Proper installation will make the difference between a beautiful finished floor and a DIY disaster. For all the different types of flooring, here are a few tips that should make installation easier and with a good result.

Read the instructions

Flooring manufacturers supply specific instructions for your particular flooring. Read them from start to finish before you start. Chances are, you can also find online installation videos that can be a big help.

Start with a level subfloor

A dip in the subfloor can cause a soft, spongy spot in your completed project. Make sure your subfloor is level and solid.

Protect your knees

Flooring installation is hard on the knees so protect yourself with kneepads. Gell-filled cloth, foam or soft rubber kneepads are the best for distributing weight and protecting your floor.

Tapping block

For wood or wood-look floors, use a scrap piece of flooring as a tapping block when fitting pieces together. Tapping directly on the tongue-and-groove edge will cause damage and pieces won’t fit together properly.

Doorways

Installing flooring around doorways is tricky. To make the process easier, start your first row of flooring on the wall with the most doors.

Taper both sides of the room

If your room isn’t completely square, it’s better to make adjustments to both sides of the room rather than ripping an odd shaped piece of flooring for the last row on one side.