If you’re thinking of getting part of your home remodeled or wide plank floors installed, it’s a smart idea to start planning ahead, because things are going to be very different in your home during that time. There are a few steps you should take to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Here are some tips for preparing your household for a remodel:
- Move the furniture. If you’re having wood floors installed, you will need to move any furniture and rugs in the area to another part of your house, usually for seven days or more––until the finish is cured enough to move everything back. Your contractor should be able to give you an estimate of the timeframe during which the furniture will need to be out of the room. Of course, some contractors may offer to do this step for you, but it will take more time and may even incur an additional fee. Installation or refinishing wood floors also means that you can’t use the room in which the floors are being worked on or installed, so plan accordingly.
- Alter your routines. Of course, home improvement is just that––an improvement to your home––but it’s also an interruption of your routines and normal, everyday way of life. If you’re staying in your home during the remodel, it can be useful to find new ways to go about things, especially when you have pets and children. You will need everyone in the household to stay out of the way during the installation process in order to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. Think about how you will secure your pets while contractors are going in and out of the home, and how you will take the dogs out if your normal path goes through the installation area––things that you don’t normally have to think about! Remember to stay out of the area where the floors have been finished even when the contractors are gone for the day and after the install is complete and the finish is drying or curing. Consider blocking off the area in some way.
Measuring wood floor moisture content with a moisture meter
- Make sure the humidity in your home is within a normal range for a wood floor installation. This will help to prevent moisture issues when it comes time to install wood floors, since wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning that it regularly absorbs and releases moisture. The contractors will acclimate the floors to the environment before installing them, which means sitting the planks in the room where they will be installed so they can reach a point where the moisture content of the wood and the humidity level of the environment balance out. The easiest way to measure the humidity levels in your home is by using an indoor hygrometer. If the humidity levels are outside of the ideal range for wood floors (typically lower than 30% or higher than 50%), try using a dehumidifier or a humidifier based on whether you need less moisture in the air or more.
- If you’re going to have multiple trades working in your house, schedule them smartly. If you need help figuring out the timing of which trades should come first, speak to the contractors about it. Generally you want to go from “dirty to clean” when it comes to the different trades, so if you’re going for a full remodel of some kind, laying hardwood floors will usually be last.
- Manage your expectations. A positive attitude (or, at the very least, an open mind) is important to have during this process. Remember the reasons why you’re getting this remodel or new project done in the first place! There might be some frustrating parts of the process, including the fact that your routines have been fundamentally altered. But remember that the disruption is only temporary, and on the other side you have a beautiful new feature for your home!
Click here for a blog post with more information about what to expect during home renovations.
If you need help finding a local contractor to install wide plank floors, contact us at info [at] wideplank.wpengine.com for a recommendation.