Kitchen & Bathroom Design Blog

Here is a new blog post from a guest author contributing to
Lang’s Kitchen & Bath’s website. All views expressed are those of the author.

Upgrading kitchen flooring can be a great way to improve the condition of your floor, make your kitchen nicer, and protect your kitchen from damage. If you do this, though, there are several common mistakes that you should make an effort to avoid.

In this article, we will discuss these common errors that many people make when upgrading their kitchen flooring and propose methods for how to avoid them. We will also talk about how to finance a new kitchen floor.

Common Motivations for Upgrading

There are several reasons why people choose to upgrade their kitchen floors. These include:

• Appearance. Particularly if you live in an older home, you likely have kitchen flooring with an outdated style and comparatively drab colors. Styles are becoming more exciting, and if you’re upgrading other parts of your kitchen you will want a style that will create the perfect mood for your kitchen.

• Health benefits. Old floors can actually be a danger to your health as they can build up mold and mildew. They can also trap dirt and dust more easily, which can affect the air around them. You can avoid these problems with your new floor by choosing a vinyl or laminate surface.

• Value added to your home. As with other types of upgrades, you will be increasing the overall value of your home by upgrading to newer flooring. Especially if you’ve accumulated permanent stains over time, getting new flooring can help make your home look newer than it is.

• Savings. Many newer types of flooring provide better insulation than older ones. This helps prevent heat from escaping during the winter and helps save money on energy bills.

Common Mistakes You Should Avoid

While your motivations for upgrading might be well-founded, there are common mistakes that many people make when upgrading flooring that you should look out for.

1.   Not Budgeting Properly for the Job

Installing new flooring can be a major financial undertaking. Before getting started, you should make sure that you have the necessary funds or can get the right kind of financing.

Flooring upgrades should be part of your overall home improvement budget. Your home improvement budget will include all of the renovations that you want to make in your home. Prioritizing them according to urgency and amount is essential to staying on top of your available funds.

2.   Not Preparing Your Subfloor

When you replace your flooring, you should prepare your subfloor and ensure that it’s in good condition. You should be sure that the subflooring is completely level, and that it is free of dirt and debris. If it isn’t, there are compounds that you can apply to the subflooring to level out any dips or hills that might be present.

If you don’t smooth out your subfloor, you will end up with a floor that is bumpy and unprofessional-looking in the end. You can also use a vacuum and a mop to ensure that there is no dirt left on the subflooring.

3.   Not Including the Right Floor Transitions

You should also make sure that you have the right type of floor transitions. Floor transitions help flooring maintain a smooth appearance from room to room. Many people fail to do this properly, and their floors end up looking unfinished as a result.

Depending on your flooring type and level, you might use T-molding, which helps transition between floors of equal height. You might also use a reducer, which helps with flooring that goes down, or thresholds, which reduce gaps between flooring spaces.

4.   Not Checking for Moisture

Moisture underneath your floor can cause serious problems over time. If you have excessive moisture under your flooring, it can warp or cup the flooring gradually, or cause it to crack. When the conditions become dry, the surface can then shrink and produce gaps.

There are ways to test the subflooring for moisture. You can use a meter to determine the percentage that exists in different parts of the room. It should indicate a moisture content of less than 12%. If the percentage is greater than this, you should dry it out before you install your new flooring. You should also take note of any signs of water damage and address them appropriately.

5.   Not Choosing the Right Flooring

Every kitchen has its own unique features and conditions. When choosing flooring for your upgrade, you should consider the amount of traffic that you expect it to have and the ease of installation that you are looking for. Some types of flooring, such as laminate, are considered a “floating” type and are comparatively easy to install.

If you have a lot of activity in your house, you will need an especially durable flooring type, such as tile flooring. If you have a less active household, you can choose something more delicate.

How to Choose the Best Contractor

When looking for someone to install your new flooring, you should look for specific features in potential contractors:

• A contractor who has a good reputation for timeliness, efficiency, and quality. Be sure to check third-party reviews in your area to find the contractor with the best reputation. Talking to people you know who have remodeled their floors is also helpful.

• A contractor who offers kitchen remodeling financing. If you can find a contractor that offers financing specifically for kitchen remodeling, you are more likely to get a deal that is cost-effective and suits your purposes.

• A contractor who will offer you a detailed, written contract. To make sure you don’t face surprise costs or changes in your plan, find a contractor who will give you all the details in writing in advance.

Conclusion

Upgrading your kitchen flooring can provide many benefits to your kitchen and your home overall. Before you get started, make sure that your kitchen is prepared for the upgrade. You should also make sure you choose the right materials, including the flooring itself and any transitions that you might need. Do your research on contractors to make sure you choose the most suitable one for your budget and needs.