A Guide to Changing Your Flooring Successfully

Any major renovation project, like new flooring, needs a good plan behind it to make things happen successfully. When you have a vision, it will be easier to finish the job.  Hiccups and mistakes are always possible, but knowing what you want to achieve will boost things along. Given that the floor is an essential part of any room, it needs attention and focus throughout the project. This guide covers all the important parts of a renovation like this.

Picking the Design and Material

There are thousands of flooring options out there, and the style you pick has to fit in with your general décor and home style. Spend a little time exploring all of the options, and always start with reputable sources like aflooringboutique.co.uk for a great idea of high-standard product appearances.

Think About the Space

The next question will be, where is this flooring going to go? Having a design in mind is all well and good but will that work for the space you’re aiming for? A living room sees a lot of foot traffic, for instance, but a hallway sees even more and will therefore need something a little more durable like wood or even tile.

Checking for Pests

Whether it is a new carpet in the living room or fresh tiling in the kitchen, you have to do a thorough investigation of the area before you start the job. Things like pests, for instance, bats or rats, can really impact the way a job is carried out and even put a stopper on the project until they’re dealt with. Check for all the usual signs, and if you suspect you have a pest problem on the property, don’t hesitate to get it sorted before you even think about bringing in the new flooring arrangement. It would be devastating to have your brand new feature ruined by a pest invasion, after all.

Sunlight Exposure

The next thing to think about is how much sunlight is going to hit the floor. For some materials, exposure to the sun will make them wear down more quickly, and therefore detract from the point of installing them in the first place. There is little point investing in something that will only get ruined after a short time period, so do your research if this is going to be an issue.

Cleaning Requirements

How easy is this new flooring to clean and maintain? It makes no sense financially wise to pick a floor style or material that is hard to clean if you have lots of children and animals, for example. These factors would mean that the new product has decreased durability and an increased vulnerability to damage or stains. Make sure you have thought this through before purchasing, and opt for the most suitable material for your particular home.

Preparing the Area

There are three main things to think about when it comes to preparing the area where the new floor will be — firstly, what you’re going to do with all of your furniture. The second point will be whether or not you need to say goodbye to an essential room in the house for a day or two, and thirdly, what are you going to do with the old materials?

Where Will Your Furniture Go?

You can’t lay a new floor around a big sofa or even a chest of drawers. Therefore, it will have to go somewhere. Make a plan for this in advance, and ensure that it is done in advance of the flooring arriving so that you are well prepared and can get straight on with the installation process.

Will You Need to Close Off a Room?

If you are getting major work carried out like a stone floor installation, it may be necessary to close off access to a room while it is being laid down and after the job is finished to let it settle. For some flooring, for instance, grouting and tiles in a bathroom, it is imperative that the floor remains untrodden for a period of time in order to let it fit properly. Make a plan for this, because the last thing you need is to find yourself without a bathroom for a day and nowhere to turn to!

Should You Hire a Skip?

Lots of people opt for hiring a skip to remove the old flooring. If it is not a particularly big area, the installer may take it away for a price, but a skip is a great opportunity to get rid of all the clutter that is holding you back too.

Get a Picture of the Complete Cost

It’s not just the cost of the flooring that you have to think about; a job like this has many moving parts to factor in. You will need to factor in the cost of acquisition, delivery costs, installation costs, removal costs, price of moving furniture, any other redecoration you want to do at the same time, and anything else you think of, like skips to take the rubble away, and so on. Make sure you create a budget for the entire cost projection so there are no financial surprises uprooting the project along the way.

Mentally Prepare for the Work

Having work done on your home is mentally taxing at the best of times. It is good if you are able to set yourself up for success by putting in the mental prep work too. This will look different for every person, but ultimately it is about focusing on how you will cope with the ongoing works, and changes in your safe space, and creating the provisions to recuperate and escape if necessary. Get this bit right, and the job will feel a lot less stressful and a lot more exciting.

There are lots of balls to juggle when it comes to changing up your flooring, but ultimately the job will take as long as it takes. All you can do is try to make it run as smoothly as possible, and as long as you follow all the tips and think things through, there is no reason why it shouldn’t!