Flooring For Do-It-Yourselfers

The Do-It-Yourselfer (DIY) segment of the flooring industry has never been better. There has been a lot of innovation in recent years that has brought a variety of flooring to the market that are relatively easy to install, even for the everyday DIY’er.

One of the first types of flooring we think of for the do-it-yourselfer is laminate flooring. Long known for it’s durability and ease of maintenance, laminate is relatively easy to install with a little care and patience. It does require some basic wood cutting tools and a highly recommended installation kit, but most novices that are even a little handy can do the job.

Another category of flooring to take a good look at is Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT). We aren’t talking about the old peel and stick vinyl tiles that you still find at the big-box lumber stores. LVT is a very high-quality vinyl tile (or plank in the case of a wood look) that looks beautiful and is amazingly durable. New brands such as Konecto and Zaxxon are making LVT that can be installed with nothing more than a tape measure and a razor knife. No adhesives needed with these brands.

Lastly, you will soon see some new tile flooring on the market from Mannington’s Adura line that looks like tile and wood plank that has a composite core that remains flexible. That means that unlike real ceramic tile, it won’t break if you drop a pan on it. It also has a locking system much like that of laminate flooring, thus doing away with messy adhesives and backer board.

This is a good time for DIY’ers. With plenty of choices in beautiful, top-notch flooring that most anyone who is a little handy can install a new floor in their home with only a rudimentary set of tools. Time to go shopping!