DIY: Fitting a wooden floor - how hard is it?

KatanaDV20

KatanaDV20

KatanaDV20

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Hallo :)

Just bought a house and decided I wanna throw out the carpet from the living room and have some wooden flooring laid down. Will look bling with the plasma on the wall etc. etc. :D

Anyways went to the showroom today and talked to the dude. Not surprisingly the cost of the flooring itself was allright...but dang...the labour costs **really** sent the price throught the roof :eek:

So of course Im thinking "Wonder if I could do it myself.." :rolleyes:

The floor comes as pre-grooved fully-treated planks which u just slot in like a jigsaw puzzle. Shop will cut any to size to accomodate corners and all that sort of thing.

Now...I aint no DIY grand master and have never ever laid a floor. But I was just thinkin...how hard is it? Have any of you done laid your own wood flooring? Looking forward to your replies!

Thanx a lot :)

Prefinishedrusticoak2.jpg
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I have done quite a few but i wouldnt attempt anything fiddly, we are getting our living room stuff redone as its horrid old style stuff. Fitter charges 10 quid a square metre, im just getting a pro to do it as i cba with the hassle around doors etc.
 
Just have a look at the room and pick the best place to start, pick which was you want it to run, generally it is good to have it running from the window, and take your time. Is the room square? Will they just give it you the perfect size? If not, do you have a chopsaw?


Liam
 
Do bear in mind that since it is a hard surface, noise / sound bounces off it so if your after good acoustics, then forget a hard floor.
 
Hi mate.
It isn't particularly hard but it is fiddly and you need stacks of patience and preferably enlist the help of a friend cos sometimes you definately need 4 hands.
As for actually fitting it - don't try and get it done in a few hours - dedicate say 2 days to the job, depending on how much floor you have to lay. Make sure you get all the right underlay stuff, I think there's a waterproof membrane and a cushioning underlay too (a green one in the stuff I used).
Also make sure you have the right tools to hand which will include:

Handsaw and preferable a jigsaw too - I did mine without but wanted for one badly.
Tape measure.
Mallet (use a rubber one, not a clawhammer.
Tapping device - when you reach a wall and you need to tap the T&G together, you can get the hammer behind it unless you have one of these - cheap and easily available at DIY tools, just a piece of metal shaped a bit like this:
|_______
............|
Also - when your tapping the T&G together, they make it look easy on TV - it isnt always so kind to you and you may have to give it a bit of a whack - use an offcut of flooring, slide it into the groove and hit that, then you wont be damaging the face of your flooring. If you hit any edge directly, you will screw the fitting up completely.

Finally - get all your furniture out the room first. If you start moving things as you're working, it just becomes a real pain.

Hope that helps mate??

edit - it would be easy if you had a dead square room and perfectly square walls, but thats never the case.
 
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I agree. With proper insulation and proper water proofing (you never know what might get spilt), however, trust me. After a few months, you'll want your nice warm carpet back :)

Kick me now, but Ikea do some great flooring and even B&Q are starting to come out with some real wood stuff (not some photograph of wood stuck onto chip board).
 
basmic said:
Laminate floor = lose

Please fit some quality wood, not the above cheap crap.
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I suppose that depends on your budget, and judging by the fact he is asking for help fitting due to cost, he doesn't have an endless pot of money.
Laminate is fine when you're on a budget and can look brilliant, a lot come with 5 years guarantees etc too so you cant lose.
 
I did our Dining Room and toilet before & it took me a little under 2 days. It was tough work but nothing complicated.....just fiddly.

As for doing it myslef again - No way.....It's just I dont have the time anymore & I know an expert who I got to do the sunroom/front room and Dining room again for approx £130. I would rather pay that than waste 4 days of my life & getting a sore back ;)
 
basmic said:
Laminate floor = lose

Please fit some quality wood, not the above cheap crap.
Click to expand...

This man speaks the truth. If your budget will allow, stretch to buy the best materials you can afford. It will look much better and will be more durable.
 
dr. sarf said:
I suppose that depends on your budget, and judging by the fact he is asking for help fitting due to cost, he doesn't have an endless pot of money.
Laminate is fine when you're on a budget and can look brilliant, a lot come with 5 years guarantees etc too so you cant lose.
Click to expand...
At the end of the day, I'd sooner have a carpet down, than some cheap laminate rubbish.

Not only is the stuff noisey, but it's dangerous. Also, if people with arthritis regulary use laminate flooring, it can worsen their arthritis over time.
 
Wicksta said:
It's really easy to do.
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Ignore this post :D

If you want it to look nice it takes time and can be a pain but its within most peoples abilties ,cutting around obstacles can be tricky ,expect to make some mistakes hence extra boards .
I never liked them but was fed up with replacing the kitchen and bathroom carpets every year and now I'm a big fan ,so easy to keep clean and look great .I used real wood pine with oak finish they last longer .
 
My flat is covered with laminate flooring :( It's cold, "tappy" and looks awful. Carpets = nice, solid wood = nice, laminate = ghastly.
 
Had a wooden floor fitted last week and, yes, it was a little pricey (£ 20 m2): but it did take 5 blokes 3 hrs to do and it was finished! I think that there is a level of convenience to consider and it really depends on the amount which you are doing, we had 35 m2 which I think would have taken me ages.
 
Get proper wood flooring. The difference in build quality is unreal. I did my bedroom last year, laminate was going to be £90, I ended up spending £150 but it was well worth it.
 
Get Karndean instead is miles better than laminate.

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It is sound proof, spill and water proof, doesn't warp is warm to walk on in the morning.

I fit it and it comes in different ranges from tiles to planks its very good stuff.
 
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