New flooring will create a wonderful fresh living atmosphere and even increase your home’s value. But common flooring mistakes often lead to wasted money and endless frustration. So, if you’re replacing, or installing new flooring, here are our top 5 flooring mistakes to avoid.
1. Not allowing enough time
Many underestimate the time required to install a new floor. They often fail to account for moving and replacing all of the room’s furniture, and the fact that they won’t be able to live in the space while it’s being laid. Planning ahead and knowing what to expect always makes for a better outcome and a lot less inconvenience in the short term. The time of year can also play a factor in the time it takes to get your new flooring. For example, in the lead up to Christmas there is often a big rush on installing new floors. So speak with your flooring specialist first to ensure you are not disappointed.
2. Hiring the cheapest contractor
Another common mistake is to choose a contractor based on price. Customers often tell us horror stories about previously choosing the ‘cheapest’ contractor, which resulted in them having to get their entire floor replaced. Instead of the cheapest estimate, consider qualifications and experience. It’s also very important to compare some of the finer details in the estimate because there are often big differences in what is, and is not included. For example, some estimates may include disposal of the old flooring, while cheaper options may require you to make a run to the tip at your own expense.
3. Purchasing the cheapest product
With flooring, like most purchases, you do get what you pay for. While a cheaper floor will undoubtedly save you money in the short term, there is a good chance that it may end up costing you much more in the long run. There are also a lot of imitation products on the market, that look the same as quality products, but fail comparatively. So choose based on your longer term need. For example, if you need to floor a rental property, you might need to replace the flooring every couple of years anyway, so a cheaper option makes more sense. But if flooring your own home, pick with care because you will be walking on it for years to come.
4. Fad trends
There’s no problem in keeping up to date with current flooring trends, but sometimes design magazines can push the envelope style wise, with so-called ‘trends’ quickly falling into the ‘fad’ category. We have unfortunately had some customers come to see us in need of replacing a dated floor (that was only laid a few years before), because they now want to sell their home, and their dated floor is having a negative effect on the sale price.
5. DIY installation
Australian’s love a bit of DIY and the internet has hundreds of thousands of videos and blogs showing you how to install flooring yourself. And while it can certainly be done, you should consider the cost of your own time first. What might take you a month of Sundays to install, might only take a professional flooring contractor a day, or even less. We often have customers share their DIY tales, where they had to live in a building site for months, just to save a few pennies on a contractor.
Looking to re-floor your home?
Nebozuk Carpets owner and manager Philip Batch has a long and proud history in the flooring and furniture industry in Ballarat.
In fact, the Batch family story began in 1868, when James Batch and his two sons, Edward & William, arrived in Australia and began manufacturing furniture in Drummond Street, Ballarat.
Today, Nebozuk’s also stock those harder to find quality products you won’t find elsewhere in Ballarat. Speak to Phil today and get the best quality flooring in Ballarat. You won’t be disappointed.