In order to pass on huge savings to our customers Direct Wood Flooring do not offer a fitting service. Instead we provide an incredible selection of supreme quality wood flooring, laminate and luxury vinyl tiles and advise customers to seek the help of local professionals to fit the flooring on their behalf. As wood flooring specialists, we have picked up a few top fitting tips to share with you along the way.

Finding a Wood Flooring Fitter

There are several ways to find a fitter:

• Own Research

You will find hundreds of flooring fitter recommendations by simply searching google for flooring fitters in your location. Sites such as MyBuilder.com not only list available fitters for you to contact but also rate their services and include reviews on previous projects for you to analyse and compare.

• Social Media Recommendation

Asking friends to recommend the services of a local wood flooring fitter via Facebook is quick, easy and great for honest reflections on workmanship. Simply post your status with the ‘looking for recommendation’ filter, then wait for your network of friends to tag a local professional. It’s amazing to see how many people know of local fitters and have previously used their services. Instant messaging allows you to get a fast response when asking friends for more information regarding the quality of the work. You can also ask to see pictures of past projects prior to contacting the fitter. Utilising your social network is both time and cost efficient.

• Supplier Recommendation

As a wood flooring specialists we can point you in the right direction for professional fitting services. Whether you’re wanting an approved or local fitter, here at Direct Wood Flooring, we have the knowledge and expertise to guide you along the way.

• National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers (NICF)

The NICF consist of approved members only.  The stringent criteria means they only recommend fitters who provide excellent services in the fields of carpet, laminate, domestic sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl tile and wood flooring fitting.

It is generally best to look for an expert in wood floor fitting as opposed to someone who offers an array of fitting services. These tend to be more specialised in the area and will have a reputation they will want to maintain by providing a high quality finish.

Get Multiple Estimates

It’s always best to get more than one estimate to make sure your getting good value for your money. Bear in mind – quality work won’t be cheap and cheap work won’t be great quality. Of course your budget will influence what you feel is the best price however we suggest you aim for a highest quality you can afford and try to negotiate the price. We all love a bargain especially for good quality work! 

The majority of fitters will estimate based on a sufficient sub-floor being in place. The condition of the sub-floor will determine any additional costs; damaged floorboards and replacements will impact both the price of the job and duration of the project. Estimators tend to visit you at a time convenient for yourself to evaluate the full extent of the project and give you an accurate quote.

Saving Time

 Working to a tight deadline? Make sure your sub-floor is prepared and ready for the fitter to come into your home and lay the floor as efficiently as possible. Address any uneven areas, hidden features and defected boards first to allow the fitter time to treat those areas and create a level surface. If you have undergone any large scale renovations or areas where walls have been knocked through, you may want to point these out to the fitter too. This will save any unnecessary stoppage time during installation.

Have your flooring prepped. Remember to acclimatise your wood for at least 72 hours prior to fitting to allow the wood to naturally expand and contract to room temperature. The boards should be laid out in a lattice format to allow the air to circulate freely. This also enables easy access for a faster installation.

Room Preparation

 To prepare your room ready for the fitter to start work immediately:

• Remove all furnishings.

Remove all furnishings into a convenient location of the home or into storage facilities for the day. Covering furnishings with dust sheets and expecting the fitter to manoeuver them on your behalf is not ideal. It is extremely time consuming and not part of the service they offer. Having the room prepared is your responsibility.

• Remove all old floor coverings including underlay.

Lots of people try to save money on underlay by reusing old coverings. This has can affect the overall performance of your new flooring as the underlay will be warn and will not provide the anticipated comfort or resilience levels. The lifespan of the new flooring will also surpass that of the re-used underlay which means there will also be a long-term impact on performance.

• Check your sub-floor condition.

Make sure your floor is clean, dry and all nails are tapped in flush to the floorboards so that they are level. This can impact the overall appearance of your flooring as loose nails can make the floor rise or cause a rift.

• Remove skirting boards.

For the best results we advise you remove your skirting boards and put them back on once the flooring has been laid. This will provide a cleaner finish.

1. Chase your wiring.

If you’re wanting to hide your telephone, internet, or aerial wires then chasing them around the edge of the flooring prior to installation and securing them when your re-fix your skirting is your best option.

These easy steps will put you in good stead to find your perfect fitter and guarantee a faster, more efficient installation. If you need any help or assistance you can contact one of our wood flooring specialists on: 03333 201933 or email us directly on cs@directwoodflooring.co.uk.