To install laminate wood floors, mark a reference point for the flooring, do a dry layout, apply the glue with a trowel, and install the flooring with a tongue-and-groove system. Use a rubber mallet and spacers to get laminate wood flooring in place with instructions from a home repair specialist in this free video on laminate wood floors.
Managing Expectations in a Kitchen Remodel
Whether you’re ordering cabinets, countertops, or wood flooring many times you’re required to complete and sign a disclaimer prior to having the order processed. Really, what are you talking about Doug?
Well it seems that companies have started taking this approach rather than negotiating with the end consumer over the inconsistency of the product. Here’s what happens. Mrs. Smith wants a hardwood floor; she finds a product on a sample board in the flooring store and thinks it’s perfect. The floor is installed and she says, “That’s not what I ordered”. The fact is that the sample board can’t possibly show a true representation of a living room full of flooring. Wood is a natural product and there are color, grain, and sometimes slight thickness variations in it. The same thing goes for cabinets, especially hickory.
Just last week a homeowner and I had to sign a disclaimer for solid surface countertops. This disclaimer was from the fabricator, not the manufacturer. The disclaimer was for dark colors, not brands and said that dark colors tend to show scratches and seams buff out a little differently. Do you think they’ve had some run-ins with the end user?
Combine these natural variations with the “remodel factor” and things can get a little stressful. The remodel factor is that your house is not perfect and adjustments may need to be made to upgrade. Sometimes these adjustments are noticeable. Back to Mrs. Smith’s floor:Iit’s somewhat wavy and a few other things. Can I make it perfect to accept this new flooring? Yes, but it’s cheaper to build a new house!
Decide, upfront what will be accepted and rejected between you, the contractor and the supplier. If a seam in the laminate counter top doesn’t fit well, a worker drops something and dings the product or drills a hole in the wrong spot in the cabinet door, it should be replaced or repaired to the point it is unnoticeable. If the subfloor is wavy and there is a shadow line between the new floor and the baseboard, maybe it’s time to add some quarter-round that will nail down tight with the contour of the floor. The supplier/manufacturer needs to realize that the homeowner and contractor won’t accept sloppy workmanship, but that natural variations are okay. The contractor needs to realize that the homeowner is spending a lot of money for this upgrade and wants the best job she can get. The homeowner needs to realize that the contractor is working with the “remodel factor” and will do the best job possible under the circumstances. Keep in mind that the hardest critique you give a home is when you are looking to purchase it or when you’ve just completed an upgrade.
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About Doug Martin
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Doug Martin has always had a love for building things with wood. In high school Doug received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Stanley Tool Corporation and then apprenticed for three years in southeast Pennsylvania, working with a custom homebuilder. Doug owns and operates a general contracting company in southeast Montana. His company, which has been in business for 15 years, contracts residential and light commercial new and remodel construction projects.
Doug has served as interim building trades instructor at Miles Community College. He enjoyed teaching students about his passion. Whether building a new dental office, remodeling a kitchen or creating a client’s home theater room dream, Doug loves working with clients to bring their visions to life.
Building in the Mountain West can be a challenge. The temperatures vary 140 degrees F, hurricane force winds occur every year, major hail damage occurs one out of ten years and rain, while infrequent, can come at an almost sideways slant. Through this experience he has learned tried-and-true practices above what a code book requires.
