Renovation is something all homeowners think of at one point in time. In the United States, 58% of homeowners renovated their homes in 2017. The median spend for this study was $15,000. When you talk of renovation, you can easily think of repainting, replacing cabinets, replacing the home’s flooring, etc. When you think of replacing flooring, you must have asked, “How long does it take to replace flooring?”
In general, the time it takes to replace flooring varies but can easily take up to 10 days or even more. This is because a lot of work goes into it, and the process is lengthy. To help you out, this article will highlight the processes involved in replacing flooring and factors to consider that might affect the timing. Let’s get started.
What are the processes involved in replacing flooring?
Once you start a renovation, you want it done immediately. But truth be told, it’s not as easy; certain steps and even precautions must be taken to ensure the best results. The processes are;
1. Getting things out of the way
The first step is getting things out of the way. All furniture, electronics, or paintings will have to be removed. The process will generate a lot of dust, so all electronics have to be moved elsewhere for safety reasons, also furniture and paintings must be stored properly. This can take hours to complete.
2. Removing the old flooring
Before you replace the flooring, the old one will have to be removed; it’s only logical. The old flooring will have to be removed using a Pry bar, utility knife, drywall knife, pliers, orbital sander, floor scraper, or chisel (depending on the type of flooring being removed). If the area is large, this may take hours, sometimes even more.
3. Preparing the new flooring
The preparation process varies depending on the type of flooring used. But they all need to be acclimated before they are installed in places that would experience a great deal of moisture. Acclimation is the process of allowing the material to reach the home’s relative humidity before it is installed. It has to be done perfectly, or else the quality will suffer.
If the material comes out too wet, it will shrink and pull away from each other, leaving gaps in the flooring. If it comes out too dry, it will expand, leading to cupping and bulging of the floor. It can take anywhere from 3 – 7 days for this process to be completed.
4. Preparing subflooring
This is one of the most important processes involved. Before the flooring is installed, the subflooring has to be checked too. The contractor is to check if anything would interfere or if there is any damage on the subflooring that will affect the new flooring.
Any mishaps here could undo all the hard work, and you might need to change the flooring again soon. The process can take some hours and longer if any issue is identified and needs to be resolved first.
5. Installation of new flooring
After the acclimation and subflooring have been done, the new flooring will be installed. This process should take between 1 – 3 days and even longer, depending on the project size.
How long does it take to replace flooring?
After seeing the entire process, you should understand better that the time it takes to replace flooring varies. It could take anywhere between 7 – 10 days to complete and more if certain unforeseen complications occur. Some of these complications will be highlighted in the next section.
Factors that can affect how long it takes to replace the flooring
Preparation needed: The amount of preparation needed would automatically take longer if the project is more than a small room. All furniture will have to be moved elsewhere, and the subflooring for each room will have to be inspected individually.
Type of flooring being removed: Some materials are harder to install and remove entirely, e.g., tiles. It would generally affect the overall time for the project as it must be done before the new flooring is installed.
Damages to the subflooring: As mentioned earlier in this article, any mishaps would imply you will redo the flooring soon. So, the contractor will have to repair any damage encountered during the inspection, affecting the time.
FAQs
When should you replace the flooring?
If the floors are warping or shifting around, refinishing would not do the trick; rather, replacing it would.
How long does it take to install flooring?
Installing flooring may take anywhere from 1 – 3 days.
Which flooring is easiest to install?
The Click-and-lock system of installation makes Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) the easiest type of flooring to install.
Can you walk on the new flooring?
It is generally recommended not to walk on new flooring until 24 hours after its installation.
Conclusion
The process involved in replacing flooring is very complex. The room will first be prepared, the old flooring removed, and the new flooring will then be acclimated properly. Afterward, the subflooring is inspected before the new flooring can be installed.
Each step has an estimated time but may take longer if certain factors or unforeseen complications occur along the way.
You should take note of these processes and factors before commencing your project. However, it should likely take around ten days to replace the flooring entirely.
Thanks for reading this article. You might also find this article on the types of flooring helpful.
