When choosing and selecting your new flooring it is important to consider several factors, we have produced a 5 point checklist to help you select and get the best results from you new carpets, vinyls, wood flooring, and any other flooring system.
We have been helping customers with flooring advice since 1967.
1) Measure your floor and work out the exact size of the area.
This is an important factor when choosing what type of flooring will be best suited to your needs.
You need not only to consider the amount of square metres within the designated space but also the actual dimensions of the area. As cost savings made by purchasing cheaper materials can often be lost through excessive wastage. for example a long thin area 8m long by 2.30m wide would not be ideally suited to a 4m wide carpet as a section of material 8m by 1.70m would be wasted, therefore in this particular scenario Carpet Tiles, Luxury vinyl tiles or even wood and laminate flooring could work out as a more cost effective option.
This demonstrates how often keeping an open mind when selecting your new flooring can be of great benefit.
This of course does not help if you have your heart set on a carpet, if this is the case in this particular scenario the purchase of a more expensive carpet that is available in a 3m width could be the best long term solution and could actually work out at the same cost as a cheaper 4m wide carpet with more waste.
Typically Broadloom Carpets can produce as much as 20% waste where in comparison carpet Tiles, Vinyl Tiles and Wood/Laminate flooring can be as little as 5%.
This is where our expertise and product knowledge really comes into its own.
We can assist you with measuring your floor and discussing product options
2) Consider How long will you be staying at the property or using the area.
Many customers only want cheap short term solutions as they are not planning on staying at the location for any length of time, it is sometimes however worth considering the appeal of good quality floor coverings left in place for prospective house buyers or area users.
Of course if you are planning on staying at the property or using the commercial area for as long as possible, it makes sense to purchase and install the best materials you can afford.
3) What type of sub-floor do you have?
Considering the type and construction of your existing base can be an important factor, as with any type of flooring installation the final results will only be as good as the prepared base.
Often the cost of surface preparation and installation can be as much or more than the floor coverings themselves. always check the cost of installation and any associated preparation prior to committing to the purchase of any floor coverings.
Poorly prepared and installed floors will always fail quickly.
4) Set your budget at the start.
Set your budget to the upper most of your limit and you will be re-payed with a better quality product and installation, this will also eliminate the requirement for premature replacement of inferior quality products, and the associated time and hassle of having to move furniture and equipment, and or the cost of down time for any commercial locations.
We would always recommend that intensive use areas such as commercial Kitchens and high use areas have the best specification product to prevent any future issues.
Cheaper floor coverings and poorly installed products will always be a false economy in heavily used areas.
If you have your budget set at the start you can then easily cross compare with your measurements from the first item above, to work our your budget per square metre.
If your budget is not sufficient at this stage we would advise not cutting corners by buying cheaper products, but holding off until the correct budget is in place for the correct product and installation.
This also applies to any associated accessories such and underlays etc..
Always check the specification and warranties of any proposed products, and choose Quality recognised brands wherever possible.
Check testimonials and reviews for any installers prior to instructing works and parting with any money.
We can assist with life cycle costs, product selection, specification and no obligation quotations.
5) Maintain Your Flooring.
Once you have selected your products and you are satisfied with the results, always ask the supplier and installer for the relevant manufacturers cleaning and maintenance instructions.
Its imperative that your floor coverings are maintained in the correct manner to achieve the best long term performance from your new flooring, and to ensure that any warranties are maintained.
Please feel free to contact us for Free help and advice...
Tel: 01179661541 or email: nathan@nandsflooring.co.uk