Our Home Remodel And 7 Tips For Replacing Flooring
My 7 Tips for Replacing Flooring were born out of experience. We recently remodeled our home by painting throughout and replacing all the flooring.
Replacing your home flooring is a major home remodel project. No matter if you are doing one room or the whole house like we did, the most important thing you can do to help yourself is research!
If you own a home, you know there is no end to the upkeep and maintenance. Plumbing repairs tend to demand immediate attention and often result in spur of the moment upgrades. Carpet and paint can only hold up for so long before you are simply forced to make some changes.
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We recently decided to repaint the inside of our home and replace the flooring. The whole process took several months mostly due to scheduling, shopping for just the right paint and flooring, finding the perfect carpet. We did all of the painting ourselves which is a huge savings to the home remodel budget.
Flooring remodel was something we started out planning to also DIY. But then, after we begin to realize the investment of tools and time not to mention the endless hours of watching How-to videos, we opted to pay the professionals.
Shopping for carpet is not the easiest thing we’ve ever done but more on that later.
7 TIPS FOR REPLACING HOME FLOORING
1. SKIP THE BIG BOX STORE! GO TO YOUR LOCAL FLOORING STORE FOR CARPET
Why? The folks who work in the flooring department at big box stores are not experts and in fact do not have the answers to any of your questions other than what’s on sale.
We got a quote from a big box store and a local flooring store. Frankly it was a bit of an ordeal just to get a quote from the big box store. We had to go to the Customer Service desk at the front of the store and request assistance in the carpet department. When that person arrived, she informed us this is not ‘her department’ and she was not knowledgeable. She took our name and number and had someone contact us at a later date to come out and give us a quote for installation.
The deal at the flooring store included a better quality carpet with better padding and personal service with both the installers and the sales expert at the store. In fact, in our case the sales person actually came to our home and checked on the progress and made sure we were happy with the service. We were so pleased, I cooked a meal for the crew on their last day.
2. DO YOUR RESEARCH! READ THE RATINGS OF THE COMPANIES YOU ARE GETTING QUOTES FROM
You know that commercial on TV with the cute jingle for the hard to believe best prices on flooring? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is folks.
We called the sing-song number from the commercial and they were quick to send out a sale representative to give us a quote. He had lots of samples and a good pitch. We were satisfied with the price we negotiated as well as the products he brought for us to see. We agreed to purchase ALL of our flooring from them including installation. So we scheduled the date for the work to begin and waited. The day they were due to install, they did not show up and did not call.
When my husband was finally able to get the sales rep on the phone, he had no explanation and in fact was quick to let us know he was on a family outing. Apparently he didn’t want to be bothered. What!? We gave that dude our money and signed an agreement which included their date to begin the work! We made it our business to pack and move everything out of each room to have the house ready. So now here we are with no work crew after all of our time, energy, planning and preparation.
Here is how we handled it
My husband cancelled the entire order and issued a stop payment of the deposit. While we were waiting on the sales rep to call us back, we did some research which we should have done first. They have terrible reviews and many even said the crew didn’t show up. Lesson learned. Back to the starting board.
3. HIRE THE PROFESSIONALS
If you have hard core DIY in your bones and plenty of time to spare. This advice is not for you.
Consider your time and the cost of purchasing the particular tools you will need to do the work. There are some specialized tools which you would likely only need one time. This would be an additional expense on top of all the supplies for the flooring. How many weeknights or weekends do you have available to get the job done? Do you have help available when you need an extra set of hands?
My husband negotiated a deal with the flooring contractor recommended by the floor store. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Our store uses local contractors so we felt comfortable with their abilities and trusted them. We loved our crew so much, I cooked them a big southern BBQ lunch on their last day at our home.
4. BE PREPARED TO PACK UP EVERYTHING AND MOVE IT TO ANOTHER ROOM
You will be moving furniture from one room to another. That means packing everything which sits on the furniture. It’s just like packing to move.
You might be inclined to think this is a good time to do some cleaning out and it is but why overwhelm yourself with one more task right now? Do the cleaning out when you unpack instead of when you pack.
5. BUY THE BEST CARPET PADDING
The padding makes all the difference in the lifetime of your carpet and the comfort of your feet on the floor. It will also protects the sub-flooring from spills and accidents. Touch and feel the samples before you decide. Get advise about padding from the professionals.
We did visit one carpet store to ask questions and look at their selection. Since all they do is sell and install carpet, they know more about it. You do want advise from the experts.
6. COMPARE PRICES BEFORE MAKING A PURCHASE
We used Ebates to purchase our laminate from a big box store. We ordered online and got both the Ebates cash back bonus and free shipping!
Our carpeting and padding came from the flooring store. The flooring store price on the laminate was significantly more than the big box store but their price on carpet was much better.
Our LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) also came from the flooring store. They had the exact product, Luxury Vinyl Tile, we wanted in the color we loved and we were able to see samples laid out in various patterns on their showroom floor. Their price was extremely comparable to the big box store price which surprised us.
Take a peek inside of our home remodel project!
DEN FLOOR
Prior to the remodel, the Den is where we spent the majority of our time at home. Our home has an open floor plan with the kitchen in the middle so the den is convenient to both the kitchen and the master suite.
Also see Our Fireplace Makeover
DEN FLOOR AFTER
We decided not to go with carpet throughout again. It’s only in the bedrooms now. With fur babies in the house and allergies exacerbated by the perils of carpet, we wanted hard surface flooring.
We are so in love with our new flooring! We selected Pergo laminate in hand scraped Coffee Hickory with the padding on the back, similar to these found here. (affiliate link)
7. PAINT FIRST, THEN REPLACE FLOORS
Do you remember when that deep red paint was the ‘in’ thing. We loved it in the beginning but as time passed, we needed a brighter change.
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BONUS CHOOSING A PAINT COLOR
The process of selecting paint can be fun but it can also quickly become confusing.
I suggest that you buy those little sample size containers and spread some on the wall side by side just like we did. It really sealed the deal with the decision process. Our samples are all varying shades of taupe. We didn’t want the walls to be too dark but we also didn’t want them to look white either and no more decorator colors for a while.
If you have ever painted your home, you know what a thrill it is to finish a room! The paint is on the walls and our new flooring has arrived!
Now for pulling up the carpet and inspecting the sub-floor. Thankfully our sub-floor is great! Good news, no unexpected expenses there.
Living Room
We went with a mint green in the living and dining rooms which are adjoining. It looks great with the new floors.
Kitchen
Our kitchen before was vinyl flooring in the white swirl color. This is my favorite picture of my cats.
NOTICE the Floor Vents! We took those up, cleaned them and spray painted them and put them back down. They looked new.
The LVT or Luxury Vinyl Tile looks great! Our floor installers did not charge any extra to install with the diamond pattern which is what we wanted. We fell in love with the diamond pattern in the flooring store when we saw their installed samples.
7 TIPS FOR REPLACING HOME FLOORING
- Skip the big box store when shopping for carpet. Go to your local flooring store.
- Do your research. Read the ratings of the companies you are getting quotes from.
- Hire the professionals.
- Be prepared to pack up everything as though you are moving out of the house.
- Buy the best carpet padding.
- Compare prices before making a purchase
- Paint first, then replace the floors.
UPDATE!
Two years after we replaced the flooring and painted the house, we sold this home. We did several more home remodel and upkeep projects which you can see listed below.
My 7 Tips for Replacing Flooring were realized as a result of our personal experience. We really enjoyed the remodeling project. We feel like we have a whole new home with new paint and new floors! We have also replaced the window treatments in almost every room, with only a couple to go. Remodeling projects can be fun, and should be fun but there is a process and a learning curve.
Outdoor Living DIY Projects
DIY Wire Basket Outdoor Table - Intelligent Domestications
Best Annual Flowers for Full Sun in your front yard.
This is our first time hanging outside window wreaths and we found what we believe to be a super easy way to hang them. Going up took minutes and taking them back down will be even easier.
A little paint made a big difference on this vintage oak swing.
Do you enjoy a good thrift store makeover project? Me too. Get inspiration from this old Floor Lamp turned into an Outdoor Solar Lamp for summer evenings.
Marigolds are one of my all time favorite flowers so I plant them in my yard every year. It took me an entire season to photograph this process and share the details.
Create some cheap low lighting to highlight plants on your back deck or front porch. An old wall sconce becomes outdoor solar lighting.
Feed the birds this winter by making your own Bird Suet
This is a great way to get started early with your seeds and this method does not require indoor space. You can leave these outside even in snow and ice!
Update 3/15/23
Thank you for mentioning that you should look to professionals for help when replacing your flooring since it can take a lot of time and investment into tools that the professionals already have. My husband and I have been looking for a way to increase the sale price of our home before we try to sell. I think we should reach out to a professional with experience in flooring installation to help us know what we should do.
Hi Heather, Thank you for stopping by. Yes, go with the professionals for flooring! Good luck with your home sell! Check out my post How We Sold Our Home In One Week right here> https://intelligentdomestications.com/2017/08/how-we-sold-our-home-in-one-week.html
Great tips, and your house looks amazing! I agree, throwing away unwanted items while unpacking is so much better than when you’re preparing for the renovation. That way, the remodel gets done sooner, and you already have the things you don’t need in a box. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this process! It looks great. Picking out floor can be so so hard sometimes and packing everything up takes longer than expected. Great advice!
It’s interesting that you point out how hiring professional is a good idea since they have the tools needed to get the job done. It saves time if you don’t have to purchase special tools and learn how to use them for the one time you are going to need it. Most professionals will also be able to do a good job with a guarantee.
I like your tip to buy the best carpet padding. I’ve heard advice to not skimp on things that separate you from the ground. I’ve primarily associated it with shoes, beds, and car tires, but carpet is included in the bunch. Installing proper carpet padding will help keep you more comfortable, protect your sub-flooring, and make your carpet last longer. Thanks for the tips.
Yeah, definitely don’t do it yourself. Unless you’ve got experience and training on installing floors. The floors in our house look awful because the people who lived here before us didn’t hire a professional.
Thanks for tips! My puppy just pulled up the edge of our carpet and ate it!!! So I may need this advice soon. Sharing on my Twitter today!
Kim
This is fantastic! Everything looks wonderful. The next time we have to do any flooring (hopefully not in the near future), I’ll refer back to these tips. This is a really insightful post.
Love your new flooring. Can’t see the kitchen pictures 🙁 Would love to see a home tour when you’re all done!
I LOVE those floors, Shirley! We will be doing something similar over the next year or two…and we will NOT be doing it ourselves LOL Great tips!
Replacing flooring can be a headache! We have carpet in the bedrooms and hardwood throughout the rest of the house, including the kitchen, since we have an open floor plan. I would love to replace the carpet in the bedrooms with hardwood, but just the thought of all that work . . .
These are all great tips. And you are right, I usually know more about whatever project I’m tackling than the people who work in those big box stores. Your remodel project looks awesome! I know you’re glad it’s over. Of course, like you said, when owning a home, there’s always something to do.