Fix my floor

The blog

The reading.

Diagnosis, prep and the honest stop signs. No listicles of things you should buy, no sponsored tools, no pretending a floor is easy.

A dark luxury reading corner with a deep red velvet chair, art books on a black marble table and a brass floor lamp over a dark wood floor.
A dark hallway with an open doorway, a pry bar against the wall and a gold-lit wood floor.

When to Call a Pro6 min

Seven signs your flooring job needs a pro

Seven honest stop signs for DIY flooring: asbestos, water, structural movement, wet rooms, stairs and the jobs where a pro is cheaper than a second attempt.

An oscillating multi-tool with a flush-cut blade undercutting the base of a dark door jamb, with gold-lit sawdust.

Tools8 min

How to cut around a door jamb cleanly

Undercutting a door jamb takes ten minutes and makes a DIY floor look installed. Here is the depth gauge, the blade and the order of work that gets it right.

Large dark slate tiles with white leveling clips and wedges, a notched trowel at the edge.

Prep7 min

Tile lippage: prevent it before it sets

Tile lippage is decided while the thinset is still wet. Check the tiles, flatten the floor, back-butter, and catch high corners before they cure for good.

A dark room in winter with a black radiator under a tall window and a narrow gap between two oak floorboards.

Fails & Fixes8 min

Fixing a gap that opened up in winter

A winter gap in a laminate or wood floor is usually seasonal shrinkage, not damage. How to measure it, read it, and decide whether to wait or re-lay.