Before You Buy
Get informed before you invest! These key tips will help you avoid surprise costs and choose the best flooring for your space and lifestyle!
Budget for More Than Just the Material
The price tag on the material isn’t always the full story, unless you're going 'product only' as we call it. Most flooring projects often come with hidden or unexpected expenses which is what we're here to help you navigate through.
Most of the time we only thing about how much a square foot is this product, but usually forget to think about what it take to remove the old material, prepare the subfloors for the material that's being installed, and the installation of that material along with any trim pieces that may be involved. Another hidden expense is freight! Its not cheap to ship flooring from the vendor to the store, so if you are on a tight budget consider shopping somewhere where material is stocked.
Installation Quality Is crutial
A beautiful floor means nothing if it's installed incorrectly. We're always going to recommend that you hire a trusted professional to install your floors. It's not that we have any beef against you DIY's but from a warranty standpoint, the manufacturer is absolutely looking for a way out of honoring that warranty and in some cases a DIY installation can do just that.
Poor install can lead to squeaks, gaps, boarding popping up, wasted material, an early replacement and trip back to the flooring store. With products like LVP, Laminate and Hardwood, they all want a pretty smooth and even subfloor so for these products floor prep is crucial! LVP, specifically SPC is more rigid and also more brittle, so yes it can handle weight more, but if that subfloor is not prepped it can be more prone to chipping or failing. Another factor that plays into that is how thick the material is. The thinner the LVP means that there is less material where that locking joint is meaning less surface area to hold them together.
Carpet on the other hand can hide a pretty uneven subfloor (that's why we use it in basements, along with it being warm and cozy) you can usually get away with the padding and then carpet itself, the only thing to consider is moisture from your concrete slab! A 6 mil vapor barrier is needed in some basement installations for certain product so please take that into consideration.
Make sure that your store has either in house installer or if they are subcontracted, check to see if they've been working there for years, if so then your in solid hands. Some independent installers have been around for 30+ years can be a great resource too, especially for patching or padding replacement. Whoever you chose to install your floors make sure they follow the CRI 104/105 Carpet Installation Standards for residential installation. We put a link to download the pdf below!
Design for Your Lifestyle, Not Just Trends
Trends fade, but the goal of your floors is for them to last, so that's somewhat counter intuitive. Yes, we all want to be that super rich person that can snap their fingers and have whatever on a whim, but your flooring should match your lifestyle, budget, family needs, your style, be actually comfortable, and have the durability to last more than a couple of years. These factors all matter more than the latest Instagram style, so keep that in mind.
If you do want to mix things up, consider working in a small space first. My go to for my customers is shaking up either an office area or laundry room. Both are small and somewhere that has a purpose so that area can have its own unique identity, where as the living room is shared with the house so that 'new wild personality' is being shared with the rest of the home. In some cases, that's a good thing! Life has no rules, so have some fun with your floors too!
Not All Materials Are Equal
Cheaper flooring does not save you money because you will be replacing them. Cheap installation does not save you money because you will be redoing it.
It is not easy to redo flooring, this is something you want to consider and do one time only. There is furniture, appliances, subfloor prep, and other things involved when replacing your floors. Get a quality product that will last longer. Let's face it, you and me, were only getting older and inflation's only going up, it costs so much more to redo your floors two times in a 5 year period, that at that point you
If you own a rental home, do not purchase cheap flooring.
but often costs more long-term. Higher-quality floors look better, last longer, and feel better underfoot.
Choose the Right Flooring for the Right Room
We're a big proponent of carpet in bedrooms, hard materials in the open area's + hallways and for master bedroom shake it up and put in some hardwood. One of the reasons for this is because that gives you the ability to use a water proof material in any bathrooms or kitchen area's, you can change the 'kids' carpet as needed and it adds that luxury feel to the master bedroom. If you want to go with tile in the bathroom, please do, but if that is not in your budget consider a LVP tile as we're seeing more and more of them come out, which we love.
Single story homes that are larger will need a product that can fill the longest run, meaning some LVPs and Laminate can only extend 25' - 30' before needing a transition strip so that the floating floor can expand and contract as needed. In some cases those breaking points can be right in an entry way adding a harsh line as a visual que.
Stairs are a little trickier, but your best bet for cost will be carpet, but just know that iw will matt down despite what any salesman tells you. So please be prepared to see it bloom if you have stairs that turn and it will matt quicker due to the compression force of you lifting your body, vs. walking forward on a carpet. We recommend using a material that sticks to your budget, if you can afford to do a hard surface material go for it! If your budget's in carpet, then go with a Nylon so you have that durability to last all those steps!
Subfloor Prep Plays A Pivotal Role
If your subfloor isn’t level and smooth, your new floors could fail. Proper floor prep might include using a self leveling compound, grinding away concrete, moisture barriers, or patching expansion . It’s critical and one of the most hated expenses and is often skipped. Flooring stores installers can do some leveling and grinding, but if your foundation is very unlevel, then seek a contractor that has experience with that type of concrete work. Communicate what you are getting done to your flooring store!
This one time expense will be over and done with, just don't skimp out on this part!
Need Help Planning Your Flooring Project?
We’re happy to walk you through flooring options, connect you with trusted installers, or help with estimating material and prep needs!