Picking new wood flooring can be so exciting, but don’t turn that into disappointment if you didn’t consider these 7 things before you choose your new flooring. And always read all the manufacturer’s instructions prior to making any final decisions on a new floor.
1. Thickness of the Flooring
Choosing the thickness of your new flooring is very important and has many different considerations. Think about the existing floor height and if you are removing old flooring in the process. If you are removing 3/4″ flooring it might be the easiest to replace with the same height flooring. Using thicker will potentially make doors not clear/close, trim to not fit back together etc. Too thin of replacement flooring can cause gapping or other repairs to be made after installation. Think about any other height constrictions including stair nosing, transitions to other rooms, door clearance, existing trim etc. You also should consider any subfloor requirements or adhesive thickness if required.
Another side of this is if you are simply covering an existing floor. In most cases this will result in the floor being higher than the surrounding floors and some planning will be necessary. What transition pieces are available in the flooring you are considering to make these look professional? In many cases doors will need to be trimmed down to adjust for the increased flooring height. Also if you are covering an existing floor check the manufacturer specifications and if your flooring can be installed over the existing floor type.
2. Consider traffic and durability
Durability and foot traffic is a very important consideration when choosing new flooring. High traffic areas will show wear and tear significantly faster than low traffic areas. Entrances, doorways, kitchens, family and living rooms will have significantly more traffic than bedrooms, or home offices. Flooring will offer warranties that should give you an indication of the durability of the product. Solid wood floors will inevitably show signs of wear and tear with dings, dents, scratches and worn finish. The ability to sand or refinish later will allow you to renew your floors with some work later on. Engineered or laminate floors might withstand damage longer and had additional durability but might not have the ability to be refinished in the future.
Kitchens, bathrooms and basements have additional considerations since they need to have additional water and stain resistant properties. Wood floors are not recommended for bathrooms or wet basements. An engineered product might have special properties to resist water damage. Kitchen in recent years have seen wood floors successfully installed. Additional sealers or topcoats might be applied to boost the floors stain and water-resistant properties and increase durability.
3. Floor installation Method
Modern flooring has several installation techniques. There are floating floors, click lock, tongue and groove, stapled, nailed or glued. Read manufactures recommendations to understand recommended installation methods.
Floating floors are an easy installation since it does not require stapling, nailing or gluing. These floorboards lock together and float above the existing floor. These are generally a laminate product and can sound hollow or move under foot if the subfloor and underlayment are not correct.
Click lock floors can be floating floors or might require a glued installation. The click in place system is easy for a DIY’er to install.
Tongue and groove is common for solid wood and engineered wood floors. These require nailing, staples or glue, but will produce beautiful results. Additional tools and installation time are required but the resulting floor will be a quality floor that will look and sound beautiful under foot.
4. DIY or hire a pro
DIY’ers or homeowners can install any of these products successfully with the right tools, planning and time. Generally, a self-installed job will take longer as the installer gets the hang of the process, tools and planning required.
Not all homeowners want to tackle such a large project, or don’t have the tools or time. Consider hiring a professional flooring company or installer in this case. Obtain quotes for several companies, ask questions and for references from any company you are considering hiring. Also, understand the payment schedule and do not agree to pay for the job in full until it is 100% complete.
5. underlayment
Underlayment options have grown considerably in recent years. There are several types available, thin to thick, plastic to fabric, offering additional benefits like soundproofing (muffling). Consider what of these types or benefits would work for your installation and check that against the manufacturer’s instructions for compatibility. Underlayment might add cost to the project, but the benefits of a long-lasting quiet installation will make it worth the investment.
6. Board width
Board width is important for 2 main reasons. The first being the style or aesthetic desired for the finish project. Thicker floorboards are a more recent desirable look falling into the popular farmhouse trend. Thinner boards are a more classic look, not trending as much as wider flooring today. The second consideration is installation time. Wider boards install significantly faster than thinner. If this is a DIY project, the homeowner can save hours to days’ worth of installation time by choosing a thick board.
7. Direction of the boards
One of the hardest decisions is choosing the direction of the floorboards. Designers generally agree that that running boards away from the entrance can make the room look bigger, as it runs the eye to elongate the space. In the same idea, running the boards the long way in the room and make it look longer vs running the boards the short wall making the room look smaller. Think about running boards diagonal or creating a boarder for additional design ideas. Whichever way you choose, make the conscious choice (and don’t let the installer choose) and you should be happy.
I hope you find these 7 tips to consider before you choose new flooring helpful and if you do decide to install the flooring yourself, check out my step-by-step guide to installing hardwood flooring.