MIKE HOLMES
Research, planning key when getting a new floor
When it comes to your new floors, you’ve got options. From carpet, to laminate, to tile, and hardwood, the possibilities are nearly endless. Flooring styles can vary wildly in look and price, from cheap tile, to exotic hardwood — you’ve got a massive range to choose from. Redoing your floors isn’t as simple as hammering down a few boards. Like every home upgrade, it’s a task that involves a lot of careful planning, research and, of course, hiring the right team to help.
CHOOSING THE FINISH
Choosing the right flooring for the right room isn’t always an easy task. There are some obvious choices, like not installing carpet in a bathroom or kitchen. But what about a basement where water may be a concern? Can you safely lay carpet, or should you stick with tile or laminate to prevent moisture from creeping into the carpet? This is where proper planning comes into play. If you take care to create a watertight seal in the basement, you can put down just about any material you want.
For homes with young kids, parents usually want bedrooms and play rooms to have lush carpet that can cushion little feet if there’s a trip and fall. But laminate flooring that you can easily wipe up should something get spilled makes a lot of sense, too. When my kids were growing up, they had carpet in the bedrooms, but to keep the mess under control, they weren’t allowed to have food or drink anywhere near their rooms. If you opt for carpet, look for products that contain low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — we don’t want our youngest and most vulnerable family members breathing in noxious fumes.
When you’re getting new floors, this is the major aspect most homeowners will concern themselves with — and it makes sense, it’s the part of the flooring system they see every day. But this is your chance to go beyond the lipstick and mascara. Don’t ignore the stuff you can’t see.
PUTTING DOWN THE NEW FLOORING
Don’t just lay new tile on old tile. Once in awhile I’ll hear from a homeowner who says their contractor told them it was okay to put one type of flooring over another. Believe me, when you hear THAT, it’s time to find a better contractor. Certain floor types, like ceramic tile, are heavy. And when you place new flooring over top, well, your home may not have been built to support that load. Always remove the old flooring before you lay down the new material.
You’re likely already spending some pretty big money to replace your flooring. So to me, it’s just common sense that before you lay the new flooring, you’d take a look at the conditions underneath the surface. I’m talking about looking at your subfloor and your joists. If they’re not up to par, it could shorten the life of your new floors. In case of any big structural issues, this is you chance to correct those.
IS IT ON THE LEVEL?
Is your floor uneven? Dips and slopes have a number of potential causes. They could be the result of a foundation that has settled unevenly. In some cases, it happens naturally as the wooden floor joists start to age. And in some cases, older homes especially, the support posts may simply be spaced too far apart.
If your uneven floors are due to poor structure, get those fixed as soon as possible. But if it’s some minor sloping, a self-levelling product can help you solve your problem fairly painlessly and without repairing the structure of the entire floor. I love self-levelling cement because you can pour it one day, and start walking on it the next.
Are you planning on performing the self-levelling yourself? I would proceed with a lot of caution. There are a ton of them on the market, and they aren’t all created equal. It also takes a lot of knowledge and experience to be able to work with them properly. For example, if you’re laying hardwood floor, you’re going to need a self-levelling cement that you can drive a nail through — and not all of them allow you to do that!
IF YOU OPT FOR CARPET, LOOK FOR PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN LOW OR NO VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCS) — WE DON’T WANT OUR YOUNGEST AND MOST VULNERABLE FAMILY MEMBERS BREATHING IN NOXIOUS FUMES. — MIKE HOLMES