- DIY can work for a simple, square room with click vinyl or laminate over a flat floor.
- Hire a pro for stairs, levelling, concrete moisture, hardwood, herringbone and big open areas.
- The most expensive DIY mistake: skipping the levelling.
- Some warranties cover labour only for professional installs.
Yes, we install floors for a living. But we'd rather you hear the honest version. Plenty of people do a great job on a bedroom themselves.
Good DIY projects
- A rectangular bedroom or office with click vinyl or laminate.
- A floor that's already flat (check it with a long straightedge).
- No stairs, few doorways, no kitchen cabinets.
Better with a pro
- Stairs (nosings and treads are where DIY shows).
- Subfloor levelling and squeak repair.
- Concrete moisture testing and glue-down.
- Nail-down hardwood, herringbone, open plans with long runs.
- Condos with strata sound requirements.
The DIY mistakes we fix most
- Not levelling, so joints separate and click.
- No expansion gap, so the floor peaks.
- Planks pinched under cabinets or door jambs.
- Doubled underlay on attached-pad vinyl.
- Short end joints lined up in a pattern.
Halfway through and stuck? Send us photos. We'll give you honest advice even if you finish it yourself.
Common questions
Is it hard to install vinyl plank flooring yourself?
A simple room over a flat floor is a manageable DIY job. The hard parts are levelling the subfloor, cutting around doors and trim, and stairs.
Does DIY installation void flooring warranties?
Not usually, if you follow the maker's instructions. But some warranties only cover labour costs for professional installs, and problems caused by installation aren't covered either way.
Who's writing this: Rose and Thorn Flooring is a flooring company in Surrey, BC. We install floors for a living, so yes, we'd love to do yours. But nobody pays us to say nice things about a product, and we don't earn commission from any brand. If something here is wrong or out of date, text us at 604-716-4160 and we'll fix it.