What to consider when laying a new floor advice, Home flooring guide, Property tips

What to Consider When Laying a New Floor

7 July 2021

“I can’t stand this old floor. It’s so scratched up and gross.” That is a statement that many of us have uttered at one time or another, only to realize we had no idea what new floors costs.

The new floor is the new focal point of your home. It will be what you see every day, so it’s essential to choose wisely.

Laying new floors can be expensive and time-consuming, so we’ve created this list of things you’ll want to factor in before making any decisions. We hope this helps make your decision easier when laying down new floors.

What to Consider When Laying a New Floor at Home

Type of Flooring

The type of flooring you choose will depend on what kind of look and feel you’re going for. There are many different types, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, or engineered wood.

Hardwood

Hardwood floors are made from real wood planks and can range from 15 to 25 mm in thickness. They’re available in a variety of woods, including oak, birch, cherry, maple, and walnut. The installation process is much more difficult than it would be for laminate or engineered wood flooring because the boards need to be nailed or glued down.

Laminate

Laminate floor consists of three layers: a protective layer that touches the ground (usually vinyl), a decorative layer that makes up the pattern and color (usually melamine), and a wear layer that protects against scratches (usually polypropylene). It’s much more customizable when compared to other types of flooring. You can choose from a variety of colors, shapes, and patterns to create the perfect look for your home.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is a new type of flooring that’s made from carefully cut layers or plies. The top layer (the wear layer) has been sanded and then coated with an acrylic polymer for protection.

It can be used on different types of surfaces, including concrete slabs and underlayments like ceramic tiles. This makes it ideal if you’re looking to create a traditional home design aesthetic.

Flooring Installation Cost

New flooring cost will depend on the type of material you’re using. For example, if you use hardwood as your new flooring, it will be more expensive because of the higher level of difficulty required for the installation process.

Another factor that will affect your new flooring installation cost is the size of your home. The more square footage you have, the more expensive it will be, because new floors need to cover a large area.

The type of subfloor you have also will affect the new flooring installation cost. If your subfloor isn’t flat and level, then it’s going to be more expensive. More building materials need to be added for new floors to adhere.

Another factor that will affect new flooring installation costs is the age of your home. If you have an older home, it’s likely that there are some major repairs or renovations that need to be done before new floors can be installed; this means higher costs.

Flooring Removal

If you’re removing new floors to install new ones, then it’s likely that the new flooring installation cost will be higher because there are more materials and work involved. If your old floor is already laid out, like a carpet or rug, it will be easy to remove.

Flooring Installation Duration

The time needed for new floor installation depends on the size of your home and whether or not you’ve had new floors put in previously.

For example, if this is your first time laying down new floors, they’ll probably take longer than installing them after an existing set has been removed. But no matter what type of situation you have at hand, you should expect anywhere between one day and three weeks to have new floors installed.

Durability

Durability is an essential factor to consider when new floor installation is on your plan. You want the material you choose for new floors to last as long and look good, even after years of wear and tear. If new floors will be installed in a high-traffic area of the home, you must consider durability.

If longevity is your goal, hardwood is your new flooring material of choice because it’s considered the most durable.

Design Aesthetic

This factor will play into which new flooring material you end up choosing for installation purposes. Some new flooring materials are going to be better suited for a new traditional home design aesthetic.

For example, hardwood will look perfect with new country designs or new rustic styles. It can also meet the needs of new contemporary homes quite well.

Engineered wood is always a solid option if you’re looking for something that looks more like an actual rug or carpet and may fit nicely with contemporary styles.

Waterproofing

If new floors are going to be installed in a basement, or other areas of the house that may collect water from time to time, make sure you find the most reputable waterproof flooring. This way, it will protect your new material investment and avoid any new floor installation-related problems.

Ease of Maintenance

Ease of new floor maintenance is another factor you want to take into consideration. You can determine the amount of new flooring cleaning time required based on two factors:

Material type (some types are easier to clean than others)
Design aesthetic (the more intricate and detailed your new floors, the more difficult they’ll be to maintain)

Some new flooring materials require less upkeep, like laminate or engineered wood, because they’re easy to wipe down with a damp cloth. If you’ve got hardwood installed in your home, then don’t worry about constant new floor cleaning; just use a dry mop every few days.

Lay the Perfect New Floor

New floor installation should be an exciting new addition to a home. But before you decide on new floors for your project, make sure that this is the right choice for you. Consider all the factors involved in new flooring installation cost and what material will work best with your aesthetic design goals.

For more interesting content, keep reading our posts.