It is finally time to get the new floor that you have waited for. Here are the five golden rules of flooring from Shirley Pai Hilton of Kahala Pacific Floors, a recognized industry leader in the Hawaii market:
1. Go with quality. “Do not go and get flooring materials which are $1-$2 per square foot as they are not going to last and you’ll probably derive very limited pleasure from them,” said Hilton. If that is the only thing you can afford, see if you can phase your project and only do part of it with a better material. You will be happier in the long run and will result in a good investment.
2. Think twice before installing it yourself. Many homeowners wait so long that their floor covering is out of fashion or it has literally rotted in their garage due to procrastination. It is very much worth paying a professional to get it done right in a short period of time.
3. Use a licensed, qualified professional with good references. “Skilled labor isn’t cheap and cheap labor isn’t skilled,” said Hilton. If you are quoted a price that is much lower than the average, it is too good to be true. People with good skills know their worth and charge for it, hopefully, fairly.
5. Moisture is the number one enemy of many kinds of floors. Make sure that you have properly tested your subfloor, if that is called for, and then take the appropriate steps to protect your new floor from the threat of moisture.
6. Lastly, don’t forget floor prep. Movement, creaking and other problems are often the result of not having enough flat-to-flat contact between subfloor and the flooring material. High spots need to be ground down and low spots need to be raised with a cementitious leveler.
There are many more jewels of knowledge that you can pick up from Kahala Pacific Floors’ monthly seminar, Wood and Stone Flooring 101. The company’s next session will be held at its showroom at 10 a.m. Nov. 14. Call 847-7711 to reserve your seat today.
KAHALA PACIFIC FLOORS
contact // 847-7711
address // 926 Kohou St.
web // kahalapacificfloors.com
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