How to prepare for your installation
Nearly every delay we see on site comes down to the same handful of things: a room that is not clear, or a subfloor that is not ready. Half an hour of preparation is usually the difference between a job finished in one visit and a second trip.
Before the day
Clear the room
Furniture, curtains, rugs and anything breakable out of the room, and built-in cupboards emptied if the floor runs under them. If you need a hand with heavy items, tell us when we confirm the date so we can plan for it rather than discover it on the morning.
Let us see the subfloor
Lift the old covering if that was the agreement, or leave it if removal and disposal are on your quote. Either way the subfloor needs to be dry, clean and reachable when we arrive.
Sort out moisture first
A floor laid on a damp subfloor will lift or cup later, so new screed, a recent leak or a damp patch has to be dealt with before we lay.
Our own self-levelling screed is only 2 to 3 mm thick and dries overnight, so we can fit the following day. A thick builders screed is a different matter and needs weeks — if your build is on a deadline, tell us early.
Let the material acclimatise
Laminate and engineered wood are delivered into the room a day or two before laying, so the boards settle to the temperature and humidity of the house. Leave the packs flat and in the room they are going into.
On the day
Power, water and parking
The team needs a working plug, access to water and somewhere to park near the door. On an estate or in a complex, arrange access for the vehicle and the crew in advance.
Dust and noise
Cutting is dusty and loud. Plan to be out of that room for the day, and if you work from home set up somewhere else in the house.
Children and pets
Keep them clear of the work area. There are blades, adhesives and offcuts on the floor all day.
Someone to make decisions
Small calls come up — which way the boards run, where a trim lands. It helps if whoever decides is reachable on the phone.
After we leave
- Keep off a newly laid floor for as long as we tell you on the day — it depends on the adhesive used
- Put felt pads under every furniture leg before you move it back in
- Drag nothing across a new floor, and lift rather than slide heavy items
- Leave the mats at the doors. Grit carried in on shoes does most of the wear we get called out for
- Clean it with a microfibre mop and a spray bottle of water — never a mop and bucket, and never steam on laminate or wood
If something does not look right in the days after, phone us rather than live with it. It is easier for everyone to fix while the job is fresh. See our full cleaning and care answers →