Professional vs. DIY Flooring Installation: Which is Right for You?

You’ve chosen your new flooring. It may be beautiful luxury vinyl planks or another type of flooring, but it needs to be installed. At this point, you may be debating: “Do I need to go with a professional flooring installation or can I do it myself?”

DIY Flooring Installations Save Money, But There May Be Unexpected Costs

A do-it-yourself flooring installation saves money, although perhaps not as much as you’d think. In addition to the flooring, you’ll need to purchase or rent tools you’ll need and don’t own. You’ll also have to dig deeper into your pocket to cover the cost of any repairs.

Some home DIY projects can be redone fairly easily if you’re not happy with the final result. After all, you can always repaint if the color you chose just isn’t right. Installing a floor, however, is a job that must be done right the first time or you’ve wasted a lot of money and time.

Factors to Consider Before Installing Your New Floor Yourself

You’re probably fairly handy with home maintenance projects or you wouldn’t even be contemplating installing new flooring yourself. Installing a new floor, however, requires a substantial commitment of time, energy and hard work. Consider these factors when deciding between a professional or DIY installation.

• Are you experienced using tools, especially power tools, and routinely take care of home maintenance projects?
• Have you ever done any flooring installations?
• Are you able and willing to do physically demanding work that will be tough on your knees and back?
• Are you able to remove the old flooring safely and do you have a disposal plan?
• The subfloor must be prepped. Will you be able to identify any problems with the joists or subflooring? Unexpected mold or water damage, for example, must be repaired before the new floor can be installed.
• When different flooring levels require a transition, do you know what to do?
• Some rooms, such as laundry rooms, need a certain amount of slope. Do you understand how to handle this during the installation?
• Measure twice, cut once.
• Last, but certainly not least, do you really have the time? If you’re like most people, DIY projects you don’t do very often take longer than it would take a pro who does it every day. Furniture and possibly appliances will need to be moved and then moved back. Unpleasant surprises such as a water-damaged subfloor can add to the costs and extend the expected installation time. If the worst-case scenario happens and the installation takes twice as long as expected, will your day-to-day schedule allow you to take as much time as needed to complete the job?

New flooring must be properly installed in order for you and your family to enjoy maximum benefits for many years. DIY flooring installation isn’t for everyone.

If You Choose a Professional Flooring Installation

• Make a detailed sketch to scale of the work you want done to ensure contractors clearly understand the details of the project before submitting a bid.
• As always, get more than one bid and check references.
• Make sure you and the contractor are on the same page and communicate as needed.

Read the Installation Guides

At Stone Barn Floors, we want you to thoroughly enjoy your beautiful new floor. Whether you’re DIY or a contractor, we have detailed installation guides for each type of flooring we offer, whether luxury vinyl plank and tile, wood plastic composite or stone plastic composite.

Feel free to contact us with any questions about our flooring or the installation process. We’re very proud of the beauty and quality of our flooring.