Every homeowner is excited about flooring installation. It totally transforms your interior, giving a safer space to walk on. But flooring installation is crucial, and one mistake can cause disaster to the whole installation process. Thus, if you are doing the installation by yourself or you are asking for a professional’s help, you have to keep in mind some mistakes that need to be avoided.
That is why Just Lay prepared this quick guide to give you an idea of common mistakes to avoid. So look at the mistakes that are given below and avoid disaster in your flooring installation.
Most Common Mistakes To Avoid During Flooring Installation
To avoid the extra cost of flooring installation, we usually prefer DIY fitting. But that can be tricky to handle all alone and can cause major mistakes. In order to solely handle the floor fitting, you have to look at the most common mistakes to prevent such mishaps in the future. Our team listed down 10 mistakes that you need to avoid at any cost to get an error-free installation.
Taking Inaccurate Dimension
The basic step of SPC flooring installation is taking the dimensions of your floor. But what if you measured the floor in the wrong size? Then be prepared for insufficient material and mismatched pieces. Yes, that is the result of taking the wrong measurement for flooring. That is why you have to be specific and take full attention while noting down the floor size.
The right length can give you the liberty to buy enough material, such as flooring sheets and glue. But if you have measured the wrong width and length, then you will have to purchase extra material. Material deficiency would cause waste of time and energy, and you have to go back to the market to buy it. Thus, be conscious while taking dimensions of your flooring to get the precise sheets and enough fitting material.
Not Level The Subfloor
Another mistake that needs to be avoided is ignoring the subfloor preparation. That is the basis for installing the flooring, and if it is not prepared well, that will not give the best result. Most people either forget to level the floor or consciously skip this step while fitting the flooring at home. An uneven subfloor with bumps and gaps will tear the flooring, and your money will be wasted within a year.
Moreover, some individuals avoid floor cleaning, such as vacuuming and mopping, and consider it an unnecessary step. They have no idea that flooring glue will not stick to a dusty surface. Further, if your old flooring contains mold growth beneath it? Then that would also affect the installation. Ignoring this thing will damage your flooring sheets and cause a bad odor for a long time. Thus, it is advised to clean the floor and mop the surface to give a flawless fitting. Furthermore, you have to fill all the gaps with cement or another material to achieve an even floor surface.
Forgot To Use Joint Expansion
It is mostly seen that people forget to keep the expansion gaps in the floor installation process. Especially if you are installing laminate flooring, you have to leave the space for expansion. Because Dubai’s hottest temperature causes flooring expansion.
All of the planks would lay over one another during the expansion process, and your even floor became uneven. Furthermore, hardwood flooring can also contract in winter, thus leaving the gaps will retain their original shape. Avoiding this step can destroy the wood planks, and your money will be wasted.
Forgot The Acclimation Process
Once you have bought the wood planks and then forget to test the moisture-absorbent capacity, that is a mistake. Wood can absorb the moisture from the surrounding environment, but skipping this step of moisture testing would cause cracking and gaps that would damage the flooring planks. Further, it is non-repairable, so you have to replace the entire plank to give the flooring a fresh look.
For wooden flooring, it is best to keep the floor sheets or planks at room temperature. So that it can adjust to the surrounding humid conditions. Further, this process is done to know how much wood planks can expand or contract. By noting down this acclimation, ensure an expansion gap in flooring installation. Usually, it is advised to keep the planks for at least 48 hours at room temperature. During that period, wood adapts to temperature and atmospheric conditions. Actually, humidity really affects the flooring, but once you ignore this factor, your installation becomes a disaster.
Selecting Inappropriate Material & Tools
Material selection is an essential stage in the installation of flooring. But once you select the wrong material, there is no way back. Inappropriate material, such as low-quality glue or wrong nails, can be a big mistake that ultimately affects the fitting quality. Thus, to avoid such blunders, we should keep a closer look while choosing the material.
Besides, wrong tool selection can also affect the flooring installation. If you bought a miter saw to cut ceramic tile, then that would be a mistake because it requires a wet saw. Further, hardwood flooring is cut through a chop saw, and if you accidentally bought a jigsaw, then that would be considered a blunder.
Wrong Underlay Selection
Wrong underlay selection can also affect your installation process. Every underlay is made for a specific type of flooring. Just like foam underlay is best for engineered wood and solid wood flooring. Due to cushioning, it gives a stable and comfortable base to walk on, ignoring the rigidity of wood. Further, thermal underlay is ideal for laminate flooring and vinyl flooring. Because it gives heating and cooling effects under your feet. Moreover, cork underlay complements the LVT flooring. Thus, you have to choose a specific type of material for specific flooring.
Wrong Layout Planning
If you do not plan the layout of your flooring, then be prepared for a disaster. A special pattern of installation is required to fit the flooring planks. But in the case of absence, you intermix or overlap the tiles and planks. This would cause a space in between, and sometimes a huge gap to be filled later on. Then you will rush to the nearest hardwood store to purchase the remaining cardboard to fill the gap.
To avoid such circumstances, make sure to plan a layout for installation. Take a notebook and a pencil and draw the structure of your room. Add length and width, and arrange as per the space of your flooring tiles. Now imprint this structure on the floor with the help of a marker and a tape measure. That planning can easily avoid such a blunder in the future.
Use Of Wrong Installation Techniques
One of the issues that has been common in installation is the wrong selection of the technique. The wrong installation method not only affects your flooring but also the overall look of the room. Further, if you use the staple-down method to install the engineered wood flooring, then that is a big no. The glue-down method is generally used to fit engineered wood planks.
Further, if you opt for the click-lock method to fit the solid hardwood flooring, you will need to reinstall it using the nail-down method. Moreover, luxury vinyl flooring is installed using the click lock method and the loose lay method. For a tile installation, the most common way is the use of adhesive, and the method is thin-set mortar. Thus, every flooring needs a different sort of installation method, which you have to keep in mind.
Forgot The Trimming & Door Jamb
A mistake that is made by every beginner is forgetting to cut the door jamb. And it is a vital step that needs to be done to create space for tiles and planks to settle. Further, undercutting gives space to your installation. Moreover, if you forget this step, then there will be no space for the tiles to settle, and they will overlap. This overlap will cause a blunder, and the tiles will be damaged afterward. Now you would either replace or remove all these tiles. Cutting all the decorative trims from the door jamb can give space for expansion as well. In addition, it gives a professional look to flooring installation. Thus, it would also give a durable floor because there would be no gaps between the doors. Along with it, trimming the jamb also gives the flooring enough space so that the flooring can fit and expand in all weather conditions without overlapping.
Neglecting The Instructions in the Manual
Sometimes people ignore the instruction manual and consider their ideas as best. But once they skip a single step of installation, everything falls apart. That is why ignoring the manufacturer’s instructions can affect the lifetime of the flooring.
Further, for a complex layout, once you ignore the instructions, then during installation, you are rushing towards the manual. That is why it is advised to view the manual and install every plank step by step. Instructions are not only given for layout, but also for which sort of tool and material you can use. Besides, glue and nail selection are also given in the manual. And you can see the installation technique that suits your flooring by reading the instructions.
Best Tip For Post-Installation Maintenance Of Flooring
After a seamless installation, you have to do a post-installation care session. There are several factors you should consider when caring for your home’s flooring.
Minimize The Traffic
You have to limit the foot traffic once the flooring is installed. Refrain from using your residents to avoid the installation place and leave it for at least 72 hours still. In the meantime, the glue will get fixed with the floor surface, and you will get smooth flooring.
Installation Mess Cleanup
Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the installation mess. You can use a soft brush to collect all dust and installation mess.
Place The Rug At the Right Time
To enhance the lifetime of your flooring, it is advised to place a rug over the flooring. This would prevent footprints on the flooring. Further, place a doormat at your entrance to keep dirt and debris from your home’s flooring.
Clean The Spills
If you find any spill or stain, quickly sweep the floor. It is advised to avoid moisture that will damage the flooring. Moreover, keep the surface clean using a dry towel and a cotton cloth.
Do Not Use Chemical Cleaner
You have to avoid ammonia-based and bleach-based cleaners, which can fade the color of the flooring. Further, they try to use pH-neutral products, but only after the manufacturer’s approval.
Control Moisture In The Room
Humidity can damage the flooring; thus, it is advised to keep the surrounding moisture-free. Experts suggest keeping the humidity at about 55%, which is ideal for the expansion and contraction of planks.
Wrapping Up
To sum up, you have to avoid major mistakes that are common nowadays in the installation procedure. Once you keep an eye on the right installation methods and the right equipment, you can avoid such mistakes. Further, never ignore the subfloor preparation, which is a basic step in floor fitting. Moreover, the use of strong adhesives, acclimation, and a planned layout yields the best results. In addition, you have to follow the instruction manual given by the manufacturer to precisely fit the planks. By fulfilling all these requirements, you can get perfect flooring for a longer period of time.
