How to Prepare Furniture for New Flooring?

 

You’ve decided to finally treat yourself (and your house) to new floors. Perhaps you choose the hardwood floors in your dining room that you’ve always wanted, or you’re replacing the carpet in your cherished family room. Maybe you’re completely redoing the flooring in your house. It’s an exciting moment, but how can you install new flooring without displacing your entire family?

For the installation of your new floors, all furniture and possessions must be moved out of the way. Your choice of what to do with your furniture will be influenced by several variables. You might begin creating a strategy by posing the following inquiries to yourself:

What Size New Flooring Project Do You Have?
Depending on the scope, installing flooring may be a significant undertaking. Do you want to replace the flooring throughout your home or just in a certain room? It’s one thing if you need to switch momentarily from a small kitchenette table and two seats to a balcony. It’s another thing, though, if you have to consider every piece of furniture in every area of your house.
You may need to decide if you can relocate your furniture alone or whether you need to engage professional movers to assist you depending on the scope of your flooring makeover. Moving furniture by oneself should be quite simple if the flooring improvement only affects one room. If you’re replacing the flooring throughout your entire home, further help could be required.

How Long Will It Take to Install?
You should also consider the installation time frame. Depending on the flooring material and the scale of the project, installing flooring can be a time-consuming procedure. Consider the following factors: How soon can you carry your heavy goods and furnishings out of your home?
When do you need the furniture relocated before the installation?
What are the flooring installers’ hours of availability?
Was the flooring you selected in stock, or did it have to be ordered?

Can You Help With The Heavy Lifting?
Moving your stuff yourself may be the most cost-effective choice. It may not always be the ideal option for you, though, because heavy furniture might be tough to move on your own. If you are unable to move furniture yourself, consider hiring professional movers.

What is the size of your house?
You have more possibilities to transfer your furniture if you have numerous extra rooms and a large garage than if you live in a studio apartment. Spare bedrooms and basements are ideal places to temporarily store your stuff. If you don’t have enough room in another area of your house to keep your furniture, you’ll have to consider hiring temporary storage spaces, renting a portable storage container, renting a storage shed, or lugging your furniture from room to room as needed.

What is your spending plan?
It’s usually a tradeoff between money and strength when it comes to moving (and storing) furniture. Can you transport a sofa by yourself or with the help of a friend? Can you afford to hire someone to do it for you? Or do you have the resources to temporarily relocate it to a storage facility?

Will Your Furniture Be Moved by Flooring Installers?
Although it is not a norm, a flooring installation firm may include relocating your furniture at their price. If this is a possibility, it can save you time (and a painful back!). However, it may raise the overall cost of your installation. Even if furniture removal is included, you must still take the time to remove your personal belongings. Don’t forget to clear your closets, cupboards, and drawers before moving furniture.

Managing Furniture During Installation
Once you’ve answered those questions, you should have enough knowledge to pick among the three major solutions for dealing with heavy furniture while installing new floors:

Simply relocate your stuff to a different room while your new flooring is being placed. If you’re having many rooms refloored, you may have to move and carry your furniture from one room to the next. It’s hard labor, but it’s free – and your favorite recliner never needs to leave the house.

Storage in a garage or shed: This solution is only viable if you have outside storage space. During the installation procedure, a storage shed or garage might serve as a temporary home for your furnishings. To avoid harm to your possessions, you must be certain that the facilities are watertight and safe. Otherwise, this is a really practical alternative.

Short-Term Storage: While renting a storage facility or a portable storage unit for a month may seem excessive for a little flooring repair, it may make life much simpler. This is especially true if you live in a small space or are putting floors in many areas of your home. Storage that is rented is handy, safe, and secure.

Preparing for Hardwood Flooring Installation
Once your furniture is out of the way, you may take the following procedures to ensure a smooth and flawless installation:
Remove the baseboards and door frames before you begin. This can greatly simplify the installation process for your team. Whatever type of flooring you have, a thorough vacuuming will make the remainder of the task much easier.
Inquire ahead of time if your installers will be responsible for removing your old flooring or if you will. If they do not include the removal of your old flooring in their price, you may be in for a large task. Multiple layers of carpet or vinyl flooring can be difficult to transport and are typically heavier than they appear!
After removing the previous flooring, make sure the subfloor is level and in excellent shape before beginning the installation. Again, a skilled hardwood flooring installation company can do this for you to guarantee that your new floor is precisely smooth and level.

Preparing for Carpet Installation
Preparing for a new carpet is comparable to preparing for hardwood installation. However, there are a few distinctions:
After you’ve relocated your furniture, you must remove the old flooring before installing your lovely new carpet.
If you already have hardwood or vinyl flooring, you may be able to place the carpet over it instead of tearing it up. However, it is advisable to question your installation staff about what alternatives you have and what is ideal for your forthcoming carpet installation.

Preparing Your Home for Flooring Installation
Here are a few additional things to consider before installing new flooring:
Complete any home improvement projects. One of the most important things you can do before your installation is to finish any other renovation projects in the space. Wrapping up these chores ahead of time can help preserve your gorgeous new flooring from harm, whether it’s a fresh coat of paint, new wallpaper, or basic maintenance.
Maintenance of large appliances. Contact an electrician before your flooring installation appointment if new flooring will be installed in a room with heavy appliances that may need to be rewired before relocating. If your appliances must be relocated, there is less risk of a big piece of machinery scuffing up existing floors before installing new ones.
Gather tarps and masking tape. If you expect a lot of sanding, close doors and cover them with plastic sheets, tarps, and masking tape to reduce dust distribution throughout your home. During the installation procedure, wood floors sometimes require some sanding. Similarly, if your subfloor requires extensive maintenance before carpet installation, your installation team may need to level your floor. Having these simple tools on hand will help with the cleaning following your installation.
Take care of your pets. Strangers hauling heavy goods in and out of rooms, odd odors, and loud noises can be stressful for your dogs. Worse, open doors might be interpreted as an invitation to flee. Before installation, consult with your veterinarian to see whether your pet is at risk from installation-related dust or fumes. Make arrangements for a trusted friend, family, or neighbor to look after them for a few days until the (literal) dust settles.

Following Your Installation
Is it possible to put furniture on recently laid hardwood floors?
When your new hardwood floors are laid, you’ll be eager to add furniture and decorate. It is preferable to leave furniture on newly placed wood floors for a day or two. When moving furniture on your flooring, be sure you use protective pads on all wooden and metal furniture legs. Instead of dragging or shoving furniture into place, raise it and set it softly on your flooring. This helps to keep your brand-new floor from becoming scratched.

How long should you leave furniture on new hardwood floors?
We recommend waiting at least 24 hours before walking on the new flooring and, even then, wearing just socks on the hardwood. Allow four days before relocating your furniture to allow the flooring to settle.