Most of our customers who purchase laminate flooring intend on hiring a professional installer. Since we don't hire installers everyday I thought I would take this opportunity to share a bit of advice and some tips on how the process works and what to expect.
Installing your laminate floor is relatively simple compared to other flooring installation, but still requires skill, hard work, and patience. Your installer should have the specialized knowledge and the proper tools and equipment to complete your job expertly and on time.
Buying your flooring separately and contracting directly with a good installer to put it down for you is a very economical way of getting a great new floor. You can save a lot of money doing it this way, but as always, be careful and take the precaution of getting your agreement in writing.
Independent installers often own small companies. They may work for a number of retailers and contractors. You can generally find them in the Yellow Pages, the ad sections of your local paper's Home section or online. You should also ask friends for referrals. Try to get estimates from at least two installers - three is even better.
Once the installer is in your home, show him the area to be covered and go over this list. Your installer will appreciate this because he, like most people, wants to do the job right and end up with you as another satisfied customer. He will certainly have questions and suggestions of his own.
1. First of all, he should use a tape measure, rolling wheel, or a laser measure to determine the size of the flooring area you want to cover. He should deduct the appropriate amount of square footage for any cabinets in the room, and then add 7% - 10% to the net square footage to cover cutting waste and for any boards that may have to be discarded due to minor imperfections. He will usually diagram the area on paper, making a drawing of your rooms with all of the dimensions listed.
2. Next, show him a sample of the flooring you are considering. This will help him determine what transition strips, stairnosing, floor vents, quarter round, base board and other accessories you will need to purchase.
3. It's also important to discuss underlayment with your installer. Decide if you will require a moisture barrier, or heat/cold insulation in addition to sound dampening.
4. Discuss whether or not it will be necessary to remove the existing flooring before putting down your new one. This may be necessary to achieve a desirable height and condition for meeting a floor in an adjoining room. If existing flooring is to be removed, inquire as to who will be responsible for disposal of the old materials.
5. He will also check the height of adjoining floors, counter tops, cabinets, etc. to make certain that everything will fit properly after the new floor has been installed. It is essential to have all of your materials at the start of the job in order to get a neatly finished job done on time. We like to say that it is best to start the job right in order to finish it right.
6. Ask him to confirm that the conditions of your home are suitable for the flooring you want to install. He may ask to remove a piece of existing floor or go into the basement or crawl space to check the condition of the subfloor.
7. Ask for itemization of any additional charges for flooring removal, repair of subfloor, cutting of doors, moving furniture or appliances and other work related to the finished product.
8. If you are living in the home, discuss where the sawing of boards will occur. Specify if you want him to seal off the rooms with plastic and identify who will be responsible for final clean up.
9. Set aside a "slush fund" in your floor remodeling budget. If removing the existing flooring, your contractor may discover damaged or faulty subflooring that was not visible during the initial inspection and measure. It's a good idea to have a little extra money set aside for unexpected additional labor costs that may occur.
10. Get your proposal in writing and keep your copy of it in a safe place. It may be a good idea to download a copy of the installation instructions and make that part of your contract. If there is a problem along the way, it is always useful to go back to the written contract. Your contract should include, among other things, the number of square footage you will need, and a list of any accessories that must be purchased. It should also include the square foot cost of installation as well as a total dollar amount for the entire job.
Another tip, not mentioned above, is that you should always wait to receive your flooring before scheduling an installation date. While all companies, including efloors.com, do their best to deliver on time unexpected delays can occur during the transportation process.
I would also like to take a moment to tell you about Angie's List, a website that a client told me about today. I'm not too familiar with it but it sounds like a reliable source for service companies based off of customer reviews and referrals.
I hope you found this information to be helpful in your flooring decisions. You can find more interesting and informational articles by clicking the links on the bottom of our hardwood and laminate pages.
