Few things can improve the appearance of your home more than a hardwood flooring installation. However, making mistakes can prevent it from looking its best.
Engineered hardwood flooring is one of the most desirable types of home flooring, and installations offer an average ROI of about 70-80 percent. However, it’s easy to make mistakes with engineered hardwood floors, so you need to be careful.
Here are some major engineered flooring mistakes that you need to avoid so that you won’t have any regrets later on.
1. Not Choosing the Right Wood
A big mistake that is often made with engineered hardwood flooring installations is not fully considering the different types of flooring that are available. There are multiple types of hardwood floors, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Some can work better for certain rooms, designs, and purposes than others.
Related Posts
Lighter hardwood floors tend to show scratches less visibly than darker ones do, for example. Alternatively, darker hardwood floors can do a better job of resisting sun damage.
You’ll want to learn a bit about each type of hardwood flooring when making your choice. This will help you ensure that you can find an option that will be perfect for your particular design and functionality needs.
If you’re looking for contemporary wooden flooring options, you may want to learn more about the Listone Giordano collection.
2. Not Getting a Professional Installation
When planning to install hardwood floors, you need to make sure that you’re not cutting any corners. Don’t prioritize cost over quality when it comes to hardwood flooring.
You shouldn’t choose to perform the installation yourself if you don’t have the experience and skills necessary to do so. You should also make sure that you hire someone that knows what they’re doing and that you choose a flooring installer carefully.
If you want to have the best engineered hardwood flooring installation, be sure that any installer you hire is certified and has a great reputation.
3. Failing to Prepare the Subfloor
Failing to prepare the subfloor before installation is also a big mistake.
You should make sure that the subfloor is cleaned carefully and then dried fully before installation. The subfloor needs to be stable and flat in order to provide a good base for your hardwood flooring.
Failing to give the subfloor the attention that it deserves before your hardwood flooring installation is a big mistake and can lead to a lot of problems later on. If you don’t prepare properly, your hardwood flooring may have structural issues and boards could end up becoming displaced and squeaking later on.
4. Not Planning the Layout
One mistake that you should avoid with engineered hardwood flooring installations is not having a clear plan for the layout of the boards.
It’s important to plan out the work carefully ahead of time and to take measurements that are completely accurate. If you don’t plan the layout correctly, then the lines that run across your floors could look particularly odd and noticeable. You’ll want to consider the angles and each corner of the layout carefully to avoid this problem.
You’ll also want to plan the “racking” order of installing each board as well. Not choosing the order of each board carefully can lead to your flooring not looking cohesive. There may end up being varying lengths and incompatible grain patterns and wood tones.
5. Not Checking Moisture Levels
Moisture can have a big impact on hardwood floors, and failing to take this into account before and after installation is a big mistake.
It’s important to check the moisture levels in a room before installing engineered hardwood floors to ensure that everything will go smoothly. There shouldn’t be big gains or losses in moisture in the room where it’s located.
Be sure that the room will be tested for moisture over the course of several days to ensure that the conditions are right for your flooring.
6. Not Cleaning the Floor Before Finishing It
Not keeping hardwood floors clean while finishing them is also a major mistake that you need to avoid.
Before you go about finishing or refinishing engineered hardwood floors, you need to make sure that they’re clean and should inspect them thoroughly for dirt and debris. If you finish a dirty floor, then the debris could get trapped in the finishing coat.
7. Failing to Keep Floors Clean and Well-Maintained
In addition to cleaning engineered hardwood floors before finishing them, you should also have a routine for cleaning them and maintaining them after they have been installed and finished as well.
Be sure that you have a regular cleaning and maintenance routine in which you’ll sweep your floors regularly. Sweeping often can help to protect the floor’s topcoat and can help ensure that they look their best.
You’ll also want to be sure to clean up any spills as necessary and to prevent water damage in any way that you can. Keep track of moisture and humidity levels and maintain them well to ensure that you don’t damage your floor.
8. Not Using Enough Nails
When installing hardwood floors, you should also be careful with nails and staples. Avoid using too few nails to get the job done and ensure that your boards will be secure. This will help you ensure that your hardwood flooring doesn’t have creaking issues and loose boards as time goes on.
Be sure to take things slow and ensure that your flooring has enough nails or staples to ensure great security and stability. However, also make sure that you’re spacing the nails or staples appropriately. As a general rule, staples or nails should be kept between 10 and 12 inches apart.
Avoiding These Mistakes With Engineered Hardwood Floors
If you’re thinking about installing engineered skirting board, be sure that you do it right. Making mistakes such as choosing the wrong installer or failing to clean and dry the subfloor can cause big problems.
Want to protect your grout and keep it looking new for years to come? Read our comprehensive guide on a grout sealer! Click this link to visit the website and check out the product.
Searching for more helpful home improvement advice? Read over our blog now to find more interesting real estate and home tips.
