Many homes and businesses avoid having a wood floor installation because they wrongly assume that it will be a lengthy, messy and disruptive process – more like a building project than an interior design project. However, with the right installer and choice of flooring, it need be no more disruptive or messy than having a carpet fitted. Here's Naturally Wood's five step guide to fuss free wood floor installation.
Naturally Wood – click here for full information on our range of products and services.
1. Get Expert Advice Before You Start
Naturally Wood offers free consultation which includes not just selecting samples, but assessing the room and existing floor to be fitted. This means we have the full picture of what the project will involve and can give advance warning of any likely problems that might affect the fitting process.
Our experts will also be able to give very accurate estimate of time needed to fit, based on the room size and type of flooring, which enables better planning and means there is less risk of disruption going on longer than planned.
As part of the consultation, we will also look at your existing flooring and subfloor to assess the suitability of the particular flooring chosen. Wherever possible, we will look under the existing flooring at the subfloor.
A wood floor installation in an average-sized room could typically be carried out within as little as one or two days, provided that the subfloor is suitable for pre-finished flooring, laid in a simple, floating system.
2. Choose an Expert Fitter
Expertise means speed as well as quality of service. By choosing fitters who have experience and knowledge about wooden flooring, you will avoid delays due to a variety of issues such as workers not having the right tools with them, or having lack of experience with a particular laying technique.
Naturally Wood has many years of expertise and a team of fitters who will make sure the project goes smoothly. It is especially important that a fitter knows the flooring concerned, as each type of flooring needs to be fitted in a particular way with the right fitting technique, and adhesives, so it is best if fitter works for the flooring supplier and knows the product, as with Naturally Wood.
3. Choose Prefinished or Unfinished Flooring
Fitting is just one stage of the process of laying a wood floor. Any additional treatments such as staining, oiling or lacquering, take time and can be messy.
Choosing flooring which is ready to walk on once laid cuts out this stage and means the room can be returned to use immediately, so going for this option can save days of time. No on-site finishing also means there are no fumes or smells to be avoided.
Naturally Wood's Creations range is a selection of fully prefinished floors in a choice of beautiful colours and textures, all of which can be fitted in a short time. With our in-house finishing department, we offer a bespoke service for prefinishing floors, including floors in our Fusion and Endurance ranges. This means your floor can be tailor-made for you but still be laid in the shortest time possible and without a mess.
4. Clean and Clear the Room In Advance
Clearing the room ready for fitting is the biggest job for the home or business owner – this has to be done for carpet fitting too. We normally require a room to be completely clear of all furniture before our arrival. If there are large items which can't be removed from the room, it would be possible to work around these, but this would carry issues with regard to finishing on site, as a single floor could have to be done in sections to allow for moving furniture around the room, with consequential additional costs. This can be advised on when our Surveyor visits the site.
The more de-cluttering and cleaning you can do before installation, the less you will have to do on the day. Empty cupboards and bookshelves, ready for removal, and put small furniture and objects elsewhere. You also need to have a plan for moving the larger items, deciding where are they going to be moved to, and having someone on hand to help with lifting. Existing flooring such as carpet and laminate should be removed before Naturally Wood's fitters arrive, but if necessary we can do it as part of our service, at an additional cost.
5. Organise the Home or Business' Occupants
It is a good idea to have as few people as possible around during a wood floor installation, and if it is a home installation, to keep all pets well out of the way too. Make arrangements for them to be elsewhere, or set up other rooms in the house where they can be out of the way and comfortable. Owners can either leave us to it completely or have somebody around during installation as a contact point. With regard to safety, the finishes we use have been thoroughly tested and meet British Standards, and we take every precaution to keep dust and fumes to a minimum, but advice is given on a job-by-job basis, depending on the processes involved.
The most important action you can take to ensure the fitting goes smoothly is to make sure that the room is clear for the craftsmen to work in, especially if hand-finishing is being carried out on site.
Wood Flooring – click here to discuss your requirements.
