What to expect on an installation day from Warson Flooring can vary depending on the type of floor covering you are having installed. For example, carpets can be a bit of a whirlwind. Furniture being moved around, carpet being ferried in & out and quite a bit of noise. On the other hand, LVT or wood may require more visits over a few days to complete the work.
Carpets
For rooms with furniture, the team are always happy to help move oversized items, such as beds and wardrobes, that require a two-man lift. We do ask that all valuables and precious items be removed prior to arrival, as well as clothes and small items.
The first job is to remove the old carpet or whatever was down before, to expose the subfloor and allow the fitting team to assess the condition, check the existing gripper rods, and remove any old tacks or staples.
Once the floor is clear and any new gripper rods required have been installed, we can lay the underlay. This is the most essential part of the new carpet install, because a good underlay can improve the feel & lifespan of any quality of carpet.
Next, in goes the new carpet. Sometimes, the biggest challenge is just getting it into the room!
The team will always try to be as tidy as possible throughout the process, but it all comes together at the end with the hoovering, removing all the cut threads, and then your brand-new carpet is ready to use.
Any furniture that has been removed will be put back into the room, so we are ready to either start the next room or be on our way to the next job.
LVT & Wood Flooring
Although they differ, the processes for LVT and wood fitting are similar.
Again, once the rooms are cleared, the first part of the job is removing the old floor covering. This allows us to assess what is below and prepare it to receive the smoothing compound.
There are many types of smoothing compounds for many different circumstances, but they are either water or latex-based screeds. Almost every hard floor installation bonded to the subfloor with adhesive will have a smoothing compound applied, which provides an even surface for the planks to sit on, enabling good adhesion and mitigating any undulation in the planks. Typically, the application of the smoothing compound is the last thing to happen on that workday, as it can take a few hours to harden, ready for foot traffic, and often even longer to be dry enough to receive floor coverings.
The following day, your new subfloor is ready to be sanded. We do this to remove any small bumps which can be caused my small lumps of unmixed powder, debris on the floor, or even high spots in the concrete below.
As the high spots are removed, the lower areas become apparent, and we raise them up with either repair mortar or a fast-drying feather-finish compound. The idea is to achieve the smoothest subfloor possible.
The next step is to find our “line”. The “line” is our starting point, a visually straight line through the area of the property with the most visibility. Many buildings are not square, so it is essential not to take the line from one wall, but rather to measure it out and make sure it looks straight. At this time, we can also measure out where the planks will fall in the room, minimising areas that have minimal cuts, in an effort to make the flooring as pleasing on the eye as possible.
Finally, after all the preparation has been completed, the floor coverings can go down. Often people are surprised at how fast the planks are installed, but as with most jobs, it is all in the prep.
Warson customers can always expect the floor to be cleaned at the end of each job, removing any residual adhesive and dust, leaving you with a brand-new floor ready to be used.
At Warson Flooring, we are experts in floor installation – so it’s safe to say we know what we’re doing. Our team loves everything about flooring. We pride ourselves on providing tailored advice to help you make the best choice. For more information about LVT, Wood Flooring or Carpets, get in touch with us today.