Should I install flooring myself, or pay someone to do it?

[robzilla]

So I bought 500 sq ft of this expensive bamboo floor. I called a bunch of contractors and they all want 2.00 to 1.50 a sq ft. One guy will do it for 1.00 a sq ft.

I watched the vids on how to do it and it looks difficult, but i should be able to do it.

So, I just buy the nailer myself and do it, or pay someone?

[ngates815]

That's the million dollar question I've ran into.

Costco has some nice flooring, and was looking to do it this winter...One of my friends said he did it and took him around 12 hours just for his living room with no tricky areas...Kitchen was tougher and other room was easy as well. Total time he said took him around a week to do it...he had the week off work.

I've been working 70+ hours don't have the time to do it, since I go home workout, intercourse, shower, sleep.


If you can find someone to install it for 500 does that include him tearing up the previous carpet/wood whatever was down, or do you have to have the area all cleaned up then he just comes in and does his thing? 500 seems like not a bad deal, but I haven't talked to anyone about prices.

[robzilla]

That's the million dollar question I've ran into.

Costco has some nice flooring, and was looking to do it this winter...One of my friends said he did it and took him around 12 hours just for his living room with no tricky areas...Kitchen was tougher and other room was easy as well. Total time he said took him around a week to do it...he had the week off work.

I've been working 70+ hours don't have the time to do it, since I go home workout, intercourse, shower, sleep.


If you can find someone to install it for 500 does that include him tearing up the previous carpet/wood whatever was down, or do you have to have the area all cleaned up then he just comes in and does his thing? 500 seems like not a bad deal, but I haven't talked to anyone about prices.

Ive already done all the prework. Took out the carpet, subfloor, staples, baseboards, etc.
I think I can get it done in the 4 days I have off next week. I know a contractor isnt going to be as careful as I will with the floor... but if I screw up, I wont know how to fix it, and a contrator will.

Plus, I still have another 500 sq ft to do later. So, I can either pay 300-400 for tools, + my time and DIY it...

or

Pay 500 now and later, for someone to do it in half the time.

[Stocks]

Do it yourself.

You'd be surprised what you can do if you just try.

[Swinging Johnson]

Do it yourself.

You'd be surprised what you can do if you just try.

I'm constantly surprised by how truly limited I am in all facets of life. Laying a floor is like asking me to build the space shuttle.

[Stocks]

I'm constantly surprised by how truly limited I am in all facets of life. Laying a floor is like asking me to build the space shuttle.

lol.

My buddy bought a new house over the summer and since then we built a fence, set of steps, did all the yard work and are currently just finishing up a shed. Neither of us are professional carpenters and everything worked out fine.

[HotStreak]

I paid $2 a sqft to have bamboo installed. It took 2 guys working at night after their day jobs about 25hrs to complete 1100 sqft. I had already stripped the room down to plywood though. Got a sick deal on the flooring from Home Depot $1.87 sqft for solid wood not laminate. Home depot wanted $3 a sqft install.

Bear in mind that most bamboo is soft compared to oak and maple, and scratch and dent easily. We dont have kids so not too worried about. It looks great.

[Dark Horse]

It depends on the kind of floor and the shape of the room. Do the pieces fit together easily? Are there any crazy corners? I would pay the professional installer, if the floor is real bamboo and expensive. Just because there's going to be a learning curve. You're going to learn a few things on the job. And chances are that will show up in the final product. But don't hire a guy who isn't going to do a precise job.

[HotStreak]

$1 a sqft is a steal for install. I live in Northeast so shit is expensive. The guy quoting you the $1 price. You trust him?

[robzilla]

$1 a sqft is a steal for install. I live in Northeast so shit is expensive. The guy quoting you the $1 price. You trust him?

Its just some guy from Craigslist... so I dont know how good or bad he is.

[robzilla]

It depends on the kind of floor and the shape of the room. Do the pieces fit together easily? Are there any crazy corners? I would pay the professional installer, if the floor is real bamboo and expensive. Just because there's going to be a learning curve. You're going to learn a few things on the job. And chances are that will show up in the final product. But don't hire a guy who isn't going to do a precise job.

Its tounge and grove. The whole learning curve is my fear, but I can really take my time and make sure i do it right. Its a tough call. This floor isnt the regular Home Depot floor. Its the handscrapped ultra hard sheeit.

[robzilla]

lol.

My buddy bought a new house over the summer and since then we built a fence, set of steps, did all the yard work and are currently just finishing up a shed. Neither of us are professional carpenters and everything worked out fine.

I dont think that 80% of the contractors out there are any more talented than the regular homeowner. They have just done the job before, so they know what not to do.

I painted my livingroom last year and everyone says I did a great job, but I can see where I made a couple mistakes. Everytime I come in to the room, my eyes just want to look at that 1mm dot of paint on the baseboard.

[HotStreak]

Its just some guy from Craigslist... so I dont know how good or bad he is.

Careful with that.

[robzilla]

I'm constantly surprised by how truly limited I am in all facets of life. Laying a floor is like asking me to build the space shuttle.

I know what ur saying. When the going gets tough, I give up most of the time.

[ngates815]

I dont think that 80% of the contractors out there are any more talented than the regular homeowner. They have just done the job before, so they know what not to do.

I painted my livingroom last year and everyone says I did a great job, but I can see where I made a couple mistakes. Everytime I come in to the room, my eyes just want to look at that 1mm dot of paint on the baseboard.

When we painted our house, Had to go up the extension ladder and it was a pain in the ass...Gave the extension ladder back to my parents and like you it's been 5 years in the house and every time I'm walking down the stairs I notice the one fukkin spot where I splattered some on the ceiling. I could go back and touch it up, But I don't want to deal with the extension ladder again...Almost just bought some scaffolding and keep it at our shop, but told him nahh, we just use the ladder.

But my brother paid 11 grand to have someone paint his house and I wasn't terribly busy at work at the time, so I figured why the fukk not, might as well save some cash...But can definitely tell the difference between his paint job and the one we did.

[ngates815]

If you have no kids or no animals or anything and don't mind the house being torn up for a week or 2...I'd just do it myself. Like I said, my buddy did it and he said he had absolutely no clue what he was doing, and his house turned out to look good.


I think he said he burnt through alot of alcohol while doing it...

[rumnblack]

If you do it yourself your back will fukkin ache for a week, so work out how much a sore back is worth and take it from there.

[Dark Horse]

Its tounge and grove. The whole learning curve is my fear, but I can really take my time and make sure i do it right. Its a tough call. This floor isnt the regular Home Depot floor. Its the handscrapped ultra hard sheeit.

I put in my own floor some ten years ago. It was worth it. You do need all the right tools, of course, but it's not hard. If you can paint your place you can do this. The final pieces are a little tricky, but by that time you know what you're doing. Make sure you line up the pieces unevenly (evenly looks bad). And make undercuts for the doors. And you have to leave a little space between the floor and the wall. The house moves...

[TheMoneyShot]

Laying tile is the hardest thing to do... if you want it done 100% accurately. If you want everything perfect... you might want an expert to do it right... and honestly there are some company's that aren't that professional! But at least you can bitch them out if they do it wrong.

A laminate floor you probably could do it yourself.

It's not worth the trouble or your patient. You might ended up kicking your own ass after screwing it up.

[RubberKettle]

Depends on how much that bamboo floor was. If you have no experience laying down a hardwood floor you will mess up somewhere during the installation. Hopefully you have spare materials and plenty of time. Always plan for about 1.5x more than you think it will take to be safe.

Watch some youtube videos and start in a small room so if you do run into problems they will be 'small.' $1.00 a sq/ ft is awfully cheap either he;s struggling for work or has the cheapest of the cheap day laborers.

[robzilla]

So I bought a miter saw, compressor w/brad nailer, and flooring nailer. I got about 1/6 of the floor done, but the nailer kept jamming, so I am just hiring someone to do it for me now. I feel like a bit of a failure, but atleast I tried.

[mcaulay777]

Im in the same boat my house here in Iowa was built in 1961 and the carpets are old about 10. so im looking at the same thing of course you tube makes it look easy.My mom put floors in herself 10 years ago at 66 my wifes parents in there early 70s just did there whole house so you can see it can be done,Sometimes im just lazy