Investing in new flooring can be the best investment you ever make for your home. But one question we get asked often, is: where do I start? Each home and situation is different, but there are some basic ways to get started. In this section, we'll discuss the first three steps you'll need to know to prepare laminate floors for installation.

Laminate flooring is a good choice to mimic the look of wood grains or ceramic tiles without the extra maintenance. Laminate flooring doesn't need to be nailed, stained, finished or sanded, and is extremely durable and easy to care for.

Before installing laminate floors for your home there are a few simple things you'll want to do before you get started.

First, you'll want to check your floor for moisture.

With any type of laminate and hardwood flooring the first thing you'll want to do is check your floor for moisture. You can do this by taking a moisture meter and checking the concrete with the meter. If you don't have a meter, you can check the moisture by taping a piece of plastic on the concrete and checking the condensation after 24 hours. Lastly, you can check the surrounding outside foundation for any excessive water or leaks coming out of your sprinkler system. Perform a thorough outdoor site evaluation and check for problem areas.

Next, prepare the subfloor.

Once you've checked your floor for moisture, the next thing you'll want to do is make sure you know your subfloor. Is the subfloor flat and level? You can take a straight-edge and check for any high or low spots. Has it been cleaned it thoroughly? One nice thing about laminate is that you can often install it directly over existing subfloors of wood, concrete, and vinyl, and even some types of carpet, so long as it's clean and level.

Acclimate your flooring.

Finally, be sure to acclimate your flooring. You'll want to let the floorboards sit in the room for 1-2 weeks. This will allow the flooring to acclimate to the same moisture content as the remaining wood in the house. The flooring will be ready to install once the moisture content of the floorboards matches the moisture content of the subfloor.

That wraps it up for today. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact any of our friendly licensed flooring inspectors at (760) 736-4222. Until next time!