choice for bathrooms and laundry rooms. You can install a floating floor system over existing floors that areflat andin good condition.

DIY level:A laminate floor installation with a floating floor system is very DIY-friendly. Youll needsomepatience and skill to negotiate doorways.

Where to put it: Solid hardwood strip flooring should be installed over a clean, dry wood subfloor. Avoid bathrooms, laundry rooms, and below-grade basements.

DIY level:Once you get the hang of it, nailing down hardwood flooring with a rented flooring nail gungoes smoothly.Your biggest challenge is keeping rows straightcheck manufacturers and YouTube videos for pro tricks on dealing with warped boards.

Where to put it: Engineered wood planks have laminate construction so theyre not affected by changes in humidity. You can put it in any room, including dry below-grade basements, but its wise to avoid bathrooms and laundry rooms where spills or minor flooding might occur.

DIY level: Engineered wood flooring comes as both a glue-down, nail-down, and floating floor system featuring planks with snap-together edges.For the easiest install,DIYersshouldgo withthe floating floor.

Where to put it: Ceramic tile can go in any room. Its a beautiful, waterproof floor but its cold and hard underfoot, so it isnt the best choice for bedrooms and kids playrooms. It should be installed over a clean, dry subfloor thats covered with cement-based tile backer board.

DIY level: Setting ceramic floor tile requires moderate to high levels of DIY skill, especially when it comes to notching tile around obstacles. Laying out the design and understanding how to startoffa ceramic tile floor installationare keys tosuccess,so due diligence with how-to instructions are essential.

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What You Need to Know Before Starting a Floor Installation ...