The short answer: Before we arrive, have the rooms completely cleared of furniture, and have the house warm, at least 70° and up to 75° if possible. On bigger jobs, we may split the installation into 2 or 3 days, and we'll work that out with you ahead of time.
How long from picking a floor to installation day?
That absolutely depends on what you pick and what the current schedule is like. For in-stock items, some times of the year it might be 2 to 3 weeks, and other times it might be a few days to 2 weeks.
If we have to order something from the manufacturer, we won't know until we know the availability of the material. There's always some question about shipping and how long it's going to take. We often don't want to schedule the job until the material has arrived, because during shipping it's completely out of our control. We don't know if it's going to arrive on the estimated delivery date or if it's going to be late. We just don't know.
Do I need to move the furniture?
Yes. We don't typically move furniture, so the areas need to be completely cleared out and ready for us to remove the old flooring.
On bigger jobs, a lot of times we'll break the installation into 2 or 3 days, so the furniture can be moved between areas. We usually work that out with the homeowner before we show up on installation day.
Why does the house need to be warm?
The area needs to be a minimum of 70°, and even warmer, up to 75°, if possible. When carpets are warm, they stretch better, and you'll get a better job.
If we show up to a home and it's freezing cold, like a home where the heat's been turned off, we cannot install. That's especially true in winter. For one thing, it's really not fair to ask the installers to work in 50° or 55°, because they're using their fingers and fine motor skills. The other thing is, you're just not going to get a good stretch, which means you're far more likely to end up with wrinkles later.
Your installation day checklist
- Furniture cleared out of every room being done
- Heat on, with the house at 70° to 75°
- Plan worked out with us if the job is split over 2 or 3 days
How soon can I walk on my floors and move furniture back?
Well, depending on the flooring, probably immediately.
- Carpet. You're just going to need to vacuum, because vacuuming is not typically something we include. Vacuum and make sure everything's good and clean before you put the furniture back.
- Click LVP. Same thing: sweep and make sure there's no dust or pieces left.
- Glue-down LVP. That's a different situation, and you might want to give it a few hours.
What is pressure-sensitive adhesive?
Glue-down LVP is put down with what's called a pressure-sensitive adhesive. It's usually allowed to dry almost fully before we install over the top of it.
Pressure-sensitive adhesive is kind of like the adhesive on Scotch tape. If you feel the back of Scotch tape, it's always sticky, but it's not wet. It's a dry adhesive that's sticky. Once pressure-sensitive adhesive dries, most of the moisture is gone, and it's still sticky.
That makes it easy to peel a damaged piece back up if you need to. If you have a damaged piece, you can heat up the area with a hair dryer or blow dryer, and it'll peel right up. That's one of the advantages to it.
Questions before your install? Give us a call or stop by our Provo or Lehi showroom.