Laminate flooring installation: do it yourself or hire a professional?
You’ve done your research, chosen your laminate flooring, and now an important decision remains: do you install it yourself or hire a professional?
Ask yourself the following questions and be honest with your answers. There’s no shame in substituting work, but the savings in your pocket may be worth it depending on how you answer the following.
- Do you have time to do the installation? If you’re working full time, a 600 square foot area can take up a couple of weekends and many nights, and that’s if you keep working steadily. An installation team will be in and out of your home in a couple of days.
- How is your level of patience? Every job has drawbacks and you will run into problems at some point. There is plenty of help available online in forums, in articles, through your manufacturer, and through your local flooring retailer, so if you’re willing to push through the hardships, this shouldn’t hold you back.
- What skills do you bring to the table? Laminate flooring installation is not rocket science. If you can measure, use power tools, and know how to operate a saw, you should be fine.
- Do you have access to the tools you’ll need to get the job done? A handsaw, jigsaw, and a workbench or sawhorse are the main items you’ll need beyond the basics of a hammer, pry bar, tapping block, tape measure, and spacers.
- Do you have someone to help you? If you’re working in a space larger than 150 square feet, work will go much faster with two. One can assemble the next row while the other cuts, then both can angle the row into place.
- What is the condition of the work surface you are installing on? This could be the deciding factor. If you are removing carpet, do you have access to a dumpster? Lifting rugs can be tricky business, especially if it was glued down. Picking up old carpet kicks up dust, mold, and allergens, so if you’re going to take it out, do it quickly, and clean the subfloor quickly, too.
So what is it going to be? Will you do it yourself and save big or hire an installer for convenience, efficiency and convenience?