How to Choose the Best Flooring Service Professionals

The best flooring service professionals save you a world of headache, pain and injury. The flooring in your home is one of its most important and high-use components. Multiple people use it constantly every day – it’s unavoidable – and efficient repairs in the event of damage is crucial to keep it in tip-top shape.

Floor installation and service is best left to the professionals. It is a huge job requiring highly specialised tools, materials and expertise which homeowners typically wouldn’t have, and it’s crucial that it’s done right. Expert technicians will professionally clean up old flooring and correctly install new flooring, testing at every step of the way to ensure a safe and proper job is done, leaving you with peace of mind.

Professional floor service contractors will also help you choose the best materials for your needs and aesthetic requirements, as well as be able to advise you about materials suitable for the conditions of your environment. If you use air cond a lot in your home, certain flooring would be more suited. Other flooring would be recommended for homes where the windows are left open most of the time.

The best flooring service professionals are expensive, but you should treat it as a long-term investment, with proper maintenance. Flooring, done properly, will last you a very long time and improve the value of your home. It lifts your home up aesthetically and functionally, so treat it to the best. The initial high expense will pay itself off through the years.

What Does Flooring Service Include?

A standard flooring installation would be as follows:

Old Floor Removal

In a flooring installation, the best flooring service professionals will include the removal and safe disposal of your old flooring.

Subfloor Check and Repair

The subfloor that provides firm structure to the flooring is then checked and repaired or replaced, if necessary. Other kinds of modification will also be dealt with at this time, like adding a moisture barrier or soundproofing.

Moldings Check and Repair

The next step will be to check the old molding, which might need to be removed and replaced. The flooring professional will advise you on the most suitable molding for your needs.

Laying Down of Vapor Barrier Paper

Strips of vapor barrier paper will be rolled out and stapled over the molding to damp-proof your flooring before the actual flooring installation.

Flooring Installation

This depends on the type of flooring you choose.

Hardwood flooring – A nail-down technique will be used, together with tongue-and-groove planks to hide the nails.

Wood, carpet, tile flooring – A glue-down technique whereby the flooring is glued directly to the subfloor.

Laminate wood or engineered wood – Each piece of the material is pieced together with a click system and the flooring rests lightly on the subfloor, rather than being attached to it.

Carpet – The carpet is stretched across the subfloor and nailed in at the edges.

Flooring service would depend on the type of flooring and the extent of damage. Certain types of flooring can be replaced piece by piece, but for others it might not be possible.

How Do I Choose a Suitable Flooring Service Professional?

* Check Out the Reviews

Ask previous customers about their experiences with the company you’re looking to hire. The personal experience of others will tell you what to expect from the company and alert you to potential red flags. The best referrals would obviously come from your friends and family, but also check out the company’s website and social media pages for reviews and ask the company directly for some references. If they have a good reputation, they would be happy to give you the contact of a few happy customers. Make sure you contact any referrals directly through phone, email or chat.

* Expertise and Experience

Experience is key in any trade, especially floor installation and maintenance as they are highly specialised skills and have a great impact on you, your family and the value of your home. Typically, the more experience, the more reliable the service professional will be to deal smoothly with your installation or service. They will also have built up a good collection of tools to get any job done. A highly experienced professional will also be able to handle most problems that might arise.

* Do They Have a Wide Inventory?

If you are looking at reflooring more than one room in your house or if you’re starting from scratch, you would want to discuss the best type of flooring for each room and have a wide selection of flooring to choose from. Go with a company that has a wide inventory. They would be able to advise you about timber flooring for your living room, parquet or carpeting for your bedrooms, vinyl or tile for your kitchen and so on.

* Can They Access the Best Materials?

It’s great to support local businesses, but, unless they are a big company, they may not have access to the best materials, and you want the best to last you a long time. It’s best to try to find a happy compromise because, much as you want the best materials, your relationship with the service provider needs to be good too, so that you can communicate your needs to them and know that they will be carried out.

What Are the Prices I Might Expect?

* Installation

Hardwood flooring – Supply and installation from RM22 per square feet

Engineered wood flooring – Supply and installation from RM22 per square feet

Laminate flooring – Supply and installation from RM6.50 per square feet

Vinyl flooring – Supply and installation from RM6 – RM8 per square feet

Tile flooring – Supply and installation from RM60 – RM80 per square feet

Linoleum flooring – Supply and installation from RM16 – RM20 per square feet

Carpet flooring – Supply and installation from RM14 – RM44 per square feet

Parquet flooring – Supply and installation from RM30 – RM50 per square feet

* Maintenance

Hardwood flooring

Hardwood flooring refurbishment generally means sanding and refinishing it. The whole area would normally be covered so that the results won’t look uneven.

Spot repairs (including single board replacement) – RM1,000 – RM2,400

Sanding and refinishing – RM800 – RM1,600

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring looks like real wood, but is easier to install and repair. It may buckle, stain or scratch, requiring replacement. Replacement is easy, but must be done wholemeal. It is just unsnapped and replaced.

Replacement – RM2,160 – RM2,700

Vinyl flooring

Vinyl flooring loses adhesion over time, and is easily scratched and scuffed. Vinyl repair can be done piecemeal or adhesion can just be reapplied.

Patching/adhesive reapplication – RM560 – RM800

Tile flooring

Tiles can crack, come loose or discolour and are tricky to remove and replace, but can be done piecemeal and is relatively inexpensive.

Removal & replacement – RM960 – RM2,800