Can You Change The Flooring In Your Apartment? [Expert View]

When looking for a house to rent, flooring is one of the significant aspects a tenant always considers. Depending on the quality of the floor, an apartment is sure to gain more tenants or lose them. Floors aren’t made to last a lifetime. So changing now and then is crucial. But, can you change the flooring in your apartment?

Spending on some aspects and factors is OK to change the apartment flooring. Whether it be marble, granite, or tile, the answer is the same. But there some obstacles appear like high costs, validity, door clearance, and more. It is recommended to check the existing floor before replacing it.

With proper knowledge and procedure, it won’t be a tough task. This is why I’ll share everything about changing apartment flooring.

4 Reasons Why You Change The Flooring In Your Apartment

Changing a floor can be due to some reasons. Depending on the outcome needed, it can range from a simple reason like a renovation to full-floor replacement for intense floor damage. Below are some reasons why one should change the flooring of an apartment.

1. Getting Ready To Rent:

Flooring is prone to wear and tear. When moving out, tenants leave the floor in poor condition. This can be a setback to an apartment. Changing the flooring is the best solution for this drawback.

Suitable flooring can increase the return profits of an investment. It is advised as an apartment owner to renovate the apartment’s flooring before renting out. This also increases the chances of getting clients quickly.

2. Updating The Design: 

Recent technology updates have come up with new floor designs. The designs look unique and unforgettable. For someone who loves classy designs, that would be updating their flooring.

Removing an old floor and laying a new one is a dream for every tenant or homeowner. The contemporary floor designs make it easy to update the floor to complement the room’s design.

3. Better Installation:

Floors are not only meant for decoration. They also act as soundproofs and insulators. Depending on the apartment area, flooring can be adjusted to fit that environment. 

For cold places, one wants a floor that acts as an insulator to help lower the cost of heating a room. An example is carpet flooring. It keeps a room warm. For soundproofing, vinyl flooring is advised since one has to set up layers.

4. Repair And Replacement

Tiles are fragile and prone to cracking. The good thing is they don’t do so at the same time. Repairing a tile is easiest rather than removing the whole flooring. Put a new tile in place of the broken one.

For carpet floors, tough stains mean buying a new carpet and replacing the old one. For wooden flooring, they can be affected by pet scratches and from kids’ toys. Replacing the affected woods can be a good solution.

Things To Consider Before Changing The Flooring In Your Apartment

Floor replacement is often an overlooked aspect of home designs. People fail to understand that the floor is the primary aspect that catches one’s eyes when entering a room. An excellent base complements a superb house design. Before changing the flooring, here are some things to often consider.

• Nature Of The Subfloor

A subfloor acts as the base for most floor ideas. Different flooring requires different subfloors. Consider the subfloor’s nature and compatibility with the replacement choice when upgrading flooring.

An irregular or damaged subfloor can be harmful to any flooring. When looking to upgrade or repair the floor, always check whether the subfloor is in good condition or if it also needs replacement.

• Quality Of The Flooring Products 

Often, a floor design is based on the preference of the owner or tenant living in an apartment. Other factors are also to consider, such as cost, foot traffic, area, and maintenance requirements. Always go for quality products since they will give you more durability and a nice look for your home design. Suitable flooring always returns on investment, so you should consider it enough.

• Flexibility For Changes 

Sometimes, choosing a floor to stick to can be difficult. When this is the case, assuming a floor that can be easy to change can be the best option. This can be due to its ease in acting as a solid adhesive surface or comfort in accepting stains and paints. An example is hardwood flooring with excellent furnishing.

• Easy Installation

Changing a flooring may range from an easy DIY task to require a professional. Depending on the urgency and duration needs, various floor ideas can be considered. For an apartment, consider an easy-to-install floor to allow for the marketing of the apartment.

3 Tips To Keep Your Apartment Floor Shiny Always

Cleaning the floor is a necessary task. It keeps germs and bacteria away and helps remove allergens from the floor. This task should never be taken lightly. A clean floor is also appealing and shows how a homeowner is clean. The following tips will aid you in keeping the apartment floor shiny always.

1. Removing Shoes At The Door

 A study⁽¹⁾ conducted in 2016 showed that shoes harbor over 440,000 units of bacteria on the sole. This fact alone should show you the importance of entering a room minus the boots. Shoes bring dirt to the room and so should be left outside. This will ensure you have an easy time cleaning your floor.

2. Commit To Vacuuming 

Set aside a day for vacuuming once a week. This will ensure no dust particles accumulate on your flooring. Commitment to the cleaning day should be on a high note. This will enable your floor to look shiny.

3. Apply Furnishings To The Surface 

A furnished floor is easy to clean. This is because stains do not stick easily. Cleaning a furnished floor becomes easy with a bit of water and a carpet. Also, always consider the ease of cleaning before replacing the floor. It will give you an easy time when it comes to maintaining it.

Related Questions:

Is It Legal To Change The Floor In Your Apartment When You’re A Tenant?

Landlords mainly remodel an apartment. As tenants, there is only little we can do. Until now, upgrading the floor in an apartment was impossible. One can do a flooring upgrade legally. Thanks to newly approved methods like the peel-and-stick floor tile. They come in handy when moving out since you just unseal and pack. 

How Often Do You Change The Flooring Of Your Apartment?

It is recommended to constantly replace or fix the flooring in an apartment once a tenant moves out. This is because flooring is subjected to wear and tear and needs to be replaced before the new owners move in. Also, landlords must upgrade their buildings every 3 years in some countries like the US.

What Is The Best Flooring Option To Change Your Apartment?

For an apartment, one should always choose easy-to-install and temporary flooring. A carpet flooring is easy to install and maintain, but it’s not the best since it can harbor allergens.

The peel-and-stick tiles are the best apartment flooring options since they are easy to install, clean, and maintain. Also, one just unpeeled them during relocation.

Is It Ok To Use Peel And Stick Flooring In Your Apartment?

Using peel-and-stick tiles is a landlord-approved way to improve a rented apartment’s design. These tiles come in various designs and colors to complement the looks of your apartment.

They are easy to install and remove when moving out. Their temporary service is what makes them an ideal candidate for apartment floors.

How Much Does It Cost To Change The Entire Flooring In Your Apartment?

Depending on the size of the floor and the flooring design one needs to install, the cost may vary. RenoQuotes.com compiles the cost of replacing different flooring. The table below summarizes the type of floor and price per square foot.

 

Floor Type	Cost
Wooden	$4.50-$14.50
Floating	$3.50-$8.50
Bamboo	$6.50-$8.50
Vinyl	$4.50-$14.50
Linoleum	From $2.50
Tile	$2.50-$8

Final Touch:

In the quest to address the question of whether one can change the flooring of their apartment. I have found that suitable flooring is a good investment that will always bring good returns to you as a landlord. For tenants, always ask for advice from the landlord before changing the flooring. Good luck finding the best floor idea, and remember to use the tips above for a better choice.

References

Gallant, C. (2016, September 15). The Daily Wildcat. https://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2016/09/n-petri-dishes-you-can-wear-ua-researchers-study-the-bacteria-on-the-bottoms-of-your-shoes