Installation Day
What to do the week before install day
Most of the disruption of a flooring job is decided before the crew arrives. A calm week makes for a faster install.
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Installation Day
Most flooring problems are decided before the first plank goes down — in the subfloor, the moisture readings and the schedule.
Installation day is the visible part of a project that was mostly decided in the weeks before. The flatness of the subfloor, the moisture readings on a slab, the acclimation period for the material and the plan for dust and furniture all shape what the finished floor feels like underfoot.
This category covers the preparation that protects the finished floor and the practical work of living through an installation. The subfloor article explains the line item contractors skip; the week-before checklist covers the tasks that make the job run smoothly.
If you are still choosing a contractor, start with the hiring guide and come back here once the date is booked. The preparation questions belong in the contract, not in a conversation on the morning the crew arrives.
Print the week-before checklist and keep it somewhere visible. The tasks are small, but missing one can delay the whole job.
Installation Day
Subfloor prep: the line item contractors skip
The finished floor is the visible part. The subfloor is the part that decides whether it stays flat, quiet and attached.
Keep going
The hiring guide covers all four categories in order
If you are starting from scratch, the seven-step guide is the shortest path from measuring a room to signing off on the finished floor.