When it comes to making renovations in our homes, going DIY is a great way to save money. Not only friendly on the budget, undertaking work in your house helps you gain a greater sense of appreciation for your living space and gives you feelings of pride and accomplishment.
If you’re looking to install laminate flooring, you may be wondering if you need the help of a professional. While this isn’t one-size-fits-all, there is the possibility that you can do it yourself. We’ve run through some of the things to consider to help you decide whether to hire someone to install your laminate flooring.
Is it Easy to Install Laminate?
Although it doesn’t require any special skills to lay laminate, it is still a time-consuming job. Also, with the need to move all your furniture and carry planks around, it is quite a physical task. If you are not able-bodied or struggle with mobility, it is most likely better to hire someone – or recruit the help of some friends.
That being said, if you are a relatively fit person with a can-do attitude, you will probably be surprised at how capable you find yourself at laying the floor. Unlike other flooring types, laminate requires no grout, adhesives or mortar and does not need to be nailed down like solid wood flooring.
Laminate flooring uses a floating floor installation method, which isn’t attached to the subfloor or underlayment. Rather, laminate flooring is more akin to putting together a puzzle and can be completed in around a day per room.
What are Some Mistakes Made When Installing Laminate?
What is the Main Skill Required In Laminate Installation?
Measuring. It may seem simple enough, but measuring accurately is the most important part of installing flooring. It may seem ironic, then, that you might consider hiring a man (their perception of inches always seems wildly inaccurate).
If you’re confident with a tape measure and know how to work out the square footage of the area you’re laying flooring, you can work out how much material you’ll need.
Equipment Required
An additional cost that some DIY-ers don’t always consider is the materials that you’ll need to undertake your project. If you are light on tools, purchasing all of the required items may cost more than hiring someone. Although, they may be offset long-term if you continue to do more DIY projects.
To lay laminate flooring, you won’t need as many items as you would with other floor types, however, you will need some basic equipment, including:
Deciding Whether To Lay Your Own Floor
This information has hopefully gone some way to help you decide whether you should lay your own floor or call in a professional. If it is confidence that you are lacking but you otherwise think that you’re capable, we highly recommend giving it a go. You’ll likely only improve your confidence and may even uncover a new passion for DIY.
You shouldn’t feel that you have to do everything yourself, however. Modern women are increasingly busy juggling careers, socialisation, relationships and families. Hiring someone to improve your home is a completely acceptable thing to do, offers them a job and gives you more time for other priorities you may have in your life.