Do-it-Yourself projects are more popular than ever, as people stay in their houses, work from home, and ignore their usual hangouts, we’ve begun to look around at our surroundings and think “I can fix that.” And in many cases, you can. Painting the living room a fresh new color is an easy and sometimes even fun way to spend the afternoon. But what about something more permanent? In the social media-driven world of cheerfully edited DIY Youtube videos and time-lapse 15-second TikToks, it can seem easier than ever to rip out your ugly old carpet and install beautiful hardwood floors yourself. However, these videos don’t capture the tedious measuring, hard-to-fix mistakes, and troublesome problems that come with any massive undertaking. Installing your own hardwood floors can be a huge money saver but it can also be a huge hassle better left to the professionals. Read on to see what factors you need to consider when deciding is it worth it to install your own hardwood floors.
Do You Have The Skills?
When thinking about installing your own hardwood floors you need to consider a few key things. Most importantly is your level of skill. Be honest with yourself. Is the money that you’re going to save worth it if you are unhappy with the crooked, uneven floors you end up with. It’s almost guaranteed that the average DIY-er doesn’t have the same skill level as a professional who installs hardwood flooring five days a week. You never know what you might find when you rip up your carpeting so it might be best to have a professional in charge of the problem-solving.
Does Installing Hardwood Floors Yourself Actually Save Money?
The short answer is yes. You’ll only have to pay for the cost of the materials. On the other hand, those materials can start to add up in cost when you start having to rent specialty tools like saws, nail guns, levels, drills, and nails. Especially as a newcomer, you’ll have to spend time learning how to use these tools, and watching countless tutorials for laying flooring. These unexpected costs, plus the time it takes to feel confident in your skills may be enough to discourage you from embarking on your DIY flooring adventure but that shouldn’t always be the case. If you’re a proficient woodworker or have a handy family member or friend, it may be worth it to enlist their assistance and lay your floors yourself. This project definitely isn’t as simple and quick as painting the walls, though.
The Simple Factor Of Convenience
It’s very important to consider how much you want to install your own hardwood floors. If it’s something that you’ve always seen and wanted to try it may be totally worth it for you to take the time to learn the ways of floor laying. However, if you’re the more impatient type you have to think about the time it is going to take and the inconvenience factor. You’ll have to move all the furniture, rip out the old floor, and then take the time to install the new one. This disruption to the normal flow of your daily routine may prove not worth the trouble it’s going to cause. When considering installing your own hardwood flooring, take some time to list out every single step from buying the flooring through installation. If that process is as exhausting as it sounds, this might not be the DIY project for you.
The Easiest Way To Give It A Shot
If you’re eager to attempt this project but are unsure of your skills, you may want to try one of the easier, more beginner methods. The first one would be to start in the simplest place possible. Try your hand at laying the floor in a small, easy-to-work-in room like an office or a laundry room. You’ll get some practice without spending exorbitant amounts of time and money on supplies. Alternatively, you could attempt the project with a type of flooring that is easier to work with than traditional hardwood. Vinyl flooring has the look of hardwood but is incredibly simple to lay and can be cut with just a box cutter. That being said, vinyl flooring does tend to have a cheaper look and feel than engineered flooring or traditional hardwood.
Final Assessment
Laying hardwood flooring certainly isn’t for everyone. Professionals are professionals for a reason. They are quick, considerate, and experts in their field. They’ll be able to troubleshoot any small problem that arises, the kind that would delay an amateur by hours or even days. If you are set on the idea of doing it yourself make sure to do as much research as possible and have an expert a call away, as with many things it’s certainly not as easy as it looks on the internet. Installing your hardwood flooring yourself can be a huge money saver but a big drain on time and cause more frustration than joy. If you’ve got a big complicated space, or just want the floors installed in a timely, beautiful manner, it’s probably best to leave laying hardwood flooring to the pros.
When You Need Hardwood Flooring, We’re Ready!
Troendle Hardwood has a wide selection of flooring options that will make your home, office, retreat, etc. look amazing. To find out why we’re one of the most trusted flooring companies in the region, give us a call or fill out our online request form. We’ll help you find the perfect flooring at a fair price.
