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What types of floors are easy to install for the do it yourselfer? My husband and I are doing sweat equity to build our home. To keep costs down, we will be doing a lot of the finishing work ourselves and with the help of family members. We need flooring that is easy to maintain and keep clean, hard wearing, and easy to install. Any recommendations?
Karen  |
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Hi!
Laminate flooring is a good choice. (Brand name like Pergo). Its easy to install, no sanding or grouting like wood and tile. Easy to keep clean and tons of colors to choose. There are two basic types and you can look at your local home center (Home Depot, lowes, etc). Snap together and glue together. It would depend on preference, ability and complexity of the layout/installation. They even have a video you can borrow to look at the installation. Check it out!
Also try this website. See if they have a showroom near you too
http://www.pswholesale.com/ |
| I agree on the Pergo. We put ours down in one day. It was actually FUN to do too! lol The cutting took longer than laying the flooring down. |
I've been talking too much about pergo lately, but it is great! My husband installed ours about 6 years ago when you had to glue, but it still went in fast and soo many colors and wood types to choose from! Very easy to clean and it doesn't get scratched, even with cats and dogs running around!  |
thanks Guru!!! We have been contemplating laminate- especially downstairs where most of the action is going to be. Here's an addedndum to that:
How good is that laminate trim that the manufacturers provide to go along with the flooring? Does it work well and look nice, or does it end up looking cheap and icky? Is it fairly easy to install?
Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Karen |
The trim is OK as far as durability. If you were to slide chairs over it, it would get all banged /scratched up(I'm talking about the floor transition pce or threshold). But I have seen it in a commercial application for 5 years now and with all the traffic and cleaning services and stuff going over it they seem still OK. The baseboard will hold up for as long as the flooring because it never sees any traffic.
Installation is simple for the transition pcs. Just screw down a reciever channel and then snap in the threshold! Some of them are designed to go from different thickness flooring like carpet or even nothing on one side and the pergo on the other. |
What are the tools you need for cutting the boards?
Will it really stand up for the traffic of 2 crazy OES? |
saulmr wrote:
What are the tools you need for cutting the boards?
Will it really stand up for the traffic of 2 crazy OES? |
Actually you can use anything to cut the flooring itself as the "cuts" don't show. You need to leave 1/4" at all walls and then put a 'shoe' mldg to cover that edge. Or you could remove the existing base and then put it back after the floor goes down. I would recomend a power miterbox to do all the other cuts as it makes a nice clean cut. Borrow the video at the HomeDepot and you will be an expert!!
As far as holding up to the traffic.. read some of the other posts. They talk about having it installed for 5-6 years with OES too! |
I just had wood flooring put in a room. These were pre-treated at the factory and installed by a professional. The floor looks great. What I want to know is how to prevent the dogs nails from making scratches on it. There is already a few on it. Any suggestion?
May |
| Doggie slippers?? There really is no way to prevent scratches. And besides that gives the floor that "lived in" look. Just keep the nails trimmed and smooth, and pray. |
| Blue Star's Mom, I find the hardwood lasts much longer, forever really... at least 50 or 60 years anyway...lol.... yes the dogs will scratch it, but you can sand it every 5 or 10 years and put a good thick coating of poly-eurathane, whcih finishes like a hard clear plastic type coating over the wood, which makes it shine, makes it easy to wash like laminate, and protects it longer from scratches. |
Thanks willowsprite!
I just got the hardwood installed and with my oes pup chasing the cats and what not some scratches appeared. I was very disappointed with this. But as you say, I can sand and refinish in the future. I'll enjoy my sheepie in the meantime  .
Thank you handyman for your thoughts--I was thinking doggie slippers or socks, too. Not too practical though! I can keep the nails ground with the dremel (a type of nail sander-grinder) at work. That might help.
Blue Star's Mom |
Another use for the 'ol Dremel!
Every woodworker owns one! (or several like me!) |
| Do you need to install a subfloor of masonite or plywood over the plywood sheeting for pergo or hardwood? |
Not really. Unless the subfloor is in real bad shape. There is a floating pad that goes down first under pergo. This is required by the flooring company.
Hardwood floor (3/4" t &g) either pre-finished or un-finished goes down over brown kraft paper or red rosen paper. This keeps the dust from coming up from the basement as well as keeping the squeaks to a minimum.
In either case, if the floor is stripped down to the subfloor NOW is the time to make sure it is nailed real good to the floor joists. 1 nail every 6" in the center of the plywood and every 3" at the seams minimum |
