How to Get Your Home Ready for Flooring Installation

Install day goes one of two ways.

There's the smooth version: rooms ready, crew in the door in the morning, new floors by dinner. And there's the version where the first hour disappears into moving a sectional and finding a temporary home for a very heavy bookshelf. The difference is about an hour of prep the day before. Here's the whole list.

The week before: let your floor settle in

Some floors — hardwood especially, and most vinyl plank — like to rest in your home for a bit before install, so the material adjusts to the temperature and humidity of your rooms. If we deliver boxes ahead of install day, leave them stacked where the crew puts them, keep the house at its normal temperature, and resist the urge to peek inside. Acclimation sounds like a small thing. It's the thing that keeps seams tight and floors quiet for years.

Clear the rooms — this one's on you

Let's say it plainly, because it catches people off guard: furniture moving is not part of our installation service. The rooms getting new floors need to be cleared before install day — furniture, lamps, breakables, electronics, the closet floors, everything stored under the bed.

Got a piece that truly can't move — a piano, a gun safe, a waterbed from another era? Bring it up at the estimate, not on install morning. There's usually a way to plan the room around it; it just has to be figured out before the crew is standing in your doorway.

What we handle

Carpet tear-out is free at Floor Pro — the crew pulls the old carpet as part of your install. (Tearing out tile or glued-down floors is heavier work; if that's your project, it's itemized in your quote before anybody picks up a tool.) The crew also handles the subfloor prep your new floor needs once the old one is up — checking it, and getting it ready to build on. That part is literally our job. One money note, so nothing blurs: the tear-out is the free part — subfloor repairs and non-carpet removal are quoted work, part of the all-in number from your estimate.

Pets: give them the day off

Install day means doors opening all day, power tools, and strangers in the hallway. Even the friendliest dog gets stressed, and a curious cat will find the one open door in the whole house. A quiet back room away from the work — or a day at a friend's place — keeps them calm and the crew moving.

Doors, baseboards and trim

Doors may come off their hinges so material can pass and clearances work; they go back on when the room is done. Baseboards usually stay right where they are, but any floor change can leave the new floor sitting at a slightly different height against the wall, so plan on a little touch-up paint afterward. If your project includes new quarter round or baseboards, it's spelled out in your quote.

The real part: noise and dust

Tear-out is loud, and there will be dust, even though the crew works to keep it contained. Cover or move anything delicate in the rooms next door, and keep kids out of the work rooms entirely — tack strips and staples are nobody's idea of a toy. One loud day buys you decades of quiet floors.

When the crew leaves

Walk the finished rooms with your crew lead before they head out, and point out anything you see — that's the moment it's easiest to make right. Then the room is yours again. Most rooms are back in service the day the install finishes; your crew will tell you if your material wants a little extra settling time first.

Go With the Pro's at Floor Pro! Call (405) 977-4058 for a free in-home estimate. We'll measure, give you a firm price and a firm date, and talk through install-day prep for your exact project — no guessing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to move my furniture before installation?

Yes — furniture moving is not part of our installation service, so please have the rooms cleared before install day.

Is carpet tear-out really free?

Yes. Carpet tear-out is free at Floor Pro — our crew pulls the old carpet as part of your install. Tear-out of tile or glued-down flooring is heavier work and is itemized in your quote before work starts.

What should I do with my pets on install day?

Give them the day off from supervising. Doors open all day and power tools are loud, so a quiet room well away from the work — or a day at a friend's house — keeps them calm and the crew moving.

Will my doors and baseboards be affected?

Doors may come off their hinges during the install so material can pass and clearances work, and they go back on when the room is done. Baseboards usually stay in place, but a new floor can sit at a slightly different height against the wall, so plan on a little touch-up paint afterward.

How soon can I use the room again?

Most rooms are back in service the same day the install finishes. Your crew will tell you if your particular floor wants a little extra settling time before heavy furniture goes back.