Renovating your office building is an exciting process–in the end, you’ll have a space that looks great and feels completely new. The renovation process itself can be difficult, though, and is often fraught with possible issues.
Installing new flooring is one of the most common (and most useful) office renovations available. While a new floor can be a big upgrade, there are also a lot of floor installation mistakes that people can stumble into.
There are potential pitfalls throughout the process, starting the moment you select a style of flooring. Many small businesses have made a critical error in floor installation, wasting their money on a bad floor.
Keep reading to learn six common floor installation mistakes made by small business owners.
1. Choosing the Wrong Flooring
There are many types of flooring available, but too often, companies select their flooring without doing the proper research. Vinyl and wood are the most common types of flooring, but even those have many sub-categories.
You need to consider how durable you need your floors to be. Also, make sure you can perform regular floor maintenance that’s right for the flooring you select.
2. Spending Too Much (Or Too Little)
Set a floor installation budget you’re comfortable with and stick to it. Research the average cost of the flooring you want and don’t let anyone overcharge you.
On the other hand, if a floor installation service seems too cheap, remember the old maxim: you get what you pay for!
3. Unrealistic Deadlines
It’s true that small rooms can often be re-floored in a single afternoon, but that speed doesn’t necessarily translate to larger spaces. Room size, shape, and other factors can all contribute to the pacing of an installation.
4. Failure to Prepare the Surface
The surface you’re installing new flooring on top of is important. Floor installation isn’t as simple as applying the new floor on top of the old one; you need to prep your subfloor, apply the proper adhesive, and so on.
5. Taking Poor Measurements
Getting an accurate measurement of your space is crucial unless you want to end up with the wrong amount of flooring material. Be sure to account for islands, doorways, and other features that won’t be refloored.
This is one of many reasons you should hire a flooring contractor to install your new floor–they know how to get an accurate measurement and translate it into an installation plan that works for you.
6. Bad Alignment
No matter what kind of flooring you use, it’s important to align the tiles or boards correctly. Otherwise, you’re going to end up with an ugly, uneven floor, and you’ll likely need to start the whole process over again.
Avoid These Floor Installation Mistakes
Floor installation mistakes can be an enormous problem for any business; at best, they’ll leave your office looking worse than it had before, and at worst they’ll cost you a lot of money to repair.
Thanks to this guide, you’ll be able to avoid such costly errors in the future!
Renovations are great, but are you looking for other ways to improve your business? Check our business and financial blog for advice on improving your marketing, sales, and other aspects of your company!
