After you’ve picked out the perfect hardwood flooring for your home, you’ll count the seconds until installation day arrives. The right hardwood floors can renew a room and drastically improve its appearance, but installing them can prove very messy. Before the installers get to work on adding the hardwood flooring of your dreams, make sure you know how to prepare a room for hardwood flooring. Proper preparations will help the installation crew and make post-installation cleanup a breeze.

Move and Cover All Furniture

Installers can’t work around furnishings still in the room. Before you remove or install new flooring, move all furniture that would interfere with either procedure. Have a partner help you remove large furniture. You can cover other furniture with a plastic sheet for protection.

Remove the Old Flooring

While some flooring installers may include the removal of your old floors in their services, most will ask that you uproot the floor before they arrive. Have a professional team take out the unwanted floors or procure the right tools to do it on your own.

New flooring also provides a perfect opportunity to choose new baseboards or moldings for your room. You don’t always have to remove the existing baseboard, but it can make the job easier for your installation crew—check their website to see if they require baseboard removal or any other special preparations.

Cover Your Vents

Though your hardwood floors may look beautiful after installation, the process stirs up plenty of dust that can get into your home’s ventilation system. During the installation, cover all vents in the room by taping a plastic sheet to the front—don’t just close the grates of the vent, as the dust can still go through.

Turn off your heat or air conditioning entirely. Instead, open the windows and run some strong fans to keep the air moving in the room. Once the installers finish the project, wait a few days before turning on the heat or air conditioning again.

Prepare a Space for Installers To Store Materials and Tools

Not everything that flooring installers use will fit into the room. Set up a space either outside or nearby for the crew to keep their tools along with your new floor. It may seem like a simple task, but your installation crew will appreciate the thought you put into learning how to prepare a room for hardwood flooring.

Remember: your installers require access to working outlets when they place the new floor. Don’t block essential outlets with your storage area or fans.

The most essential preparation for your new hardwood flooring installation is to pick the perfect color and style of hardwood for your lifestyle. Make sure to visit Floors 55’s online showroom or Portland hardwood flooring experts in person to find the best flooring for your preferences.