Anyone installed their own flooring before?

[ChocoTrio]

In the process with a new build and the flooring is a (very) expensive extra (builders heavily mark up the prices for things like flooring). So, for the short term I'm considering installing flooring DIY style - it saves money and means more expensive (professional) longer-term flooring options can be explored in the meantime.

Has anyone tried to install their own flooring? Is it hard/easy? Any recommendations with regards to materials or tools or techniques? Best places to shop for DIY flooring?

I've read that carpet is tricky to install yourself, but you can get around it with carpet tiles; they're supposed to be easier to maintain because you can just replace a tile if the carpet gets a stain etc. Seen some sites where they get a bit creative with the design using carpet tiles too. Has anyone had tried carpet tiles, or vinyl tiles?

I tiles my hallway/utility myself, as a complete novice- I used 30cm ceramic tiles, watched some YouTube videos first, took my time...and it looks great! The worst bit was using the tile cutter...I think carpet tiles or vinyl squares would be a doddle in comparison.

Get on YouTube and get confident :)

Yep, installed our own carpets, and cork flooring to the ground floor. And some tiling to bathroom floors. It doesn't look exactly professional, but certainly looks acceptable for the huge saving we made doing it ourselves. Cork was the easiest but I do wish we had laid a latex screed before (or at least paid someone to do it.) It's a little bit bouncy in places.
Wouldn't out down carpet tiles though, not my cup of tea...Go for a carpet with a speckle so any small marks aren't obvious. Or one you can bleach.

Could the skirting board go on after you’ve laid the floor?

You’d get a much neater edge. Just don’t rest the board on the flooring and take into account the depth of whatever floor you might want to put down next.

My husband installed laminate flooring in our buy2let. He had no diy skills prior to this and is an accountant so not used to manual labour. He had no problem and even said he quite enjoyed it. It is click in place and cut with a jigsaw. Use good quality laminate as poor quality is harder to lay as edges splinter. We used direct flooring, an online company who delivered and are still delivering through Covid. The one we chose has 20 years guarentee. He laid 3 bedrooms, landing and hallway in a weeks holiday with 3 days to spare.

I forgot to ask.

Is this a self build?
VAT is recoverable on most floorings but not carpet tiles.
You will not be able to claim twice for the floor and there is a time limit to claw back VAT once the build is finished.

Really depends on the flooring type. Carpet tiles look horrid to me but luxury vinyl ones look OK (kinda) and as easy to lay. Wood type flooring can be fixed in two ways, floating or glued, and the edges are the hardest bit. I'd leave carpet to the pro's

Thanks for the tips and responses! Might actually think twice about carpet tiles - maybe order to samples too.

@ChateauMyself - It's not a self-build, it's a new build on a development. Does that still fall under the same VAT rules?

I need to double check about the skirting board issue as well.

I'm afraid not, it's the developer that benefits from zero VAT on a new build, not the purchaser. Always get samples!

I've done vinyl tiles in my bathrooms, very easy albeit time consuming with so many nooks and crannies. Very cheap and an ok finish - will get a professional for my forever home though. Would not even consider doing carpet though, and normal vinyl flooring I imagine would be very difficult to get just right in one piece!

If you laminate, take skirting boards off first and sand edge of wall at bottom. Laminate up to edge except for 1/2 cm. Then put skirting boards back to get a professional looking edge.

My husband installed laminate flooring in our buy2let.

The problem you have is that the builders generally refuse NOT to fit the skirting to let you do it for obvious reasons. Therefore you either have to take them off and it usually makes a right mess of the skirting and plaster board, or you have to bead the edge which looks awful.

Happened to a friend and she ended up using Karndean.

It is another trick by builders to screw you for a fortune in extras as you have discovered.

Yes, I have laid ceramic tiles, vinyl, carpet and wooden floorboards including joists (downstairs floor) I had no DIY skills prior to buying my house and the floorboards were pre internet so involved library books! Now with YouTube things are much easier. Measure and measure again and maybe once more is something I learnt quickly.