How much does it cost to replace carpet with laminate flooring for 1500sqft home?
Question:Do I need professional installation if I have never done any house-related work before (which I have not).
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Answers:
If you are not "handy" around the house, I would recommend a professional. HGTV makes it look easier than it is, while it's not rocket science, if you're not "handy", you might think it is. Also consider...how much is YOUR time worth, and do you own the tools for this project, or would you have to add the price of the tools into your "do it yourself" project?
You can find laminates in all price ranges, starting from .99 a square foot to 4.25 a square foot, and a multitude in between. You can usually find a quality lamintate for day to day living for around 2.25 a square foot. When you look at the products side by side - you'll see the difference.
DON'T skimp on the underlayment. Quiet Walk is a wonderful fiber based underlayment which will take out some of the "clicky, hollow" sound associated with laminate floors. Quiet Walk will generally run about .50 a foot. The underlayments that look like thick plastic will make your laminate sound as if a herd of horses is walking across your floor.
Labor from a good installer should run between $1.85 to $2.00 a square foot. That is if the rooms are clean and ready for install. If you would like them to move the furniture - figure $50 per room, if you would like for them to remove the carpet and pad, figure .50 per foot. You can save money by doing these two things yourself. Just make sure to cut the carpet into small managable strips.don't laugh...I've seen folks try to take the whole room out in one piece. Trim pieces in the doorways will run $15.00 each for installation in addition to the price of the trim which will be around $15-$25 each...and there should be one at every doorway to allow for expansion! Shoemold(the trim around the walls next to the baseboard) will run around $1.50 a linear foot. Any floor prep to correct an uneven slab will be based on how uneven your slab is..usually around $70 per bag of patch. While a laminate will cover most sub floor irregularities, the subfloor must not be out of level more than 1/8" within a 10 ft radius.
The resilient flooring that looks like wood has been around for years. Just remember.nothing is WATERPROOF from the top except ceramic. The resilient flooring is water sensitive at the joints - just like a laminate floor. It is definitely easier to install, but will not add any resell value to your home in the least, and maybe considered a turnoff by most buyers. I only bring this up because, in this day and age...there don't seem to be any "forever" homes.
Check lumber liquidators online. They have a calculator for a few price points. You also have to factor in the underlayment and any prep materials. You could probably do a floating floor if you are a pretty good diy-er. There are classes for this occasionally at home depot. Good luck.
You can buy some fair laminates for less than $2/ft. If you hire someone to do it all-expect to pay $3.50 to $7.00 or more per foot depending on what part of the country you live in and how fancy your laminate is.
Laminate is pretty easy to do. Its time consuming and you have to work on your knees. But you can do it.
If you find a laminate you like for $3.50 and you pay $1.50 to have it installed that would be about $7,500
for materials: $1500 - $1700 for home depo's traffic master brand. then they charge about $4.00? a square foot for installation. they will want YOU to do the prep work (carpet removal, etc) or they will be charging you for that as well.
i purchased the materials from them with a small table saw and had my carpenter do it for cheaper in my living room dining room kitchen. but wait: watching a bunch of hgtv home improvement shows revealed an even better solution than laminate: resilient flooring also in home depo's traffic master brand. its like laminate shaped linoleum that looks like, and is textured like wood. it is waterproof (laminate is NOT) and has built in glue where the tounge and groove is on laminate. it cuts with a utility knife.
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