Getting new flooring is exciting.. your home is about to get a fabulous makeover. To ensure the installation goes smoothly, a bit of preparation is key. Whether you live in a Hebden Bridge cottage or a modern flat, our guide will walk you through how to get ready for the fitters. With these steps, you’ll save time and help achieve a flawless finish.
Clear the Space
It might sound obvious, but the installation area needs to be as empty as possible. Remove small furniture, breakables, and personal items from the room. For a living room, that means taking out coffee tables, lamps, books, plants… anything that’s easily movable. Clear out closets if flooring is going in there too. The more you can move beforehand, the faster the process and the safer your items will be.
For larger furniture that you can’t move out (like a big wardrobe or a piano), discuss with us beforehand. Our team often can work around a heavy item by shifting it from one side of the room to the other during installation, but it helps to plan for that. In some cases, we might advise storing pieces temporarily in another room or even a rented storage pod if you’re reflooring the entire ground floor at once. If you need help moving heavy items, let us know… we can either assist or recommend a “man with a van” service locally. But please note, our flooring fitters aren’t typically equipped to dismantle large furniture or disconnect appliances, so arrange those in advance (e.g., have a plumber disconnect a toilet if the bathroom floor is being done, etc.).
Old Flooring Removal
Decide if you’re removing the old flooring yourself or if you’ve arranged for us to do it. Many clients opt to pull up old carpet themselves to save on cost, if you do, plan to do it a day or two before installation. Cut carpet and underlay into manageable strips, roll them up and tie them. Trust us, a whole carpet is heavier and more cumbersome than you’d think, so smaller pieces save a lot of sweat. Make sure to also pull out the old gripper rods and staples (wear gloves and be cautious of the sharp points). If you leave grippers in and we’re installing new carpet, that can be okay if they’re in good shape and positioned correctly, but often replacing them is best for a secure hold.
For old laminate or LVT, these need to be taken up carefully. Some laminates click-lock and can be unclicked, others might need prying. If removing old glued LVT or vinyl sheet, expect some adhesive residue on the subfloor, getting that off is important for the new floor’s adhesion. If you’d rather not tackle it, our team can handle removal and disposal (just make sure that’s included in your quote or let us know so we can add it).
One tip from experience: check under old carpets for things like hidden electrical wires, pipes just under floorboards, or even… if it’s a really old house, tacks or nails that have worked loose. In these historic Hebden homes, we’ve seen it all. Ensuring the subfloor is clear and safe helps installation go without surprises.
Subfloor Condition
A smooth, level subfloor is the foundation of a great floor installation. Before the big day, inspect your subfloor. If it’s concrete, are there cracks or high/low spots? If timber, any loose boards or squeaks? Now is the time to fix those. We can do some prep (like a bit of levelling compound or plywood overlay) on installation day, and in fact we often include that. But if you know of a significant issue, say a dip in the floor or a damaged floorboard, let us know in advance. Sometimes a joiner or builder might need to rectify structural issues before we lay new flooring.
Dryness is key too, especially in Hebden Bridge where damp can be an issue in older houses. If you recently had new concrete poured (for an extension or a new build), ensure it’s fully dried to the guidelines (could be several weeks depending on thickness). Our installers will check moisture levels. For ground floors prone to damp, we may need to install a DPM (damp proof membrane) or recommend an LVT with a built-in moisture barrier. If you suspect any moisture, addressing it pre-installation (with a damp specialist or a dehumidifier etc.) is wise.
Access and Parking
Think about how the installers will get large rolls of carpet or packs of flooring into your home. Clear a path from the door to the work area. If you live in a terrace with on-street parking, try to reserve a spot out front on the morning of install (park your car there overnight and shuffle it when we arrive, for instance). This makes unloading easier. Communicate any parking quirks to us, like if there’s a loading bay, permit required, or narrow lane. Most of our fitters are local lads who know the area, but a heads-up on specifics never hurts.
If you’re in a flat or upper floor, notify your neighbours that there might be some noise or foot traffic that day. We’ll try to be considerate, but pulling up old flooring or using tools can be a bit noisy at times. Also, if there’s a lift or just stairs, we’ll plan accordingly.
Pets and Kids
Installation day isn’t the best time for pets or small children to be roaming around. Not only can they get in the way (our team might be moving swiftly with sharp tools and heavy materials), but it could be stressful for them too. Consider securing pets in a separate room or having them visited by a friend during the process. We love your furry friends, but we’ve had the occasional cat try to “help” by sitting on unrolled carpet or a dog run off with a floorboard offcut – cute, but not ideal for efficiency!
For kids, if they’re curious, you can show them the process from a safe distance (with your supervision). Many kiddos love seeing the transformation of their new bedroom carpet for example, but ensure they stay clear of the work zone for their safety.
During Installation
While our installers work, it’s generally best to let them focus. But stay reachable in case they have questions… like confirming carpet direction, threshold strip colour, or if an unforeseen issue arises (e.g., “we found a loose floorboard, would you like us to fix it?”). If you’re not going to be home, make sure we have a way to contact you or someone who can make decisions on your behalf.
It’s good to have decided ahead about details like: where do you want carpet seams (if any)? Typically we plan those in inconspicuous spots. What direction should a pattern run? For example, hall carpet stripes… do you want them lengthwise or crosswise? We’ll have usually discussed this at measure-up, but if not, have your preference in mind. Little things like baseboard removal, we often can tuck carpet under skirting or use beading for hard floors; if you wanted skirtings off and reinstalled for a seamless look, that should be arranged beforehand (usually done by a decorator or builder, not our flooring fitters).
After Installation | The Finishing Touches
Once your new floor is in, our team will do a basic clean-up (we take away offcuts, vacuum the carpet or sweep the floor). But there might be a bit of residual dust from, say, trimming wood planks or from old underlay. It’s not a bad idea to do a quick vacuum or wipe-down of surfaces after we’re done. If it’s carpet, you might notice a “new carpet smell”… that’s normal and should dissipate in a day or two with ventilation. If the carpet was trimmed on site, a few loose fibres might still surface; just vacuum them up.
Check all doors… with new flooring, the height might have changed slightly. Interior doors sometimes need a shave at the bottom to prevent dragging on thick carpet or a new threshold strip. We try to mention if we foresee that issue. While our fitters can trim doors if arranged (they carry basic planers or saws), this might not be included by default. It’s often something a handyman or joiner can do easily too. Best to sort it immediately though, so you’re not scuffing the new floor.
Now’s the time to also put felt pads under furniture legs before moving things back in (especially on wood/LVT to avoid scratches, and even on carpet it can help heavy items slide without tugging the carpet). We can advise where to get those, or we might have some on hand for you.
