Most people will hire a professional to install their hardwood floors. It is just simpler and easier to have someone who does this for a living and will do it well to do the installation. Hardwood floors installation can be made easier and less costly. However there are some things you can do to lower the overall cost of the floor installation if you would really like to save some money. Saving money is always a good thing. You can use your savings for other things.
Hardwood Floors Installation
Before we talk about what you can do to reduce the overall cost, we would like to spend a paragraph discussing your choice of flooring. Many new homes used to come with wall to wall carpeting and many still do, however the recent trend appears to be hardwood as the preferred choice. In fact a real estate agent friend of ours tells us that older homes will always sell more quickly if they have been updated with hardwood flooring. Carpeting is out and hardwood is in.
It is not just hardwood flooring, but it must be clean and in good shape as well with the right stain etc. Stick to a relatively neutral choice in terms of stain. Anything that is dramatic or wild will only attract specific buyers. You could be limiting the potential buyers if you are trying to sell your home. Updating your home from wall to wall carpeting to a new hardwood floor is one of the best investments that you can make.
Reducing the Cost of Installing a Hardwood Floor
Back to how you can save money when installing a new hardwood floor. Consumers can save the most money if they strike a good deal for the wood and install the floor themselves. However most people are not up to the job for a variety of reasons. So we will assume that you are going to hire someone to install your new hardwood floor. But there are things you can do to decrease the overall cost. Of course you can arrange for someone to do all of this work for you if you are not able or willing to do this work.
Hardwood Floors Installation – Prevent Dust in your Home
There is usually lots of dust created when a new floor is being installed. So several of the steps include dealing with all of this dust and how to prevent it spreading to the rest of the home.
Here we go:
- Remove all furniture from the room were the new flooring will be installed
- Remove all window coverings that either touch the floor or are within one foot of the floor
- There will be lots of dust while the floor is being installed so you may want to remove all window coverings and pictures etc. that are hanging on the windows and walls.
- Vacuum the existing floor to reduce the dust and dirt
- Remove the existing flooring and arrange for garbage removal of the old flooring
- Vacuum all dust from the exposed sub floor
- If there are exposed nails or staples, either remove them or hammer them into the floor.
- Ensure that the floor is smooth and make any repairs that may be required
- Ensure that there is a clear pathway into and through your home to the room that will be worked on
- If you plan to repaint the walls, now is the time to do it before the new floor is installed.
- Protect other rooms from dust by closing doors and placing towels at the bottom of the doors
- Shut the furnace fan off if you have central heat. This decreases the amount of dust spread through out your home.
- You are ready for your new floor to be installed.
Dealing with Dust
Most hardwood floor installers will be careful and try to limit the amount of dust they create from cutting boards. However there is still lots of dust created just from the nailing of the hardwood to the floor. This dust seems to come from every where. Everything you can do to limit it will help you from a clean up perspective later after the floor has been installed.
Once the floor is installed and the new base boards are installed and painted a final cleaning of the room must be done to remove all traces of dust. Wipe the walls and windows with a damp cloth and vacuum everything. You can actually move the furniture back in immediately. However most people will want to wait until they have completely cleaned the room.
Cleaners can be hired, however this is another expense that you can avoid if your are interested in reducing your overall costs. Good luck with your hardwood floor installation!
December 4th, 2012 on 4:17 am
thanks for the step by step approach to installing a hardwood floor. I probably will not install it myself however it is good to know what the professionals should be doing and what preparation work i need to do to get ready for my new hardwood floor.