Choosing Flooring

Yes

You will need a floor with superior wear resistance. Some flooring that appears to be wear-resistant often is not. For example, hardwood can easily scratch. Its saving grace is that scratches can be sanded out, but that makes a huge mess! Instead, try durable flooring like ceramic or porcelain tile, laminate flooring, select plank vinyl flooring, or even carpet.

No

Durability is a key factor in when purchasing flooring. Proceed to the next step.

Yes

Laminate flooring and plank vinyl flooring tend to be the easiest floor coverings for homeowners to self-install. Ceramic or porcelain tile installation is not as easy to install as laminate or vinyl plank. Remember you will only have the manufacturer’s warranty when you install it yourself.

No

Wall-to-wall carpet is tough for DIYers to lay down perfectly flat. Nail-down solid hardwood and engineered wood floors are best installed by pros. As mentioned, ceramic or porcelain tile can be self-installed, but it’s more a matter of whether you want it installed well.

By installing your flooring yourself, you can save substantially, but peace of mind is a great thing to have when you leave the installation up to the professionals. They also offer a one year warranty.