Helpful Tips for Replacing Your Flooring

If you’re looking to replace your flooring, there are some things you’ve got to do in preparation. Part of that is making sure there’s no problem with the content of the floor- no tackling asbestos flooring yourself! After that’s made sure, and you’re ready to begin your project, what are some tips you need?

Have a Plan for the Disposal of Old Flooring

Removing flooring from a large area can be a pain, but having a plan in place can help minimize the trouble and inconvenience you have to go through to get rid of it. If you’re doing a large area, hiring a contractor’s dumpster is a good idea, as even a small room of carpeting and carpet pad is a heavy job. Your waste services will have a protocol for homeowners to follow. Think ahead to what you might need to move old flooring out of the house, get out of upstairs areas, etc.

Pay Attention to What’s Under Your Floor

Your subfloor holds up everything else, and you need to make sure it’s sound and level before installing new flooring. While much subflooring is particle board, it still needs care and installation help before new flooring is added. If there is damage to subflooring, like in a flooded bathroom or where there was a leak or other damage, it’s important to repair or replace that flooring, so the foundation for your floor is safe for those walking upon it. You want to know whether pipes and wiring under the floor is protected and safe as well.

When In Doubt, Ask for Help

DIY is fun and learning a new skill is awesome. But, if you are lacking the lessons, the tools, or the energy to redo your own flooring, there’s good cause to hire an expert. They can generally work faster and better on housing projects, because they are well practiced at this specific skill set, generally DIY for homeowners takes a lot of time longer than expected. If you don’t want to wind up with a half finished floor, as many do, it is often good to hire specialists from the start.

In short, make sure you are safe when working in an older home which might have asbestos flooring. Then, make sure that you have planned carefully for disposal of old flooring, and repair of underflooring. Don’t be afraid to call in an expert if you’re not sure where to begin!

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