test

test best

What Is Coping and Why Should You Do It?

Want your DIY baseboard job to look professional? You need to start coping baseboard joints. Learn more about what this means and why you should do it here.

Coping Baseboard Joints: What Is It and Why Should You Do It?

Chances are you don't really notice your baseboards. That is—until there's an unsightly gap at the corners. Then you won't be able to stop noticing them! 

A baseboard corner with a big gap looks unprofessional and untidy. And even if a corner starts off looking well-joined, a gap can form at the joint if the wood shrinks or the wall shifts.

The solution is coping baseboards so this doesn't happen. Read on to learn how to cope a baseboard corner and why you'd want to.

Chooseing a Great Flooring Installer, One Who Knows What They Are Doing

Finding a Floor Installer Who Knows How to Get the Job Done Right

DIYing a floor can be a hard task and sometimes it is helpful to hire a contractor to do it for you.

In 2017 19.736 billion square feet of flooring was laid down. That amounted to $21.990 billion in sales, partly due to an increase in waterproof flooring products.

While there are different types of flooring such as hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tiles, all of them require installation. While some types are easier to install, most people prefer to hire a professional installer rather than attempt a DIY job. 

But it's not always easy to find the right type of professional floor installer. Not all of them are adept at handling each type of flooring.

We want to help ensure you find the right person for the job. Keep reading to learn how to choose a floor installer. 

Installing New Floors: 7 Tips

Important Tips for Floor Installation

Floor installation can be time consuming and difficult if not done properly. These are some important strategies and tips for installing flawless floors.

The demand for new flooring has increased throughout the United States, and it's only going to continue to grow in the coming years.

If you've been considering installing a new floor in your home, now is the time to take action. 

What's holding you back from installing a new floor? Are you worried about how time-consuming or complicated the process will be?

If this is the case for you, keep reading. Listed below are some helpful tips that will make floor installation go a bit smoother.

How-To: Install Your Own Laminate or Locking Vinyl Plank Flooring

Laminate and vinyl plank flooring is one of the best recent developments in DIY home improvement. This low-cost project requires few tools, little technical knowledge, and can be completed by a mildly experienced DIYer. Follow this step-by-step guide and learn how to choose and install laminate flooring yourself

Image courtesy of Armstrong Flooring

Installation "How To" for Floating Floors With a Locking System, Such as Laminate and Vinyl Plank

Thank you for taking a look at our installation guide for laminate and vinyl plank (with a locking system) flooring products. Hopefully we can answer many questions that you were searching the internet for and get you a better understanding of the process. We will have some recommended and required tool listings, desription of the correct processes, and ever a few videos.

As always fill free to contact us with any questions you may have or with anything we should add to this guide. 

The Importance of Undercutting for Your Flooring Project

Lets Talk About Undercutting

Professional installers will already know what to do and will have the tools. Typically you would want to at least undercut your door casings and door jambs so you can tuck your flooring underneath, allowing enough room for proper expansion and contraction (I suggest allowing 1/4" each direction, so the goal would be a 1/2" or more to be cut out). Some installers may even undercut stone, metal, and/or mortar; all of which can prove to be quite diffucult for your average homeowner, do-it-yourselfer, and even a less experienced handiman.

Pictures of Undercutting for Waterproof Vinyl Flooring

As you can see in the above photo, the flooring will not fit under the door casing and jamb, many homeowners and/or handymen will cut around the casings and it will look sloppy, for a more professional look:

The Tools Needed for Undercutting for a Professional Flooring Installation

Standard tools used to undercut (cutting objects not made of wood may require different blades), some may have more versatility allowing the homeowner to not feel they bought a tool for just one job, while others are quite specialized.

For a homeowner installing their own floor, I would suggest an oscillating multi-tool because they can likely find other uses for it around their home, in fact, they may already have one if they have done other home projects themselves.

Here is an inexpensive oscillating tool that might be ideal for someone who wont use it often:

Genesis GMT15A Multi-Purpose Oscillating Tool

Here is a more expensive oscillating tool that would be better if you planned on using it more often:

There are even inexpensive hand version of undercut saws. I grew up using these, they work pretty well, however if you have a lot of cutting to do it may take you a while:

Crain 336 Undercut Saw

This is a more specialized tool and it is more geared towards professionals who do a lot of undercutting, most professionals will carry the above saws with them as well, as some work better in certain situations than others:

Crain No. 835 Heavy-Duty Undercut Saw

Thanks guys for taking a look, if you guys have any questions about undercutting or installations in general please leave a comment or fill out our contact form, I love to talk flooring and emails are super easy to squeeze in. Also for more recommended tools, we have a few listed in this Installation 101 post.

Is DIY Flooring For You?

Installing Your Own Floor: A Brief Guide

Your home in need of new floors? Are you considering doing it yourself? Before you do, check out this guide to the basics of DIY flooring.

Did you know that installing new flooring can increase the value of your home?

Have you been wanting to re-do your floors but want to keep costs to a minimum? Are you hesitant to hire a professional?

Consider doing it yourself!

DIY flooring is more affordable and easier than ever. Even a novice with no prior experience can transform his or her floor and give the home a whole new look.

Whether you are thinking of selling your home or are still enjoying it, updating your floors can give your home increased aesthetic value. Something as seemingly small as a change in flooring can make an old house look brand new.

If you are thinking about doing it yourself, but aren't sure what you're doing, keep reading for our top tips and strategies. 

Do Your Research

It's important to go into the process knowing that it won't be easy.

Even if you use simple materials, you will need to calculate carefully and cut precisely. If you've never done any home renovation projects yourself, flooring isn't exactly the best place to start.

However, it can be done right if you are up for a challenge and are willing to do some research. Doing it yourself could save you hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Watch plenty of how-to videos before you get started. 

The most DIY friendly flooring types would be floating floors with a locking system, we have options in this category for hardwood, laminate, and vinyl flooring. 

Buy the Flooring

Before you go crazy at the store, you need to determine what type of flooring you want to use.

Watch YouTube videos about installing that type of flooring. When you visit the flooring store to make your purchase, talk to the supplier to find out some important information.

Ask about the different warranties and ask for advice on acclimation, how to treat it, and how to install it. 

Obtain the Right Tools

One of the most important ways to ensure your DIY flooring job will turn out like the pros is to make sure you are using the right tools.

Once you've decided on a type of flooring, research the types of tools you will need to install it or ask your supplier.

You can usually rent heavy-duty power tools that you might need from a local hardware store, so you don't have to worry about the cost of purchasing them. However if you tend to do other projects around your house, purchasing the tools could have a better long term value.

Have Realistic Expectations

Know that each type of flooring has a different method of installation.

Make sure you know what you are doing before you get started and be realistic about your expectations. Be prepared and know that your project may take longer than you think.

YouTube videos will give you a great idea of how to install your floor, but if you are a first-time floor installer, things might take some time. Depending on the size of your area and the type of flooring you choose, it can take several days to install your floor. 

Need More Help with DIY Flooring?

If you have decided to give DIY flooring a try and aren't sure of your next steps, reach out to us, we can probably point you in the right direction.

Contact us today for help getting started.

Floor Installation 101: What You Need to Know About Installing Floors

Installing Floors: What You Should Know

Installing floors is a wonderful way to improve your living space. Follow this step-by-step guide to brand new beautiful floors you can do yourself.

Rising investment in residential construction has seen a high demand for flooring installers. In 2018, the flooring installers industry in the US grew by 5.8% reaching $26 billion. During the same period, the number of flooring installation companies grew by 1.8%.   

In the floor covering segment, revenue grew to $27,011 million in 2019. Experts forecast that the market will grow by 0.5% by 2023. When it comes to installing floors, you need to have skills, experience, and tools. 

Without them, it will be hard to avoid gaps, cracks, bumps, dips, and humps on your floors.  

In this post, we discuss some of what you need to know about installing floors. 

Learn the Basics About Flooring

In floor installation 101, the first step is to learn the basics. What types of floors are available in the market? What is the difference between laminate, hardwood, and vinyl flooring?    

What is the difference between engineered and solid hardwood flooring? Is laminate or hardwood better? Is a waterproof flooring needed? Which flooring is best for a basement? 

We understand that this means reading through lots of resources. By learning all these, it becomes easier for you to select the right flooring that fits your needs.   

When it comes to flooring types, you have hardwood, vinyl, laminate, and tile (natural stone or porcelain). Each flooring type has its own pros and cons. They also come in different styles, colors, and textures. 

Installing Floors – DIY vs Professional Contractor

There are over 1.688 billion websites on the internet. Of these, only 200 million are active. The internet is resourceful. You can find thousands of articles detailing how to install floors.  

For instance, you can find a guide on how to install laminate floors or how to install floors by yourself.   

These guides are useful and they can help you save money and install your new floor. You also have the option of hiring a professional contractor. As an expert, he is skilled and experienced.  

If you want to install your laminate, hardwood or vinyl plank flooring, it will help if you have the right tools. Will you be doing other DIY projects, or will this be your only one, how much you should invest in tools highly depends on how ofter you may use them:

• Miter saw or hand saw
• Tape measure
• Pencil  
• Square
• Table saw and/or Jig saw

To begin the floor installation, you must first prepare the room. This calls for the removal of furniture and hangings on the wall. For laminate flooring and some floating vinyl planks, you can install over old tile or stone as long as it is properly adhered and flat enough.   

You may have to make lots of calculations to come up with the perfect layout, measuring and cutting is part of the process. For hardwood floors, some may have to be sanded, although the vast majority are prefinished now days, mostly for superior durability.

When Installing most hardsurface flooring, you may need to undercut door casings, door jambs, and maybe some other fixed objects in order to properly run the flooring underneath for a professional look. We did make a blog post discussing this, click here to give it a read.

Protecting Yourself When Installing Floors

Like any other project, safety comes first. Before installing floors, protect your knees using knee pads. 

Don’t forget to put on your protective eye wear. 

Shopping for hardwood, vinyl, laminate or tile flooring? We at Znet Flooring can help. Contact us today! And don't forget to learn more about maintaining and protecting your new floor!