Why Not To Install Your Own Hardwood Floor
Everyone wants to save money, and for a lot of people, that means learning how to do jobs they would normally pay professionals to do. The Do It Yourself industry does not exist because of pride, but so that people can cut expenses.
But unfortunately, hardwood floors are not one of those things you should do yourself. It’s much more complicated than other types of flooring, and getting the moisture and humidity wrong could ruin your floor in only a couple of years. Here are a few reasons we recommend you not try it.
The materials cost more
The less practiced you are at a job, the more mistakes you’ll make. If you’re using cheaper materials, the cost of those mistakes stays pretty low. But with genuine hardwood floors, the material is more expensive and those mistakes will add up to much more.
It needs special tools
It’s not a simple job with just a mallet and a ruler. You need a wide variety of tools, and of course, practiced skill in the use of them. A professional hardwood installer uses most of the following on basically every installation job:
- Multiple saws (circular, reciprocating, jig, table, jamb) – precision cutting is everything in wood flooring
- Testing equipment for moisture levels, to estimate future expansion and shrinking
- Knee pads
- Stapler
- Nail gun
- Specialized adhesives
- Adhesive removers
- Air Compressor
- Floor leveling equipment
- Sander
- Buffer
The cost of getting all these, if you don’t already have them, could exceed what you would pay the professionals for their work.
It also needs special skills
Even with all the tools, you need a lot of knowledge that flooring professionals gain the old-fashioned way: first by working under a pro, then through years of experience as a pro. How do you factor in the wood’s moisture content and the ambient humidity? How do you calculate the equilibrium between them? How do you center the room (it means finding a central starting point to make the flooring fit)? You also have to work around closets, doorways, fireplaces, etc.
A mistake on any of these questions could be costly in materials, not to mention frustrating as you have to undo much or all of your progress and start over again.
Obviously, you could take all this as a challenge and decide to do it anyway. But in addition to recommending you not to do that, we also think it’s only fair to tell you what you’re undertaking. The cost in tools and materials would be high, the skills necessary are complex, and the likelihood of messing things also high. Especially since big enough mistakes would eventually require you to call in a professional anyway.
But if you want a DIY job …
… and if you want the elegance of a hardwood floor, but more affordable, consider Luxury Vinyl Plank. It’s designed to mimic hardwood, it’s just as long-lasting, and because it’s not real wood, it’s a lot simpler to install. With no grain to worry about, you need fewer tools and less skill for the cutting, and of course, it never expands and contracts, so moisture content and humidity don’t matter.
If you still want the hardwood and you’re in the Northern Virginia area, call Unique Carpet and floor at (703) 369-1600 or reach out to us on our website.