Is this _______  hard to install?

( Tile, Laminate, Wood, Carpet, Vinyl)

 

The answer is Yes! If you have never done it before and you have never seen it done before.

The good news though, is with some guidance it can be easy or at least easier.

 

I would love nothing more than to tell you that this stuff is easy but I wouldn’t be telling the truth.

Think about this for a minute- Have you ever been at someones house that did something themselves and they told you how easy it was.

You began to look around and noticed a few things that just didn’t look right. It had DIY written all over it.

Look, anyone can get some tile from Lowes, grab some thin set, go home and start installing it.

The hard part is keeping it straight and square. Knowing how to cut it and what to use to cut it. What type of cement board do you use and what’s the proper way to install that cement board.

How do you cut around the doors without just leaving a big gap or how do you end the tile at door. Do you go to Lowes and buy one of those big ugly flat gold transition strips and nail it down?

A few weeks ago I went to an Auto Parts Store to buy a water pump for my daughters Volkswagen Jetta. I’ve put in a few water pumps in my day, so I thought I could do it easily.

The kid at the counter handed me this box that was pretty similar to a box that an ink cartridge for my printer would come in. I thought to myself, “what is this?”.

So I opened the box and looked at it, then I looked up at the kid and asked “is this hard to install?”. The kid said, “oh no, piece of cake!”. So I bought the part went home to install and four days later, I was done.

I almost wrecked the motor because this water pump is connected to the timing belt of the car and if  it’s not put back just right, you can destroy the motor.

I had a book that went through the steps, but of course whoever wrote this book thought I was a mechanic that also had a degree in engineering. Speak English man!!

I couldn’t help but to think the kid that told me it was a piece of cake to install it, had never done it himself. Just because he sold that product I assumed he knew how to put it in.

He worked at the parts store, he must know. The truth is that’s the way most of our minds work. At least mine does.

My point is that if you are going to jump into a project don’t just take the advice from someone who says it’s easy.

I”m not saying that Lowes and Home Depot do not have knowledgeable employees working there, but just because the box says it’s easy to install and a employee of Lowes said it’s easy install, doesn’t mean it’s easy to install.

Yes, you can install your own flooring

I’ve jumped into a lot of  things I knew nothing about. I’ve learned the hard way with almost all of those things that I jumped into.

I didn’t have access to the resources that we have now and I was always too proud to ask someone. With a little knowledge and some guidance it doesn’t have to be hard.

You will still have a few struggles here and there but conquering those struggles will make it that much more satisfying.

3 Steps to make your flooring installation easier

1.Watch videos  

This has become an excellent way to learn. You Tube does have a lot of great information that is free to everyone and with some research you can find what you are looking for.

The problem I’ve found is that it can be an all day long process to find a video that shows exactly what I’m looking for. Also, there are so many different ways to do things , it can get confusing. I think that when you are trying to learn something and you see that everyone has a different way of doing it, that’s where it gets confusing.

If you find a someone who you like and trust, then I recommend sticking with them and learning there methods of installing.

2. Articles

Searching the internet for Articles and Forums on your specific subject can be a great place to learn too.

You can find lots of information from different people who are experts in their field. A lot of times you can even ask questions about what you want to know. Do you have a question in mind click contact me and I’ll be happy to answer it for you.

3. Checklists

Making a list of  what you will need is an important part of the process. I’m the type of person who likes to make the mistake of going to the store without a list because”I will not forget what I need”. 

Then I get home and realize I forgot something and back in the car I go on my way to the store again.

The other side of this is” I don’t even have a clue what I need to get “. I have checklists that I could email you for Tile, Laminate Flooring, Wood Flooring, Carpet, Vinyl Flooring and Luxury Vinyl Tile.

It will help guide you through  exactly what you need for tools and supplies. Just look in the sidebar to your right and fill out my Exclusive Tips and Guides form.

I really get a lot of questions about how to install something and I love to help people through the process. If you have any questions share them below or you contact me at Joe@sothatshowyoudothat.com. You can also use the contact me page.

I will use some of these questions in future posts. Do not be afraid to ask a question.

I would really like to hear some of your questions. Also check out below what others are asking.

Thanks for reading,

Joe Letendre

God Bless You