Hardwood Installation: Pro or DIY?
Before anything, you have to make up your mind if you are going to pursue with the installation by yourself or hire a professional. This decision lies number factors including: selecting a site finished or a prefinished floor, the type of hardwood floor, the room itself, and the budget for the whole process.
Site Finished vs. Prefinished Floors
You should know that prefinished floors are finished by the manufacturer before they are packaged and shipped to the retailer. They are usually the best for do-it-yourselfers because there is no trouble about having to sand and finish the floors. Because they are coated with more finish, the warranty lasts longer on the prefinished floors, for about 20 years, where the general site finished floor has a warranty that expires within three to five years. There is one downside, that floors can be sanded and refinished a couple of times before they are in the need a completely remaking. This happens due to the way they are made, using just a few layers of actual hardwood. Site finished floors should be installed by a professional because they must be nailed down, sanded, and finished by hand and it takes a few days for the entire job to be done.
The Type of Hardwood Floor
Nail down hardwood floors are generally the most stunning and successful installations. You must take into consideration the fact that this installation calls for professionals.
Glue down hardwood floors are not much simpler because of the mess associated with the adhesive which is used to secure the floor to the subfloor. While some customers might go with doing the glue down installations on their own, we recommend using a professional for this method. This is the way the installation can definitely come out as expected. The simplest and most cost effective method to DIY is to use the lock and fold installation.
We also recommend you to keep in mind that if there is a concrete subfloor, nail down hardwood floors cannot be used, unless another subfloor is installed over the concrete.
The Room
If the design of the room is complex, it may be worth having a professional do the work.
The Budget
DIY may be the best way, if the process doesn’t have a large budget to work with. But you must have to remember that you get what you pay for. In most cases, having a professional do the installation for a bit more money could save money in the long run. Furthermore, if you don’t know construction abilities, you’re going to be better off hiring someone to help you. You first need to look for references to see who can provide the best work and talk to several different contractors and installers to see who can offer the best deal.