It is finally time to get a new floor and you have waited for years. You want to move forward with the final goal of being very happy with your selection. Here are the Five Golden Rules of Flooring from Shirley Pai Hilton of Kahala Floors, Hawaii’s top flooring company.
1. Go with quality. Most of us have a budget or limit for new flooring. Hilton’s advice is to stretch that only so far.
“Do not go and get flooring materials, which are dirt cheap, as they are not going to last and you will derive very limited pleasure from them,” says Hilton.
If that is all you can afford, do your project in phases with better material. You will be happier and will make an investment, versus throwing money away.
2. If you decide to install it yourself, be sure you have the skills and time to do it. Many homeowners wait so long that their selection is outdated or it has literally rotted away in their garage. It is worth paying a professional to get it done right in a short period of time.
3. Use a licensed, qualified professional who has good references.
“Skilled labor isn’t cheap and cheap labor isn’t skilled,” laughs Hilton.
A lot of guys out there think that after putting in a floor or two, they are experts. This is so wrong and if you are quoted a price that is much lower than average, it is probably too good to be true. You get what you pay for, as they say.
4. Moisture is the No. 1 enemy of many a floor, even when they say waterproof! Make sure you have examined your subfloor and taken appropriate preventative measures.
5. Lastly, floor prep is one of the biggest missed steps when putting in a floor. Movement, creaking and other problems are often the result of not having enough flat-to-flat contact between the 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 Floors’ monthly webinar, Great Flooring 101. Seating is very limited for the next live session at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10. Register by calling 808-847-7711 today.
KAHALA FLOORS
CONTACT 808-847-7711
ADDRESS 1540 S. King St. Ste. A, Honolulu
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