When you first start thinking about transforming a room – or even your entire home – with new flooring, it can seem a daunting task but, fear not! We’re here to show you how you can get a new floor in 4-weeks or less.
Let’s take it one day at a time…
Day 1 – Start with a vision
Before you even start thinking about laminate or vinyl, engineered or solid wood, click fit, loose lay or glue down, it’s good to get an idea of how a certain colour or style of floor will look in your chosen room. That’s where our handy Room Visualiser tool comes in! Simply upload a picture of the room you’re working on and watch it transform before your eyes as you swipe through hundreds of floors in seconds. You might be surprised at what you like.
If you're redecorating your entire room, get some inspiration from Instagram or Pinterest.
Day 2 – Learn the lingo
Now you’ve had a play with our Room Visualiser tool, and found your favourites, it’s a good idea to learn the flooring lingo. From what an AC rating is to the difference between lacquered and brushed finishes, to how a tongue & groove fitting compares to a click fitting, you’ll find them all in our A-Z guide:
Day 3 – Grab that tape measure
The most important step before you sample and order is to measure your room to see how much flooring you will need. Whether your room is a simple rectangle or quirky shape, you can read our guide on how to measure your room here.
Days 4 – 8 – Try before you buy
Now you’ve narrowed down your favourite floors and learnt all the lingo you need to know, it’s time to order your free extra-large flooring samples! While they usually arrive within 48hrs, it’s good to allow a little extra time before ordering your full floor so you can test your samples in different lights through the day, against different furnishings, and live with them.
The best part of trying before you buy? Zero commitment and, if for any reason your current favourite floor doesn’t work with your furnishings, you can order more until you’re completely happy.
Day 9 – Hit the (online) shop
Skip those queues and shop safely from the comfort of home. Order online anytime or, if you’d like a little extra advice, call our friendly team of Flooring Experts on 02476 012 840.
Don’t forget those accessories! Underlay, scotia, door profiles, after care, and much more are all shoppable on our website too.
Day 11 – Your new floor has arrived!
The big day is here; your new flooring has arrived!
Days 12 – 19 – Get acquainted
Now that your new floor has arrived – no matter how tempting it is to rip that packaging open and fit it – you need to let it acclimatise in your room. We can’t stress enough the importance of this step and, depending on the exact type of flooring you have, you need to allow up to 7 days for this. If not, you risk your beautiful new floor warping and not fitting together.
The acclimatisation process for flooring differs greatly from a few hours up to a full calendar week. Check out our acclimatisation guide for full details and helpful hints:
Days 20 – 27 – Time to fit your floor - DIY or professional?
Once you’ve acclimatised your flooring next comes the fitting. Depending on the floor you’ve chosen, and your desire for DIY, you’ll have different timescales for this step. A professional fitter should be able to fit your new floor in a day. If you’re doing it yourself for the first time, it’s important not to rush. Take your time to get it right.
Top tip: if you’re looking for an even quicker refresh, choosing one of our huge range of DIY-friendly options will suit you perfectly. Such as our sheet vinyl collection that can be loose-laid, which simply means it can be installed over pretty much any floor without any adhesive, tape, nails or grippers (up to a certain m²) – ideal for a temporary fix or a permanent measure.
Day 28 – Start snapping and sharing!
That’s it! A new floor in 4-weeks or less. Now the last, final, and most important step of all – snapping and sharing. Take plenty of pictures of your new flooring and brag away on your chosen social network. On Instagram? Tag us in your makeover with @UK_Flooring_Direct for the chance to be featured on our page, in our emails, and even on our website – ultimate bragging rights.
