August is a great time for home improvement projects. The weather is warm, the days are long, and you have a few weeks left before kids have to go back to school. If you're looking for a project to tackle this August, our real estate agents recommend installing new flooring. It's amazing what a new floor can do for a home. Not only can it improve the appearance of a room, but it can also make it more comfortable. If you do decide to replace your floor, here are a few tips to keep in mind along the way.

• Peek Under the Carpet
  In the 1980s and 1990s, a lot of homeowners covered hardwood floors with carpet. So, if your home was built before this era, you should try pulling back a transition piece or a small corner of the carpet to peek at what's underneath.
  
  If you do have hardwood floors, it may be worth removing the carpet and simply refinishing the wood. You'll need to rent a drum sander, but the work is pretty simple. Polyurethane is a common finish, but there are also some incredible hard oils that really enhance the wood's natural features.
  
  
• Don't Overlook Vinyl
  Vinyl flooring is sometimes seen as cheap or "basic," but modern vinyl flooring is anything but! You can find vinyl that looks very convincingly like natural hardwood. There is also vinyl tile that looks like stone or clay bricks.
  
  Vinyl is inexpensive, easy to install, and easy to keep clean. Plus, if one or two vinyl tiles become damaged, you can replace them without replacing the whole floor.
  
  
• Remember, Area Rugs Are an Option
  Sometimes people avoid hard flooring and install carpet because they want flooring that feels soft and cozy underfoot. But if you have kids or pets, it can be difficult to keep carpets clean. You might be better off with a hard floor and some area rugs.
  
  You can remove area rugs to clean them. And replacing an area rug is a lot easier than replacing a carpet! In general, a patterned rug hides dirt and stains better than a solid-colored one.
  
  
• Go Neutral
  When choosing a color for your new floor, try to stick with neutrals. Flooring is one of the longer-lasting building materials. So, if you pick a neutral color, you won't have to replace it if you decide to change your wall color down the road.
  
  Neutral tones don't have to be boring. There are some gorgeous shades of gray with underlying blue, purple, and even gray tones. Natural stone tile also tends to be neutral but with some variation in colors and tones that draws the eye in.
  
  
• You May Not Have to Remove The Existing Floor
  Some types of flooring can be installed directly over other flooring. For example, if you have a vinyl floor, you can install new sheet vinyl right over the top without first removing the existing vinyl. If you have linoleum, you may be able to tile over the linoleum without removing it.
  
  Keep in mind that putting one floor over the other may mean your doors no longer slide over the floor. You can have them undercut if needed. However, you'll need to decide whether it's easier to do that or to simply remove the old floor and replace it.

We hope these tips serve you well if you decide to replace your floors this August. Don't hesitate to contact us if you're looking for Crookston homes for sale. We'll help you find the perfect place with perfect floors.