Walk this way for tips on choosing and fitting a new floor
When considering flooring, your first step should be to think about what’s underneath it. The subfloor – a layer of wood or concrete below your floor material – needs to be suitable for the covering you’ve chosen, as well as in good condition. ‘Certain materials are more suited to certain subfloors,’ says Daniel Grocott, managing director at Grocott & Murfit. ‘For instance, a timber subfloor is more suited to wood or carpet. A concrete subfloor can pretty much take anything.’ ‘Laminate, carpet, tiles, stone and luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) all have benefits, so look at the pros and cons,’ says Amanda Stone, product manager at Kraus Flooring UK. ‘Ask yourself: how hard-wearing is it? Is it easy to clean and does it need regular maintenance? How easy is it to install? Is underfloor heating a consideration? If so, some materials are better at absorbing and distributing heat than others.’ You’ll also need to think about budget, but beware of cut-price options as low-quality flooring can cost more in the long run. ‘Our top tip is to make sure you factor in the entire project,’ says Harriet Goodacre, stile consultant at Topps Tiles. ‘Think about fitting costs if you’re getting a professional involved, plus the amount for all materials, such as grout and adhesive, and the actual type of flooring you’ll buy.’
To work out your room’s dimensions for the f looring, measure its length and width in metres. Then multiply these to find the total area in square metres. ‘If you have a room with an alcove, divide the space into separate rectangular areas and add these together,’ says Laura Dollimore, head of decorative, flooring and tiling at B&Q. ‘Once you have the total area, divide this by the coverage stated on the floorcovering packaging, allowing an extra 10% as wastage.’
Many homes will have skirting boards, and they’re another important consideration when deciding whether to call in professionals. They need to be installed at the right time for the floorcovering you’ve chosen. ‘For a hard floor, such as laminate or wood, it’s advisable to install skirting boards over the expansion gap around the edge of the room,’ explains David Snazel, hard flooring buyer at Carpetright. ‘This will give the best finish to the floor. For carpets, skirting boards are often used to measure and advise where a gripper should be laid, so having them in place before installation will help to ensure that you achieve a professional finish.’
While clearing the room for fitting, make sure to take temperature into account. ‘Prior to installation, the subfloor must be allowed to stabilise to a consistent temperature between 18C and 27C for 48 hours,’ says Matthew Brook, national sales manager at IVC Group UK and Eire. ‘Once the f loorcovering has been installed, it needs to acclimatise for 24 to 48 hours. Floors with underfloor heating must be gradually increased by increments of 5C until they reach the maximum temperature of 27C. This should be done over a period of at least 24 hours.’