Most people would be surprised to realise the first thing that a person notices upon entering the kitchen is the floor. The floor frames the rest of the kitchen design like a picture frame does a picture. If a kitchen has old linoleum, or a badly worn through hard wood floor, it is time to remodel.  Taking on the task of remodeling a kitchen floor is many times ignored because of the complications. Here are some simple tips.

Never put new vinyl flooring on top of an old one. Any mars in the old floor will in no time flat, show through the new floor. The old floor has got to go first. The easier option is to lay a new sub floor over the existing vinyl, however homeowners need to consider, doing it that way, causes weak spots.

Another easy tip that is often overlooked, is simply remove everything from the kitchen before starting the kitchen floor. Some ovens are bolted down to the floor, and if that is the case, it is going to have to be worked around. However, anything not bolted should be moved. Shuffling items around as each section is finished causes frustration and slows down the job.

Machines are a convenient way for tearing up the old floor, however even when a machine is used, there will always be spots that need to be attended to by hand. The ripped up floor must be completely smooth before the new floor can be laid down.  Be careful when cutting wood to fit cupboards, making sure they fit snug, but allow some room for expansion when living in a humid climate.

Once the sub floor is down, it needs to be damp mopped and swept to get rid of any left over particles. Any small bits of dust could obstruct the adhesive from solidly binding the new floor to the sub floor. A proper seal will not be obtained.  Take care when using glue, to distribute the glue uniformly. The new floor will show the crests and troughs left by in improper job.

Once the new floor is down, make sure to give time for it to settle before moving anything back into the kitchen. Not giving adequate time for the floor to settle can cause warping, or the flooring to shift, ruining the look that was worked so hard to attain.

The beauty of a new floor will last for years, and is well worth the effort required to lay it.

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