You’ll often hear that the installation is, as if not more important, than initial product purchase and that you should take this very seriously, because when it’s not put down properly, the result can be squeaky flooring, rot, rolling, wrinkles, and more.
Whether you live right on the beach, or in one of many of the Myrtle Beach fabulous residential communities like Arcadian Shores or Pawleys Island, you want your flooring to be the star of your home. Start with a great installation.
We know, it can be pretty tempting to try to save some money by doing it yourself, but no matter how handy you might be, the process requires various skills and tools. When done right, it’ll save you money in the long-term.
Young Interiors, a leader in flooring installation services, gives you a list of some of the problems caused by faulty workmanship:
Hardwood floors. There are at least four problems, and one of the biggest, is water accumulation, caused by not properly acclimating the floor before it’s put down.
Hardwood tends to expand or contract to adjust to the weather. When it’s humid, it expands; Residential acclimation is pretty easy--just leave the opened flooring boxes in the room in which installation is to take place.
If this step is skipped, the planks will swell. To create space, “cupping” will form, meaning that the plank edges will be higher, forcing water to puddle into these low areas. That creates buckling and warping.
The other problem occurs when the floor isn’t properly sanded. It can leave scratches and all kinds of odd shapes, as well as grittiness when dust gets into the veneer.
Laminate. Very often, a squeaky laminate floor occurs when the subfloor isn’t level. If the floor is nailed down on an uneven subfloor, they can pull away from the joists. It can also be the result of skipping a moisture-blocking underlayment. Laminate will expand and contract and, without this underlayment, the boards will keep moving around.
Carpet. If the room isn’t measured properly, if the material isn’t stretched or seamed correctly, or if the wrong padding is used, you’ll see buckling, bubbling, uneven seams and product that “climbs the walls” in order to fit.
Special tools, like knee kickers and stretchers, are needed. Never, ever, try this yourself!
For a more comprehensive discussion about this all-important step, visit the pros at the Young Interiors showroom in Myrtle Beach or Longs, S.C.