A permanent floor is the perfect choice for every homeowner; a truly environmentally friendly floor material that is also truly hygienic, does not collect dust and dirt particles, one that doesn’t exude toxic resin or phenols. A timeless style, not hard to install, pleasant to live on, warm, rich colors, beautiful and natural is the hard wood, good old fashioned solid hardwood. Hard wood floors have lifetime warranty, but you can easily find hard wood floor older than 100 years, in very good condition. Hard wood floor don’t collect dust, don’t hold it and can be sanded and restored to brand new. It is wise to call a specialized firm to install a hard wood floor; only high trained craftsmen can do this job properly.

It looks like laminate floors are easier to install; installing yourself a laminate floor saves a lot of money and it is not really difficult. It is very important to understand about the process before you start working; you will save time and find the task easier. Laminate is a sheet of composite wood, with a decorative layer of resin on top, which is imprinted to look like wood. Laminate has some advantages compared with hard wood: it is more affordable, doesn’t need to be nailed or glued, it is easy to maintain, is resistant to scratches and stains, and don’t retain dust and dirt.

There are also laminate recommended for kitchen and bathroom, installed with waterproof glue. Before you buy the laminate and its pad, check if these products fit under your doors. Think ahead to find what transitions you will need and what zones may be troublesome. You must also purchase the necessary tools to install the laminate. You must also buy more boxes than necessary, including 15% safety buffer. Because laminate is harder than carpet and noisier, you need and underlayment. It is a pad to put under the laminate to make it more comfortable and quieter. A laminate kit comes with spacers, one hitting block and some more little tools. The block is very important because it protects the planks of laminate from your hammer. You need also a measuring tape. A miter saw is necessary to cut the end of the planks, a skil saw to cut the planks lengthwise and a hand saw for the details.

To protect yourself during the cutting, you need goggles and gloves. A pencil is essential; you need also a level to see if your floor is flat, a painter tape, to prevent the laminate from chipping when you cut it with a hand or skil saw, a cutter for the pad, a crowbar for the trim, garbage bags, broom and vacuum.

Here are the steps to make before you start installing the new laminate floor.

- Remove the previous flooring; if it is carpet, it is not difficult but it is time consuming. Remove also the trims because the laminate needs to go under the trim.

- If you have plywood you can take the next step without problems, but if you have concrete or other kind or floor, more steps are necessary.

- Check you floor to be level; if there are waves or bumps, laminate won’t lay flat and won’t fit tight. Use some self leveling compound to make your floor level.

- Check the walls to see if they are square and straight.

Now you can install the new laminate floor; orient the laminate in the same direction as the light comes into the room.