What to check before fitting vinyl or lino flooring

Vinyl, lino and luxury vinyl tiles are thin, so every flaw in the subfloor shows through. On a survey, identify the subfloor, check its flatness and moisture, decide whether it needs plywood or a levelling compound, and find out how the room is used: a kitchen, a bathroom, a shop floor and a bedroom need different products. Measure carefully, plan seams and door thresholds, show samples, and quote preparation separately from fitting so the client understands where the cost lies.

Lifting old vinyl, carpet or tiles takes time and leaves adhesive to scrape or grind off. Very old floor coverings and adhesives can contain hazardous materials; if you have any doubt about what they are made of, have them identified before disturbing them, and follow the rules where you work. Include removal and disposal as a separate line in the quote.

Dips, ridges and trowel marks telegraph through a thin floor and wear faster. A levelling compound or a plywood overlay gives a smooth base, but it adds materials, time and drying before fitting. Explain this to the client on site, with the straightedge on the floor, so the preparation line in your quote makes sense.

Moisture from a concrete slab can lift adhesive, cause bubbles and stain a floor. Take readings on ground floors and new screeds, write them down, and follow the adhesive manufacturer's limits. If the floor is too wet, say so and plan a damp-proof membrane or a later date.

Plan where seams fall: away from doorways and areas of heavy traffic, and along the light in rooms with a window. Note door heights, thresholds to other floors, and whether skirtings stay or come off. In bathrooms, plan how the floor meets the bath, shower and toilet, and whether the floor is sealed at edges.

Ask whether the floor goes under the kitchen units or stops at the plinths, and who moves the appliances. A fridge or washing machine dragged over a new floor tears it; agree in writing who pulls them out, protects the floor and puts them back.

For a landlord or a shop owner, durability and quick turnaround matter: ask when the space must be usable again, and whether work can happen when tenants or customers are absent. A product that can be repaired tile by tile can save a full replacement later.

List rooms and areas, removal of the old floor, preparation (plywood, levelling, membrane), the product, adhesive and fitting, thresholds and edging, and moving furniture or appliances. Give the time on site and the drying time before the floor can be walked on, used normally and furniture put back.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create a "Flooring survey" service and open slots that fit between jobs. Clients book with their name, email and phone and can write the rooms, the current floor and the product they like in the optional note, which you read in your new-booking email. Once the quote is accepted, book the preparation and fitting days yourself from your calendar.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. If a levelling compound needs longer to dry and fitting must move, reschedule it 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.