Doing it yourself is cheaper, but hiring someone guarantees successful, professional-looking results. In the end, the choice comes down to your desired outcome. You want new floors that look amazing and last for years. If you're confident in your abilities and resources, DIY could be the way to go. Engineered floors are a great option if you're looking to install floors on your own, but natural wood intimidates you.
Not all hardwood floors are made the same way, and selecting flooring materials isn't just about choosing a preferred color. If you're installing floors in an existing home, take advantage of the acclimatization days to demolish your old floor and prepare the subfloor for hardwood installation. The glue used for engineered hardwood floors is not as messy as the products used for solid wood. Whether you want to buy floors and install them yourself or plan to hire a professional, the friendly staff at Austin's Floor Store can help. Installing hardwood floors on your own can be a cost-effective and rewarding way to upgrade your home, but even the most experienced DIYers may hesitate when it comes to installing new hardwood floors.
When you've decided to add hardwood floors to your home, it's important to consider many factors, from the type of floor you need to whether you can install it yourself or if you need to hire a professional. While solid wood is usually installed on one or two layers of plywood, which can raise the height of a floor and interfere with existing doors or marginally reduce ceiling height, “engineered floors can be glued directly to concrete or onto a soundproof carpet”, Caroll says. While a floor composed of wide boards will have fewer seams than a floor of thin strips, it's important to note that those joints may become more prominent as the wood expands and contracts.
