5 Things To Do Before You Start Shopping for Hardwood Flooring

One of the keys to completing any successful home improvement project on time and according to budget is doing the necessary preparation prior to starting any actual installation. Developing a step-by-step plan of action and addressing the details before beginning any project will give you a better idea of what all is involved with the project, a close estimation of final costs, and help save you any headaches you may encounter along the way. Here are the tip 5 things you should do before you start shopping for hardwood floors:

 

1. Take proper measurements. Having an accurate measurement of square footage of your room(s) is a vital step in determining exactly how much hardwood flooring you will need to complete the project. Having to go back and repurchase materials will waste time and sometimes money, and can add frustrations to the overall project. Taking proper measurements is fairly simple and the time spent doing it right can save you even more time over the duration of the installation process.

 

To measure the proper square footage of your room(s), measure from wall to wall in both directions. If the room isn’t a simple square, you can section off the room into squares to get your accurate measurements. If a wall regresses or you have full or partial hallways, simply treat those areas as squares separate from the main portion of the room. Also take into consideration the flooring will have to run underneath any baseboard and moldings, so measure to the wall itself. Finally, with any home improvement project there will be some degree of waste with the materials. Typically adding an extra 5-10 percent to your total square footage will allow for any waste that may and probably will arise during the installation process.

 

2. Determine if you are going to perform the installation yourself or hire a professional. This is a very important factor when planning your hardwood flooring project. Self installation can save you a significant amount of money. On average, labor costs are going to be roughly 40-50% of a turn-key installation, so depending on the size of the room(s) you can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Saving money is always a prime aspect of a home improvement project, but installing your own hardwood floors is not for everybody. A project of this level requires adequate construction and carpentry skills, and improper installation methods can be costly by wasting both time and wood flooring material. Self installation requires having all the proper tools, the time and patience to complete the project and a few handy friends to help out never hurts. 

 

3. Decide on the overall desired look and color of your hardwood flooring material. Hardwood flooring lasts a lifetime when properly maintained, so deciding on what is visually pleasing to you is another key step when planning your flooring project. Hardwood flooring comes in many species, natural coloration and grain patterns. These characteristics combine to produce hardwood floors in many different styles. Do you want your floors to make a bold statement? Do you have existing hardwood flooring that you need to match? These are questions you should take into consideration when shopping for hardwood floors.

 

4. Learn the terminology associated with hardwood flooring. You should do the proper research and educate yourself with the many different terms and aspects of hardwood flooring will help make your project run a lot smoother from beginning to completion. Especially if you hire a professional installer, it is beneficial to be able to fully communicate exactly what you want. Spend some time on our site familiarizing yourself with hardwood flooring. It will help you make better decisions along the way as well as help you feel more confident that your hardwood floors will end up precisely how you envisioned them.

 

5. Decide where you will purchase your hardwood flooring materials. A factor as important as the actual product you buy is the company you purchase your products from. Saving money is always a welcome facet of a home improvement project and purchasing your wood flooring online can save you a significant amount of money. See our article on why you should purchase hardwood flooring online to see the many benefits of buying from an online company.

Doing the proper research and preparation prior to beginning your hardwood flooring project will help ensure your project runs smoothly, you maximize your cost efficiency, and end up with hardwood floors that you will be happy with for many years.