Flooring Guides
Living at Home During Flooring Installation: How to Plan
Most homeowners can stay in their home during a flooring project, but it helps to know which days will be disruptive and to plan for them. The type of floor, how much is being replaced and what has to come out first make the biggest difference.
By Los Angeles Hardwoods ·
What decides how disruptive it will be
- Scope. One or two rooms can be worked around. A whole level means planning where you will cook, sleep and keep belongings.
- What comes out. Removing carpet is fairly quick. Removing tile or glued-down flooring is loud and dusty, and is often followed by grinding or leveling.
- Type of floor. Prefinished engineered hardwood, laminate and vinyl are ready once installed, subject to the manufacturer's instructions. Glue-down installations and site-finished or refinished floors need cure time.
The loudest and dustiest days
Removal and subfloor preparation are the hardest days to be home for: tile removal, scraping old adhesive, grinding concrete and mixing self-leveler. Installation itself is quieter, with saw cuts and, for nail-down floors, nailers. If you work from home or have young children or pets, those first days are the ones to plan around. More on floor removal and subfloor preparation.
Plan the order of rooms
- Decide where you will cook if the kitchen floor is included, and how you will get in and out of the house.
- Keep one bathroom and one bedroom available, or plan the work so they are finished first.
- Ask how the work will be sequenced and which rooms will be off-limits on each day.
- Expect doors to need trimming if the new floor is taller than the old one.
Furniture, belongings and appliances
Empty closets that are getting new flooring, and pack fragile items, wall art near work areas and anything on the floor. Agree before the work starts who moves furniture and how appliances such as the refrigerator, washer or range will be handled. Floor protection for finished rooms and the path in from the street is worth discussing too.
Pets, children and air
Keep pets and children away from work areas, open doors and tools. Some adhesives and finishes have an odor while they cure; ventilate as the product instructions say, and ask what will be used if anyone in the home is sensitive to it. For refinishing, plan to stay off the floors for the full time the finish maker specifies. See hardwood floor refinishing.
Condos, parking and access
In a condo or a building with shared areas, reserve the elevator, confirm work hours and arrange parking for the crew and a place for debris. Many associations also require approval of the floor and underlayment first. See our guide to condo and HOA flooring rules.
A short checklist
- Confirm the rooms, the order of work and which days involve removal.
- Agree on furniture moving and appliances in writing.
- Plan where you will cook, sleep and work on the hardest days.
- Clear closets and floors, and protect fragile items.
- Ask for the walk-on and cure times for the specific products.
We come to your home with samples, measure every room and give you a written estimate for materials and installation, or materials only. For pricing, call (323) 498-3735. See our flooring installation and hardwood installation services.
Common questions
Can I stay home while new floors are installed?+
Usually, yes, especially for prefinished floors such as engineered hardwood, laminate or vinyl plank. Expect the rooms being worked on to be off-limits, and plan to be away, or at least in another part of the house, on the days old flooring is removed and the subfloor is ground or leveled.
Is it different for hardwood refinishing?+
Yes. Sanding is loud and the rooms must stay empty, and the new finish needs time to dry and cure before furniture and rugs go back. The finish maker's instructions set those times, so ask about them before you schedule.
Do I need to move my own furniture?+
Ask before the work is scheduled. Who moves furniture, what counts as heavy or fragile, and what happens with appliances such as the refrigerator should be agreed in advance.
When can I walk on the new floor?+
Floating and click floors can often be walked on soon after installation. Glue-down floors and site-finished floors need the cure time set by the adhesive or finish maker. Your installer should tell you for the specific products used.