So you know you need new floors and you’re ready to have them installed in your home as soon as you know what kind of flooring you want. But how do you know you’re ready? Preparing your home for flooring installation can be a long and complex process that starts before the floors are installed up until after it has been installed.
The right prep process can make all the difference between a sub-par installation and an installation that goes smoothly and ensure the longevity and durability of your new floors. So if it’s the installation of flooring Orange County or elsewhere, these are the things that you can do to get your home ready for new floors!
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Choose the flooring material you want
Deciding what kind of flooring is right for you is an important decision that you should not rush through. Remember: the flooring you choose is likely to be your flooring for the next decade or so, so you need to think about your home today, a year from now, and ten years from now.
So when considering what kind of flooring to get, don’t think about what is trendy or what is needlessly expensive. Instead, choose a material that you know to be durable, long-lasting, simple and not anchored to any trends, and that is affordable over time. By considering these important aspects of flooring, you are less likely to regret your choice and you are less likely to run into problems during the first few years of ownership.
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Pick a flooring contractor (wisely)
There are probably hundreds of contractors available at your disposal who would be happy to do the job of installing your floors, but how do you make the choice of which one you should hire? The fact of the matter is that there will always be differences in skill, experience, and even costs among different contractors and it is entirely up to you to weigh those differences and make a decision.
But to pick the best, there are a few tips that can help you. If you have already decided what kind of flooring material you want for your home, check the portfolios of prospective contractors to ensure they have the right experience to install your floors. You should also call their previous clients to learn more about their work, their crew, as well as what you can expect. Follow all these steps and you are sure to have floors in Orange County or anywhere else that will be installed in the right way.
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If you decide to install it on your own, measure everything and purchase all the necessary materials
Not all people who decide to get new flooring choose to go the route of hiring a contractor. If you decide that you have the skills and experience necessary to install the floors on your own, you will need to buy all the necessary materials. But before you head out to get everything you need, you will need to measure every room twice to make sure all the nooks and crannies are taken into account. And when it becomes time to start buying, make sure to do your research on any material-specific purchases you will need to make. For example, some flooring installations will require padding that goes underneath.
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If you are unsure about what kind of materials you will need, a friendly expert or contractor should be able to help you out with what you need.
Consider the transition period that your floors will go through when they are installed
Floors can be quite finicky and sensitive after they are first installed. This so-called transition period where flooring gets used to being used will often involve the floors contracting and expanding as they find their rhythm and adjust to the temperature of your home, the thing to which they are most sensitive.
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But that transition period can be made easier if you know what to do for your floors.
Because flooring is sensitive to temperature, giving them a steady temperature is essential to stopping more extreme effects of the transition from occurring. So if you have an HVAC system, stabilize the temperature in your home before, during, and even after the installation has taken place. You’ll know when your floors have finally settled and you can adjust your temperature again once that has happened.
Make sure your floors are well-protected and prepare for regular maintenance checks
New floors are susceptible to damage because they are still extremely vulnerable. That means that you should make sure that they have been appropriately sealed after the installation process to protect your floors from water, heat, or any other possible damage. During this time directly after the installation, you should also make regular wellness checks on the floors to make sure that the installation was done correctly.
