Reflooring a room in your home is no small task. It’s a significant investment, not just of money, but also of time, effort, and other resources. This is why it’s so essential that it be done properly. Here are five of the most common renovation mistakes people make when it comes to flooring, and how you can avoid them.
1. Using Poor Quality Materials. As we said above, installing new flooring is an investment. If you try to cut corners, you’ll end up with a shoddy floor that warps or damages easily, and needs to be replaced within a few years. Poor quality flooring can also lower the resale value of your home. Spend a little extra money on good quality materials. You’ll save money in the long run with a floor that lasts much longer, and increases your home’s overall value.
2. Not Measuring Properly. You tool a tape measure to the room you’ll be reflooring and got its dimensions. Then you ordered just enough flooring material to cover that area. But when installation time comes, it turns out you’re a few tiles short. The flooring company you got them from has a minimum order limit set, so you can’t just get a couple of new ones. Or maybe the material was specially customized for your needs, and getting more would cost almost as much as the first batch. To avoid these issues, always measure a room at least twice before placing your materials order. Then, order 10% more material than the total area, just in case something goes wrong and you need extra.
3. Insisting on DIY. In the same vein as buying cheap materials, this is another instance where trying to save money now could cost you a lot more in the long run. You may be handy with a set of tools, but unless you have professional experience with floor installation, you’d be better off calling in an expert than trying to do the job yourself. If something goes wrong, you could end up creating more problems than you solve, or causing damage that costs much more to fix than you would have paid if you’d simply hired a professional to install your floor to begin with.
4. Underestimating Your Schedule. Everything takes longer than you think it will. Depending on the size of the room and the materials used, the contractors could be in your home for a few days. And that’s if everything goes smoothly. There’s always the possibility of delays that make things take longer. But trying to hurry everything up and get it done as quickly as possible will only ensure a shoddy, subpar job. If you want good, quality flooring, and a good, quality installation, then set aside enough time for it to be done properly, and plan your use of the house accordingly.
5. Underestimating Your Budget. This is the mistake that leads to most of the other mistakes on this list—as well as a number of other potential problems. You set aside a specific amount for new flooring, and have to do some serious budgeting gymnastics in order to make the project work for that amount. You end up skimping on materials, you don’t have the money for a proper installation, you don’t allow enough time for a proper installation (because the longer it takes, the more it costs), and worst of all, you don’t have any extra money set aside for unforeseen circumstances or unexpected disasters. The project ends up costing you much more than you anticipated, and you’re totally unprepared. Instead, sit down with your flooring contractor at the very beginning, tell them what you want, and work with them to set a realistic budget, including a little extra for emergencies. Then plan out how you’re going to pay that amount, so there are no surprises down the line.
These are just a few of the renovation mistakes that can cost you extra time and money and cause you to end up with poor flooring. To avoid them, talk to your contractors at the very beginning and continue working closely with them through the entire project, so that they can guide you through the problems and pitfalls, and help you get a new floor that will look great and last you for many years to come.