Start by asking yourself the following questions:
1) What experience have you had in laying your selected floor covering?
2) What kind of preparation needs to take place?
The underlying concrete needs to be as clean as possible allowing for stronger bonding which will reduce future problems such as loose tile or un-level flooring.
3) How many square feet are you planning on re-flooring?
The larger the area the more likely you are going to run into problems such as walls that are not square. This leads to complicated cutting patterns of the new flooring, regardless of the type (tile, wood, carpet or vinyl). Also, it’s very common to have uneven sub floors which may require a layer of thin-set in low spots, and/or grinding down of high spots.
4) What kind of time frame do you have?
If this is your first time installing floor coverings, plan on needing three times longer than your original estimated time.
5) What part of the house are you planning on re-flooring?
If this is a heavy traffic area such as the kitchen or front entry, this will be a difficult do-it-yourself project. If this is a guest room or closet that can be cleared and not disturbed for a longer period of time, it will be much easier to work without worrying about someone walking on tile that has not fully set or glue that has not dried.
Floor covering is something that can completely change the character of your home. The more time and effort you put into it, the bigger the pay off – in both reveal and resale value.
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