Renting tools for big jobs is usually the way to go. It’s a good way to get the right tool for a fraction of the cost of buying. Be careful though, sometimes for large projects it will actually end up costing you more to rent the tool than just to buy it in the first place. Laying hardwood flooring often takes much longer than the novice estimates. You may consider estimating the time you think it will take you to install the floor and compare the hourly rate of renting vs buying.
If you do decide to rent a floor nailer rather than buy, be sure you do not pick it up until you are ready to start laying those planks. Be sure that when you do your time estimate that you factor in the preparation work needed before you can begin to lay your flooring. Before anything happens you need to remove old carpeting and padding. Probably one of the more time consuming jobs is to pull all remaining staples that held the padding in place. Next check to be sure your floor base is level. A vapor guard is an important step to protecting your new flooring especially if you are laying over a concrete sub floor. After you get all of that prep work done you can begin putting down the new floor. Now you understand why I cautioned you not to rent the floor nailer until you were actually ready to use it.
One thing that most people forget to account for when they calculate how long it will take to complete their project is the time necessary for the flooring to adjust to the room’s climate. It’s really simple. Simply unpack the flooring in the room it will be used in and let it sit for a couple of days. Remove any plastic so it is exposed to the moisture level and temperature of the room. Then leave it sit for a few days. That’s all there is to it. Just make sure you don’t skip this step or try to take a short cut by putting it in a different room or worse yet the garage. You certainly don’t want to pay a daily rental fee while you are waiting for the wood flooring to adjust.
With a good idea of the process to install hardwood flooring you can start to estimate the time needed to complete your project. You will be able to move much more quickly in the middle of the room than you will when you work around edges, trim, and vents. Depending on how complicated the area is you are working with you will need to adjust your estimates. If you have little previous experience it may not be a bad idea to double your estimate to be sure you are conservative. Don’t make the mistake of renting a floor nailer when you really should buy one. When you factor that into the cost buying will often come out ahead of renting. You may be taken aback by the price of some of the professional models. They are reliable and will certainly get the job done. There are also floor nailers designed personal use that are perfect for a small job or two.
About IsiahLang
Author: