Exploring the Potential Drawbacks of DIY Flooring Installation
While it might be tempting to try to learn how to install your own flooring, a DIY flooring installation can end up costing you more money in the long-term. Flooring installation requires the proper use of specialized tools and equipment that are expensive to buy. If you make a mistake, you could end up injuring yourself, damaging your flooring or home, and having to pay someone else to come in and fix your floors. If you have been considering a DIY flooring installation in your home, keep reading to learn more about the potential drawbacks.
Purchasing Expensive Tools and Materials
In order to install your flooring safely and properly, you will need to purchase expensive tools. Flooring tools and equipment can be costly, especially if you are buying high-quality ones that ensure the job will be done safely and efficiently. You will also have to buy the materials yourself, and you won’t have access to wholesale discounts that flooring contractors can take advantage of. You will end up spending a lot of money on tools and equipment that you likely won’t use again, and spending more on materials than you would have if you had invested in professional flooring installation.
Wasting Your Time
Installing your own flooring also has the potential to end up being a lengthy process. If you make a major mistake, you will have to tear up sections of flooring and start all over again. A big enough mistake will require you to hire a professional, who may have to start from scratch. Flooring installation is a time-consuming and complex project, even for professionals. For amateurs and DIY-ers, it can turn into a project that takes months or even years to complete. During that time, you might not be able to walk on your flooring or use the room the flooring is being installed in.
Installing Flooring Improperly
Poorly installed flooring can cause a wide range of issues in your home. If hardwood flooring or laminate flooring is not laid properly, you might have gaps between your flooring. This can be a safety hazard, and can allow dust, insects, and pests access to your home. Improperly installed flooring can also be more susceptible to water damage, condensation, expansion, and mold and mildew growth. Your flooring may end up buckling, warping, or sustaining other damage that affects its beauty, safety, and value.
Running into Safety Issues
DIY flooring installation requires the use of heavy and complex tools and machinery. If you don’t have experience working with flooring materials, tools, and equipment, you are at a greater risk of injury or safety issues. You will be spending hours on your feet, on your knees, or bent over. You will be lifting and moving heavy materials and machinery. You will be working very long days and even nights. You may not be using the right safety gear or safety protocols to fully protect yourself from injury. If you want to prevent accidents and injuries during flooring installation, it’s best to hire a professional, experienced flooring contractor for the job.
Diminishing the Value of Your Home
If you don’t choose high-quality flooring, install it improperly, or damage the flooring during installation, you could end up diminishing the value of your home. It will be obvious to potential homebuyers that your flooring installation was an amateur effort, and it may make them not want to buy your home as they will wonder what other DIY projects have gone wrong. If you do sell your home, you may end up getting less than your asking price due to DIY projects like flooring installation that do not look professional.
Encountering Inaccurate Information Online
Finding the right tutorial for how to install your own flooring can be tricky. You will encounter contradictory information, complicated or incomplete instructions, and confusing tutorials that leave you with more questions than answers. All flooring materials have different characteristics and installation requirements. What works for installing vinyl tile flooring may not work for installing ceramic tile flooring. If you follow faulty or incomplete instructions, you will end up doing more harm than good. Your mistakes could affect the safety, beauty, and lifespan of your flooring and could even get you injured.
Violating Your Home Warranty
Amateur or DIY home improvements can actually violate your home warranty or get you into trouble with your homeowner’s insurance company. Many insurance companies and manufacturers require home improvements to be done by licensed contractors. This minimizes the risk of damage and limits their liability for errors and safety issues. Be sure to check the terms of your home warranty and homeowner’s insurance policy to see if you will still have coverage if you start DIYing home improvement projects.
Not Complying with Building Codes and Regulations
Home improvement projects like flooring installation are subject to certain building codes and regulations that protect the safety of homeowners and their communities. If you don’t have a working knowledge of your local building codes and regulations, you might end up violating them. Violations can result in fines, and you will likely have to tear up your flooring and hire a professional to reinstall it. It’s best to just hire a professional flooring contractor from the start to save yourself time and money and help you avoid stress.
Decreasing the Beauty of Your Home
Even if you do finish installing a natural stone floor or tile floor, there is a chance that it was not done perfectly. It’s very easy to tell that a flooring installation job was done poorly, especially when you use unforgiving flooring types or patterns. If your flooring is installed poorly, the beauty of your home will be diminished. You will either have to live with your mistakes or rip the flooring up and try again.
Not Finishing the Job
If a flooring installation job gets too complicated, you might end up not finishing the job. Even experienced home improvement DIYers run into snags during their projects. They think they will come back to the project when they have more time to devote to overcoming the problem, but days, weeks, and months pass. During that time, you’re living in a half-completed renovation and dealing with unnecessary mess and inconvenience. If there is any chance that you won’t end up finishing your flooring renovation or installation within a reasonable time frame, you should consider hiring a professional flooring contractor.
Request an Estimate for Flooring Installation
At Abatiello Design Center, we have a team of experienced, knowledgeable flooring contractors who can tackle any flooring job. We specialize in flooring installation and flooring renovation, and we can install and repair luxury vinyl flooring, hardwood flooring, carpet flooring, tile flooring, natural stone flooring, and laminate flooring. We believe that flooring installation is a job that is best left to the professionals. We will work meticulously to ensure your flooring installation is completed correctly the first time, and that it looks amazing and is built to last. If you aren’t sure what type of flooring is right for your home, our design consultants can help you pick out the perfect flooring for your aesthetics, needs, goals, and budget. To schedule a flooring design consultation for flooring installation in Vermont, Upstate New York, or New Hampshire, call us today at (802) 773-6300 or contact us online.
