How to Prepare Your Home for a Flooring Installation
How to Prepare Your Home for a Flooring Installation
Getting new floors is exciting — but a little prep work beforehand can make the whole process go smoother for you and your installers. Whether you’re upgrading to luxury vinyl plank, tile, hardwood, or carpet, here’s what to do before installation day so everything stays on track.
Clear the Room
This one sounds obvious, but it’s the most important step. Move all furniture, décor, lamps, and rugs out of the rooms getting new flooring. Don’t forget smaller things like floor vents, pet bowls, and trash cans. If you have heavy pieces like a piano or a pool table, let your flooring company know ahead of time — special arrangements may need to be made.
If you don’t have space to move everything into another room, the garage or a storage unit works great for a few days.
Take Care of Your Walls and Baseboards
Installers will typically need to remove your baseboards to lay the new floor properly. Some homeowners prefer to handle this themselves beforehand, while others leave it to the crew. Either way, now is a good time to check if your baseboards are in decent shape or if you’d rather replace them while everything’s already pulled apart.
If you’ve been thinking about repainting, do it before the new floors go in. Paint drips are a lot easier to clean off old flooring than brand-new LVP.
Check Your Subfloor
Your subfloor is the surface underneath your current flooring, and it needs to be in good condition for the new material to install correctly. Common issues include uneven spots, moisture damage, and cracks in concrete slabs — all things that are better to catch early than on installation day.
If your home has a concrete slab foundation, which is common here in the Four Corners area, ask your flooring company about moisture testing. Dry desert air doesn’t always mean a dry slab, especially in older homes.
Plan for Kids and Pets
Installation can take anywhere from one to several days depending on the size of the job. During that time, there will be noise, dust, tools, and open areas that aren’t safe for little ones or pets. Set up a comfortable space in a part of the house that isn’t being worked on, or arrange for them to stay with family or friends for the day.
Know Your Timeline
Ask your flooring company how long the installation will take and what the schedule looks like. Some materials, like hardwood, may need to acclimate in your home for a couple of days before they can be installed. Others, like LVP or tile, can usually go down right away. Knowing the timeline helps you plan around meals, work schedules, and daily routines.
Prep Your HVAC
If your home has floor vents, your installers will need to remove the covers. It’s a good idea to turn off your HVAC system while work is happening to keep dust and debris from circulating through your ducts. In the summer heat here in Farmington, plan to have fans ready or schedule the install during cooler morning hours if possible.
Ask Questions Before Installation Day
The best thing you can do is communicate with your flooring company before the project starts. A few questions worth asking:
- Do I need to remove my old flooring, or is that included?
- Will baseboards be removed and reinstalled?
- How should I handle transitions between rooms or different flooring types?
- Is there anything specific about my home that might affect the install?
A quick conversation upfront can prevent surprises and keep the project running smoothly from start to finish.
Firebird Flooring proudly serves Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec, Kirtland, and the surrounding Four Corners area including Durango, CO. Whether you’re replacing one room or redoing your entire home, we’re here to help from selection to installation. [Contact us today to schedule your free estimate.]