Renovating your house is a daunting task. It can take up a lot of your time, money and energy, especially if it’s a big project, such as working on several rooms at once.
With so much going on at once, it’s easy to make mistakes.
A common area where homeowners make mistakes is re-flooring. Floors are a major part of your home and you cannot afford to make such mistakes.
However, this can be avoided if you know the common mistakes that people make.
Here are a few.
1. Picking the Wrong Materials
A common issue with flooring renovations is choosing the wrong material.
When choosing the type of floor, you must keep the room you want to renovate in mind. Considering the room’s purpose to help you make the right choice.
If it is the bathroom, waterproof flooring such as porcelain and vinyl tiles are ideal. If they cannot handle moisture, they are unlikely to last long.
Keep the inhabitants of the home in mind. If you have pets and kids, you need floors that will withstand a lot of wear and tear, such as laminate.
Nobody wants to install flooring and have to change it every few years because it’s scuffed and worn out. Good flooring should last for many years. For example, ceramic tile flooring can last for up to 75 years or more if well taken care of.
Therefore, during the renovation project, pick something durable based on your family’s lifestyle.
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2. Taking Shortcuts
Every home renovation project should be well-done. Don’t be tempted to cut corners to save money or time, as it will lead to losses in the long run.
When re-doing your floors avoid cutting corners by;
Picking Cheap Materials
Choose high-quality flooring, even if it’s costly because it will be durable. Cheap is expensive.
Others, such as VOC flooring, can harm your health and that of your loved ones, especially kids or pets. Therefore, go for quality above all else.
Using Unskilled Workers
Good quality flooring can be ruined by lousy workmanship. Pick expert floor installers with a reputation for doing excellent work to avoid unnecessary losses.
You can’t go wrong with recommendations, online reviews or consulting home renovation experts.
DIY
Some home renovation projects are easy to DIY, but others, like flooring, should be left to the experts.
Unless you have enough knowledge and experience working on floors, avoid taking up flooring renovation projects.
3. Insufficient Preparation
When creating a great painting, an expert artist prepares the canvas, mixes the paints and cleans the brushes. The same care is required when renovating your floors.
Inadequate preparations will give you bad results. For example, if you don’t measure your space correctly, you may end up with lumpy floors.
Good preparations include;
- Clearing the surface to be renovated of any accident hazards. Otherwise, some collateral damage, such as breaking of valuables, or tampering with electrical wiring can occur.
- Planning for time and money. If you do not plan ahead, you also risk having an incomplete floor on your hands. When budgeting, make room in your schedule for delays to avoid rushing the project and ending up with a floor you do not like.
4.Going Too Far
Common mistakes that cause home renovators to go too far during a floor renovation project are;
Going with the Trends
When doing your research, you will find many flooring options that look amazing but may be impractical for your space. Many of these materials are popular, avoid the mistake of picking the wrong tiles just because they are trendy.
Also, as you aim for the best designs, pick what will blend with your home decor; otherwise, you will have a new floor that clashes with everything.
Doing Unnecessary Renovations
Re- flooring is not always necessary. You may only need to re-floor some parts of your home, which are worn out, and doing the whole house may be going too far.
Alternatively, your floors may only require repolishing or a thorough cleaning to look great once more. Therefore, truly assess your floor to determine whether a completely new floor is needed.
Overspending
Buying costly tiles that provide you with little or no benefits will do you no good. Good flooring doesn’t have to be expensive.
Many of the trends in the industry may also be unsuitable for most homes. Therefore, before spending a lot of money on flooring, figure out what you need and stick to your budget.
5. Lack of Research
Doing enough research before a re-flooring project will save you from the mistakes described above.
There are amazing innovations in the flooring sector, but you have to research to find them. For example, epoxy flooring is a newer option that is easy to maintain, easy to customise, economical, and highly durable.
Therefore, do your due diligence to ensure you pick the latest and best materials for your floors and trusted professionals in the industry that are unlikely to disappoint you.
Conclusion
Improving or switching up your flooring is a worthy home renovation project. It can change the look of your home completely, especially if you use decorative tiles.
If you do it with comfort in mind, such as by installing heated floors, it can make your home a much better place to live in. Use our advice to avoid making mistakes during your floor renovation project.
Author: Harriet Kennedy
