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Lifting the old floor
Every job begins by removing the existing covering, whether that is carpet and gripper, old laminate, vinyl or tiles. Carpet comes up quickly. Tiles bonded to concrete take far longer and can leave a rough surface that needs work before anything new is laid.
Furniture needs to be out of the room too. Clearing it before we arrive saves time on the day and avoids moving things twice.
Checking and preparing the subfloor
This is where the real time goes, and where shortcuts cause creaks, gaps and hollow spots later. We take damp readings before anything is laid, fitting a membrane where one is needed. Uneven concrete gets a self levelling compound, which then has to dry. Timber subfloors are screwed down or overboarded so they stop moving.
The amount of preparation depends entirely on what is found once the old floor is up, which is why a good fitter looks under the covering rather than quoting from the surface.
- Damp readings and membranes where required
- Self levelling compound on uneven concrete
- Overboarding or screwing down loose timber
- Removing old adhesive and high spots
Acclimatisation
Engineered wood, solid wood and some other products need time in the room before fitting so they adjust to its temperature and humidity. Manufacturers set their own guidance, and we follow it. Fitting boards straight from a cold van is one of the most common causes of gapping and lifting in the following months.
Flooring
- Subfloor checks, levelling and damp readings
- Engineered and solid wood, LVT, laminate and tile
- Neat beading, thresholds and scribes
Laying and finishing
Click systems such as LVT and laminate go down steadily on an open floor. Glued floors, herringbone patterns, tile and anything with many door openings take longer. Expansion gaps are left at the edges and the correct underlay is used for the product.
Finishing is where a floor looks either fitted or finished. Door linings are undercut and scribed, beading is fixed neatly and thresholds are chosen to suit the change of floor height, rather than hiding gaps under a line of caulk.
One room or a whole ground floor
A single room is a contained job. Running one continuous floor through a hallway, kitchen and living space takes more planning, because floor heights, kitchen plinths and door thresholds must all line up. When flooring is part of a kitchen or wider renovation, we build it into the order of work so it goes down after the messy trades have finished.
The survey is the time to ask how long your particular floor will take, as it depends on what is under the existing covering and the product you have chosen.
Want a professional to handle it?
Send us the room details and we will come back with a written quote, or call us for a chat first.
Common questions
- Can I walk on the floor straight after it is fitted?
- Click floors can usually be walked on once fitted. Glued floors, tiles and any levelling compound need drying time, and we tell you when the room is ready to use.
- Why does wood flooring need to sit in the room first?
- Wood moves with temperature and humidity. Letting it acclimatise as the manufacturer advises reduces gapping and lifting after fitting.
- Do you take the old floor away?
- Yes. Lifting and disposing of old floor coverings is part of our flooring service.
- Can you fit flooring over underfloor heating?
- Yes, with a product and fixing method suited to heating. Floor tiling and underfloor heating overlays are both part of our flooring work.
The service behind this guide
Covering Hertfordshire and Essex.