What to do before your carpet is fitted
Clear the room, deal with the old flooring, check the subfloor is sound and dry, and sort out access and parking. An hour of preparation usually saves more than an hour on fitting day.
The checklist
Work through this the evening before.
- Empty the room of everything you can move, including wardrobe contents
- Agree in advance who is moving heavy furniture
- Take up the old carpet and gripper if that is not in the quote
- Check the floorboards for loose or squeaking boards and screw them down
- Make sure the subfloor is dry, and say so early if it is not
- Lift and store curtains that touch the floor
- Sort out parking, and tell us about permits or restricted access
- Plan somewhere for pets and small children to be, away from tools
Doors are the thing people forget
A new carpet and underlay together can be thicker than what came out, and internal doors may then catch. Ask at the quoting stage whether trimming doors is included, because most fitters do not carry joinery tools as standard.
Tell us about problems early
A damp patch, a big level change, an old adhesive residue or a badly uneven floor is much cheaper to deal with before the fitting date than on the morning itself. If you are unsure, send a photograph when you send your room sizes.
Common questions
- Do I need to take up the old carpet?
- Only if uplift is not in your quote. Ask and it will be clear either way.
- Will the fitters move my furniture?
- Agree it in advance. Small items are usually straightforward, large items should be arranged beforehand.
- What if my floor is damp?
- Tell us before the fitting date. Laying flooring over damp is a mistake that costs twice.
- Can I return flooring I did not use?
- Returns are typically 14 to 30 days on unused, unopened flooring, subject to product type.
- Do you fit, or is this a job for me?
- Either. We work with trusted, fully vetted local fitters across Kent, and plenty of customers fit smaller rooms themselves and buy supply only.