Flooring
One of the best ways to spice up a house is to redo the flooring.
A few decades ago, hardwood floors were all the rage. Almost every house built had hardwood floors. However, as the years progressed they became less and less popular. Instead of tearing them out completely, people simply covered over the hardwood with carpeting. Now, carpet is on its way out of popularity and the hardwood is coming back into style. However, houses that were built in the carpet era do not have hardwood underneath them. Tear out the carpet and all that is left is the subfloor. If you want to upgrade your house to wood floors, you will need to lay new wood. While it may not seem like such a difficult task, it actually does require a professional, with the right tools and skills, to make a professional looking floor.
There are ways to get around the difficulties of tacking down real wood floors. Laminate flooring is gaining a lot of popularity because it not only looks like real wood, but it is durable and economical. Real hardwood will stand out much more, but there are many different types of flooring that can take a house from a drab feel to a comfortable homey feel.
Laminate floors are actually a synthetic material that has been designed to have the appearance of wood. Likewise there are ceramic tiles that accomplish the same task. While most homes in the Billings area would feel cold if the main living area was made of tile, these durable floor coverings go great in areas like bathrooms and kitchens. But there are even more choices for different areas of the house. The kitchen can be done with a number of cheaper, warmer, and softer materials (have you ever dropped a dish onto a tile floor? The dish doesn’t stand a chance). The living room, and most basements, will still be best suited with the warmth of carpet, but areas like the bathroom vinyl (or linoleum) is an excellent choice for durable and long lasting flooring.
Updating the flooring in your house is the quickest and easiest way to make your home have a new “pop” (with the exception of throwing a coat of paint on the walls of course). And redoing your floors is often a very economical way to make your house feel new. Unless you spring for the high end materials, flooring is relatively cheap. Put some new paint on the walls and redo the floors on the main level and you will have a house that looks brand new.
You can do the flooring yourself. But many types of floor coverings require special tools. Even with the right tools, knowing how to lay the flooring is imperative. Have you ever watched a carpet layer work? They can zip right through because they have laid hundreds of thousands of square feet of carpet. Instead of basically learning an entirely new trade, call us here at Van Arsdale Construction (our number is 406-656-7520 or visit our contact page on the website). Whether you are out past Shiloh or up in the Heights, we can help you choose what materials will work best, and we can take away some of the frustration that comes with redoing your floors.