Why great flooring starts with thorough preparation

Even though it goes largely unnoticed, when it comes to successful floor laying, preparation is key.

Fail to prepare and you can prepare for your flooring to fail, or at the very least not to look its very best for years to come.

It’s crucial to make sure that the subfloor on which your wood, LVT or carpet is to be laid is clean, dry and – most importantly – as smooth and level as possible. Before laying your new floor, we’ll remove any current flooring, tiles, vinyl or carpet and, if it’s to be carpeted, any unusable underlay and gripper. We’ll finish up by sweeping or vacuuming the subfloor to remove any dust, dirt and debris, and we’ll take up any staples and nails.

We’ll then assess the space to check whether the subfloor is level. If it’s not, we’ll use a self-levelling compound for concrete subfloors, which can be applied from 3mm to 50mm thickness, or we'll replace any damaged boards for wooden subfloors. We’ll also check for any moisture. If we find any, we can apply a variety of damp-proof membranes, because if damp is left it can cause laid flooring to lift, warp or buckle, thereby ruining the look and longevity of your new floor. And in the unlikely event that there are any small cracks or holes in the subfloor we’ll repair those before installing your new flooring.

Finally, it's important not to rush into laying the new floor as it should be allowed to acclimatise to the temperature and humidity of its new environment. To achieve this it’s advisable to leave the new flooring in the room, lying flat, for the following lengths of time:

• Solid wood flooring: 5-7 days
• Engineered wood flooring: 48 hours
• LVT (luxury vinyl tile) flooring: 24 hours
• Carpet tiles: 24 hours, although most carpets and sheet vinyl don't need to acclimatise
• Natural / sisal carpets: 24 hours

By following these steps we’ll create a solid foundation for your new flooring, ensuring a smooth and trouble-free installation.

To request a quotation for your LVT, wood flooring or carpets in Cambridge, please call us on 01480 598800, send us an email or complete our enquiry form.