What to check before laying a wooden floor

Before laying a wooden floor, check the subfloor: what it is, whether it is flat, firm and clean, and above all how dry it is. Take moisture readings in the slab or boards, ask about underfloor heating, measure the rooms, and look at door heights, thresholds and skirtings. Then agree with the client when the boards will be delivered to acclimatise, which rooms must be emptied and when other trades must have finished. Gaps, cupping and squeaks in a new wood floor can start with something the survey would have caught.

Wood takes on and gives off moisture. Laid on a damp subfloor, boards swell and cup; laid in a very dry room, they shrink and gap later. Take readings with a suitable meter in several places, especially near outside walls, in kitchens and bathrooms, and on recent screeds. Write the readings down with the date and the room conditions. If the subfloor is too wet for the product chosen, say so and propose a date to check again rather than laying anyway.

Ask whether there is underfloor heating, what type, and whether it has been run and cooled as the manufacturer requires before a wood floor goes down. Check that the boards and adhesive chosen are suitable for it, and give the client the guidance on surface temperature.

The survey decides how the floor goes down: floating on an underlay, glued to the slab, or nailed or screwed to joists or battens. Each suits different subfloors, products and rooms. Explain to the client why you recommend one method, what it means for noise, comfort underfoot and future repairs, and how it changes the price and the time on site.

A new floor raises the finished level. Check whether doors will need trimming, how the new floor meets tiles, carpet or another room at thresholds, and the height at stairs and patio doors. Decide whether skirtings come off or the floor finishes against them with a bead. These details change the time on site and the look of the result.

Solid and engineered boards should rest in the rooms where they'll be laid, in their packs or as the manufacturer advises, so they adjust to the home's conditions. The heating should be on as it will be in normal use, and windows and doors fitted. Plan the delivery date with the client so the boards have time to settle before the fitting day.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create a "Floor survey" service and open slots between jobs. Clients pick a slot and book with their name, email and phone, and can describe the rooms, the current floor and the boards they like in the optional note, which you read in your new-booking email. In the description, ask for the address and to have the rooms reachable. Once the quote is accepted, book the delivery check and the fitting days yourself from your calendar.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. If the subfloor isn't dry enough and the fitting must move, reschedule from your bookings list and tell the client yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.