Easiest diy flooring?

[candice_17]

i have ripped up damaged carpet from a room and want to replace it with something pet friendly and easy to clean. the room is approx 8 square meters. My budget is tight and i want to be able to install it myself what would you suggest is the easiest flooring to do? 

[Jason]

Hi @candice_17,

So sorry for the slow reply. Our wonderful community is a little quieter than usual at the moment as many members, including our resident Bunnings expert @MitchellMc, are taking a well-earned break. 

Let me tag @Brad, @LePallet, @Adam_W and @redracer01 to see if they might be able to kick off this discussion and share their thoughts on easy D.I.Y. flooring options for you. Mitch will be back in a week and I will also ask him to assist. Many thanks for your patience in the meantime.

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're really pleased to have you join us. Please don't hesitate to post anytime you have something to share with the community or need a hand with a project around the house and garden. Our members are always sharing helpful information, advice and inspiration. 

Thanks again,

Jason

[Adam_W]

Hi @candice_17 this is one of those situations that we are facing ourselves as we are renovation & have been looking at enough options to drive you batty.
Here are my experiences for what it's worth.
Carpet is great but not really a suitable DIY so that leads you towards the 'floating' type floors. That is, flooring installed over another.
The bulk of these are pretty easy to DIY for a single room but do your research.
Realistically it comes down to all of the 'plank' type products. You'll find there are three main types & this can get a little muddy - vinyl, hybrid & engineered.
Vinyl is basically just thick sheets of vinyl flooring. Hybrid is similar but tends to be rigid and have a timber core of or sort or another. Engineered is like a more expensive version of hybrid but is generally totally rigid.
All can be equally easily lain as DIY projects but... you need to be aware that the vast majority of these products have to allow for expansion when laying so if going under skirting they can't be pushed flush to the wall, they have to be out 5mm or so. Where they meet surfaces, such as a cupboard, then you again need to leave 5mm or so and install an edge trim to conceal the gap. If you don't leave a suitable expansion gap then the floor will buckle on hot days.
When you are looking at a product you need to be asking about surface durability - resistance to scratching, wear, fading and colour wearing off in high traffic areas but, importantly with pets, resistance to moisture. Some boards are totally suitable for wet areas, others you can't even use a damp mop or cloth to clean!
Sorry, all a bit of a ramble but hope this helps.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @candice_17,

It's great to see you've already received a helpful reply from @Adam_W. I'd agree that Vinyl flooring would be the most suitable solution for a pet-friendly area. If there is any chance of moisture on the floor, I would advise going with a water-proof Hybrid vinyl plank or vinyl sheeting. Vinyl sheeting has come quite far aesthetically. I recently installed Senso Lifestyle Extra 3m Wide Cognac Pearl Vinyl Sheet in my laundry, and I am thrilled with the result. I'd never installed it before and without instruction found it very simple to do.

Please let us know if you need further help or had questions.

Mitchell