So you’ve decided to update your home with some new flooring,
but you don’t want to hire a contractor to install it? Many flooring types
are fairly simple to install with minimal tools or additional materials, and
if you’re looking for the simplest installations, those types are the way to
go.
Floating floors are the simplest type to install. These
include laminate, vinyl planking, and some linoleum. Floating floors get
their name because they are not secured to the subfloor like tile or hardwood
is. They may have a sublayer of thin foam rubber, but otherwise there is
nothing between them and the subfloor. This is one of the characteristics
that make them so simple to install.
Another characteristic
of the simplest flooring installs is the tongue and groove planking. These
options have a tongue cut into one side and a groove cut into the other so
that install is as easy as fitting the pieces together and snapping them into
place.
Floating linoleum floors are fairly simple to
install and have no clicking or snapping at all. Simply make a template with
a large piece of paper, and then lay the paper over the linoleum to make your
cuts. Remove the shoe molding from the wall, lay down the linoleum, and then
nail your shoe molding back into place. The molding will hold the linoleum
into place. The most difficult part of this process is making sure your cuts
are correct, and the removal and replacement of the shoe
molding.
The types of flooring that are most difficult to
install are tile and carpet. Carpet is difficult to move from room to room,
and to cut. One bad cut can ruin an entire roll and cost quite a bit of
money, which is why it’s often left to the professionals. Tile isn’t as
difficult to install as carpet, but will require special materials such
adhesive, grout, spacers, and specialized wet saws for cutting.
