A couple of weeks ago, I shared the Quick-Step laminate flooring I selected to install in a corner of the studio to use for photo shoots. I have been wanting to do this for a long time, not because the old floorboards in the studio aren’t cool, but because they are #1 – very orange and #2 – there was a large plywood patch on one side of the room. If this was my house or a space that I owned, my approach may have been different, but for a rented space, floating a laminate floor in one area was the best option to address those issues.
It is now installed and looks gorgeous and I wanted to share a bit more detail about the installation process and show how it looks in the overall space.
As I shared in the last post about the flooring, I selected the Quick-Step French Country Oak Plank from the Reclaimé line. It has a great neutral grayish-brown color, but it has interesting graining. It’s the perfect balance of neutral and not-boring.
I tried to install it myself, but I ran into a few hiccups. First of all, the Reclaimé flooring is the thickest flooring in the Quick-Step line-up, so it does take a bit more force to lock the planks together. Second, I was laying it over flooring that is very, very uneven. You can visibly see the bows in the floor and the variation is as much as a couple of inches in some places. And that’s not an exaggeration! Those bows in the floor and the baseboards were making it difficult for me to get everything to lock together nice and tight and perfectly straight. I really worked on it, but this was as far as I got.
I did have the chance to speak to a Quick-Step installation expert, who is available to DIYers and professionals installing Quick-Step products, and he gave me a lot of great tips that really did help. In the end, though, I decided to call in a local handyman we’ve used for some projects in our house. This project called for precision and precision is not my forte. It wouldn’t even make a top 100 list of things I’m remotely good at.
The handyman was able to install it by himself in about 3 hours. The keys to successful installation were #1 – working off of a perfectly straight first row and #2 – not being afraid to be forceful with the flooring to make sure it was securely snapped into place.
You can see in this video how the flooring clicks together and it takes a good slap to make sure the tongue and groove click…
It looks really great in the space and I have a large enough area to stage an entire room on it, which I plan to do at some point.
Since the flooring is floating, it is trimmed with a transition piece on the two open sides, so it looks finished, even though it’s just temporarily installed over the existing floor.
I’ll keep you posted with how it stands up to all of our furniture scooting and Sebastian’s claws over the coming months. You can see that he’s just making himself right at home!
Until then, you’ll be seeing it often when I photograph a finished piece in the studio.
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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Quick-Step. The flooring, underlayment, installation tool, transition trim, and cleaning kit, were provided to me in exchange for a blog post and review. As always, this is a product I was excited about using in my creative space and thought my readers would be interested in it as well. All opinions and words are my own.
Hey Marian- just a quick note, there’s typo in the hyperlink to the quickstep blog. Just after the www there’s a comma (,) instead of a period (.)
Thanks! I fixed that.
I have found, like you, sometimes it is much more cost effective to hire a professional. Their speed more than makes up for the $$$ spent if I were to calculate the time it takes to DIY it. I can paint up some art work to sell in the same amount of time and be money ahead and get a more professional finish on the floor.
Many of the laminates on the market are just gorgeous.
Yes, I agree. I love doing projects myself, but sometimes they are better to hire out. He was much more precise and had done this numerous times, so he knocked it out quickly and it looks great.
I will be interested to see if heavy furniture leaves dents in the flooring if it sits in one place for some time. Nice color.
Is it just me (or my screen), but does this have a pinky-maroon hue to it?
Someone else mentioned that, but I think it’s just your screen. It definitely doesn’t have a pink tone to it.
Sebastian is so photogenic! He adds a lot of life to the pictures 🙂 The flooring looks great.
Do you have a mobile version of your blog? This one makes my iPod quit.
I have the same problem on my ipad Laurie. Finally gave up and now view only on my computer. I’m studying to be a software developer so may be able to offer a solution one day! (for free even!) 🙂
Yes, but it only shows on phones. My blog is in the middle of a redesign and some other changes that will make it more tablet-friendly and faster to load.
I have no,problems viewing on my iPad.
Sebastian just makes every picture look like home!! So glad he’s happy and content with his new life!
What a wonderful choice. The French Country Oak plank looks like real vintage wood. It adds texture to your photos without overpowering the items bring photographed.
The floor looks great! However, I am more impressed with Sebastian! I had to watch the video to see what he would do. He twitched once and I did see him breathing. He’s very natural in front of the camera. It seems he gives the floor high marks for comfort! You weren’t bad either! 😉 Have a great day!
Taking Sebastian home was definitely a “God-thing”, he really seems content:-)
Since I live in an apartment and can’t install the flooring of my dreams (or, anything else), I so enjoy vicariously doing those home improvement things through your blog:-)
I have a number of friends and family members who either have pets, small children or both and all of them went with laminate flooring over hardwood because it doesn’t scratch as easy. They have all been very happy with their choice and the way it has held up. Laminate has come a long way in the looks department too. Sebastian sure seems to approve!
The flooring is very attractive. I am curious to see if there might be other colors that I would like in my basement. Your choice for the purpose you need it for is a good one, I think.
And that Sebastian is sure a popular fellow with all us ladies! Does he know how famous he is becoming??
Is the transition a piece that is purchased separately, or is it built into the flooring? Such a great idea! Thinking about doing the same in my studio space….
It’s made by Quick-Step, so it matches the flooring, but it’s a separate piece.
Love the look of that floor Marion. Nice choice. I like the idea that it is a thick floating floor.
BTW, it’s such a shame you can’t get Sebastian to stay still for long. LOL.
Love the pics and info on the flooring but especially that precious dog dreaming away.
Update on the flooring…I have read some horrible reviews online today about Quik-Step, and I wondered how it stood up in the 2 years since you put it down.
Hello! I’m considering purchasing Quick Step for my kitchen remodel. I’m curious how it held up for you? This is a big decision and I need a quality product. How would you say it did on scratches, indenting, and overall wear?