Hit 500 square feet in one day for the first time, never again
Been laying flooring for about 4 years now, mostly residential stuff in the Chicago area. Last week I had a big open living room and dining area, maybe 1,100 square feet total, and I pushed myself to hit 500 feet of click-lock laminate in a single shift. Sounded like a good goal when I started at 7 AM. By noon my knees were done, by 3 PM I was cutting corners on the underlayment seams just to keep pace. Finished at 6:30 and the rows were straight, but I was so wrecked I couldn't even carry my tools back to the van. My helper said he's never seen me move that slow. The customer paid on time and was happy, but that pace is not sustainable for quality. I'd rather do 350 feet and actually check every joint. Has anyone else hit a number like that and realized it wasn't worth the wear and tear?