DIY or get a contractor when renovating the 1st floor of your home?

DIY or get a contractor when renovating the 1st floor of your home

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What does it take to renovate the 1st floor of your home? Can you do the job yourself, or do you need a contractor to come in and help you?

About 1st Floor Structure

The 1st floor is a very important segment of your house because it acts as structural support for the higher floors. If you don't renovate it properly, you could end up compromising the strength of your home, which can lead to cracks, warping or in the worst cases, collapse of the structure.

When renovating the 1st floor, also keep in mind that today's building regulations now require proper insulation to be installed. The usual way to do this would be to lay sheets of polystyrene or some similar material above the ground and then cover it with timber or screed. Alternatives include methods that incorporate the insulation into the ground itself.

2 Types of Flooring

Another thing you have to consider when thinking about whether you should renovate your 1st floor yourself or hire a contractor is the kind of flooring that you want to have. There are two kinds: solid floors and suspended floors. Solid 1st floors are laid directly on the ground and are usually composed of solid slabs. Suspended 1st floors, on the other hand, are comprised of beams lain across between the walls of the house. Suspended floors are being favored nowadays because of perceived problems with using the solid floor approach, and because it is a dry type of construction.

DIY or Contractor - Things to Consider

Now that you know some of the basics of renovating your 1st floor, it's time to get down to specifics.

- What jobs need to be done? Make a list of everything that you want included in the renovation of your 1st floor. Do you just want to change the tiles, or are you also planning to repaint the walls? Will your renovation include emptying the rooms completely (if so, you'll need a plan as to where to store your stuff temporarily while renovation is ongoing)? Will you be breaking down the walls?

- What skills do you have? If you want to take the DIY approach, then you should be realistic about the amount of construction skill that you posses. Since your house is a very expensive investment, and the 1st floor is such an integral part of the house structure, you shouldn't attempt anything that is out of your league. If the job is quite complicated, then you'll probably need a contractor.

- What tools do you have? You may have the skills and wherewithal to renovate the 1st floor yourself, but do you have then necessary equipment?

- What's your budget? Finally, you need to think about how much the renovation is going to cost you, and whether you have the money to hire a contractor in addition to the cost of the job.

The word for first floor in Danish is Tilbud 1 sal and if you want to renovate yours or build one, you will need some more help. Visit this Danish website to get it. Use Google Translator if you don't know the language. If you need some more home renovation ideas, click here.

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