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18.10.2024<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Share on:<\/h4><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nI<\/span>n this series, we follow a Christchurch couple in their bid to turn their 1960\u2019s fixer-upper, from a retro rental to a modern home.<\/strong><\/p>\nIf you\u2019ve ever considered buying an older home but have lacked the confidence to tackle something totally outdated, this guide is for you. It\u2019s a whole lot of fun, and not as hard (or anywhere near as risky) as you might imagine.<\/p>\n
In the\u00a0previous chapter<\/a>, we looked in-depth at the process of installing Jeremy and Alana\u2019s new kitchen and laundry.<\/p>\nThat\u2019s\u00a0nearly<\/em>\u00a0a wrap!<\/p>\nThe last job in almost any renovation is the carpet and flooring. Just like every other step there are a range of choices for who to use and which products you go for.<\/p>\n
In this chapter, we journey through carpet and flooring types, and their various benefits and drawbacks.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Why is flooring last in the renovation process?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>- <\/i><\/span>\n
When we set out on our renovation adventure, we only had a loose idea of the order of trades and work. By working with our builder, Mark Smith, we built a solid plan and worked to it.<\/p>\n
Flooring and carpet goes down last because it\u2019s easily dirtied and damaged, and you want to make sure minimal work goes on once it\u2019s down. It also requires a spotlessly clean floor before laying, so the house is generally cleaned beforehand too.<\/p>\n
Of course, you don\u2019t\u00a0have<\/em>\u00a0to install the flooring last, but it makes things a lot easier and less risky.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/DSC_4231.jpg\" "\\"DSC_4231\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>What particular products and materials were available?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>With the vast array of different flooring products and materials, Jeremy and Alana spend a lot of time researching the various benefits and drawbacks of each. We take a quick look at their options.<\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
The flooring space is absolutely chocka with different products and offerings. We first started with a layman\u2019s approach of looking at finishes and colours, thinking that was where our energy was best spent.<\/p>\n
We quickly learned that there are multiple types of carpet and flooring, and we would be best to decide on the\u00a0type<\/em>\u00a0we\u2019d go for first, and choose our colours from there.<\/p>\nThis involved consulting with a range of retailers and outlets.<\/p>\n
Carpet<\/strong><\/p>\nPiles are the individual strands of thread that form the carpet. There are three main\u00a0pile types<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n- Cut pile<\/li>\n
- Loop pile<\/li>\n
- Combination cut and loop pile<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And there are three common carpet materials:<\/p>\n
\n- Wool<\/li>\n
- Wool blends<\/li>\n
- Synthetic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Each combination has different properties and resistance to wear, staining and fading, but also feel and colour choice.<\/p>\n
Rather than exhaust the options here, Consumer has a\u00a0great article<\/a>\u00a0on carpet properties worth reading.<\/p>\nFlooring<\/strong><\/p>\nFlooring is even more daunting than carpet!<\/p>\n
Manufacturers are using a vast range of different raw materials and processing techniques to come up with offerings that all tout different benefits and attempt to outshine each other.<\/p>\n
The basic choices fall into the following groups:<\/p>\n
\n- Natural timber<\/li>\n
- Engineered timber<\/li>\n
- Bamboo<\/li>\n
- Laminate<\/li>\n
- Hybrid<\/li>\n
- Vinyl plank<\/li>\n
- Linoleum<\/li>\n
- Tiles<\/li>\n
- Polished concrete<\/li>\n
- Sheet vinyl<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Each choice has varying product and installation costs, aesthetic options as well as durability.<\/p>\n
The fact that we were laying over a timber floor, as well as our budget made some options more or less attractive.<\/p>\n
By this stage, we were feeling quite overwhelmed and felt it was time to begin consulting with some specialists!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Light-Hardwood-Vs-Dark-Hardwood-Flooring-.jpg\" "\\"Wood")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>What flooring and carpet did you opt for in the end?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>By balancing head with heart, Jeremy and Alana were willing to compromise a little on practicality to achieve something special.<\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
We visited a range of flooring retailers and got a feel for the market. In the end, we opted to work with The Flooring Center.<\/p>\n
We consulted with their sales staff, illustrating our constraints (including budget) and needs.<\/p>\n
We quickly identified that vinyl planking was a great flooring choice for us. Vinyl planking is extremely durable, has high water resistance, does not require expansion gaps around wall (and therefore can be installed flush up to skirting) and can be installed over pretty much any base flooring.<\/p>\n
The design and styling of vinyl planks was really attractive too. With a range of timber-styles available \u2013 we were able to match the tones of the vinyl plank to our carpet, kitchen and paint choices.<\/p>\n
Carpet was a little more tricky. We were drawn to the various benefits of synthetic carpet such as durability and ease of cleaning \u2013 but our hearts were drawn to wool. In the end, we did choose wool. We just felt the synthetic products couldn\u2019t match the luxury feel of woollen carpet underfoot.<\/p>\n
Envisioning getting home and being able to stretch out on soft, natural woollen carpet was something we really wanted to make happen.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/DSC_4233-PH.jpg\" "\\"DSC_4233-PH\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>How was the install organised?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>- <\/i><\/span>You wouldn\u2019t believe it, but compared to actually choosing the flooring and carpet \u2013 installation was a breeze!<\/p>\n
The Flooring Centre organised everything. Flooring would take approximately three days to install, and the carpet one day.<\/p>\n
We simply had to give the house a good clean and tidy before the installers arrived, and they would take care of the rest, including vacuuming the floors in prep for installation.<\/p>\n
We had to also make sure everything else was finished up before installation began.<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Post a job<\/span><\/a>Need a flooring specialist?<\/h2>
I<\/span>n this series, we follow a Christchurch couple in their bid to turn their 1960\u2019s fixer-upper, from a retro rental to a modern home.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever considered buying an older home but have lacked the confidence to tackle something totally outdated, this guide is for you. It\u2019s a whole lot of fun, and not as hard (or anywhere near as risky) as you might imagine.<\/p>\n In the\u00a0previous chapter<\/a>, we looked in-depth at the process of installing Jeremy and Alana\u2019s new kitchen and laundry.<\/p>\n That\u2019s\u00a0nearly<\/em>\u00a0a wrap!<\/p>\n The last job in almost any renovation is the carpet and flooring. Just like every other step there are a range of choices for who to use and which products you go for.<\/p>\n In this chapter, we journey through carpet and flooring types, and their various benefits and drawbacks.<\/p>\n<\/div> When we set out on our renovation adventure, we only had a loose idea of the order of trades and work. By working with our builder, Mark Smith, we built a solid plan and worked to it.<\/p>\n Flooring and carpet goes down last because it\u2019s easily dirtied and damaged, and you want to make sure minimal work goes on once it\u2019s down. It also requires a spotlessly clean floor before laying, so the house is generally cleaned beforehand too.<\/p>\n Of course, you don\u2019t\u00a0have<\/em>\u00a0to install the flooring last, but it makes things a lot easier and less risky.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div> With the vast array of different flooring products and materials, Jeremy and Alana spend a lot of time researching the various benefits and drawbacks of each. We take a quick look at their options.<\/p>\n<\/div> The flooring space is absolutely chocka with different products and offerings. We first started with a layman\u2019s approach of looking at finishes and colours, thinking that was where our energy was best spent.<\/p>\n We quickly learned that there are multiple types of carpet and flooring, and we would be best to decide on the\u00a0type<\/em>\u00a0we\u2019d go for first, and choose our colours from there.<\/p>\n This involved consulting with a range of retailers and outlets.<\/p>\n Carpet<\/strong><\/p>\n Piles are the individual strands of thread that form the carpet. There are three main\u00a0pile types<\/a>:<\/p>\n And there are three common carpet materials:<\/p>\n Each combination has different properties and resistance to wear, staining and fading, but also feel and colour choice.<\/p>\n Rather than exhaust the options here, Consumer has a\u00a0great article<\/a>\u00a0on carpet properties worth reading.<\/p>\n Flooring<\/strong><\/p>\n Flooring is even more daunting than carpet!<\/p>\n Manufacturers are using a vast range of different raw materials and processing techniques to come up with offerings that all tout different benefits and attempt to outshine each other.<\/p>\n The basic choices fall into the following groups:<\/p>\n Each choice has varying product and installation costs, aesthetic options as well as durability.<\/p>\n The fact that we were laying over a timber floor, as well as our budget made some options more or less attractive.<\/p>\n By this stage, we were feeling quite overwhelmed and felt it was time to begin consulting with some specialists!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div> By balancing head with heart, Jeremy and Alana were willing to compromise a little on practicality to achieve something special.<\/p>\n<\/div> We visited a range of flooring retailers and got a feel for the market. In the end, we opted to work with The Flooring Center.<\/p>\n We consulted with their sales staff, illustrating our constraints (including budget) and needs.<\/p>\n We quickly identified that vinyl planking was a great flooring choice for us. Vinyl planking is extremely durable, has high water resistance, does not require expansion gaps around wall (and therefore can be installed flush up to skirting) and can be installed over pretty much any base flooring.<\/p>\n The design and styling of vinyl planks was really attractive too. With a range of timber-styles available \u2013 we were able to match the tones of the vinyl plank to our carpet, kitchen and paint choices.<\/p>\n Carpet was a little more tricky. We were drawn to the various benefits of synthetic carpet such as durability and ease of cleaning \u2013 but our hearts were drawn to wool. In the end, we did choose wool. We just felt the synthetic products couldn\u2019t match the luxury feel of woollen carpet underfoot.<\/p>\n Envisioning getting home and being able to stretch out on soft, natural woollen carpet was something we really wanted to make happen.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div> The Flooring Centre organised everything. Flooring would take approximately three days to install, and the carpet one day.<\/p>\n We simply had to give the house a good clean and tidy before the installers arrived, and they would take care of the rest, including vacuuming the floors in prep for installation.<\/p>\n We had to also make sure everything else was finished up before installation began.<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>Why is flooring last in the renovation process?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>What particular products and materials were available?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
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<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>What flooring and carpet did you opt for in the end?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>How was the install organised?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
Need a flooring specialist?<\/h2>
![\"Vinyl](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/DSC_4235-PH.jpg\" "\\"DSC_4235-PH\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/DSC_4237-PH.jpg\" "\\"DSC_4237-PH\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/DSC_4239-PH.jpg\" "\\"DSC_4239-PH\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Carpet-Installation-3330-RTD-PH-1000x667-1-320x202.jpg\" "\\"Carpet-Installation-3330-RTD-PH-1000×667\\"")
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