Wood floor installers come into your home with a job to do, and they usually get down to business very quickly. Before they start, and even at the time of the estimate if possible, it is a good idea to find out what the installers will and will not do. Here is a brief list of questions to ask.
1. Will they move furniture?
If the installers move furniture, it can take some of the load off of you. However, you might be paying a higher price for the privilege. Also, even if the installers do move the bulk of the furniture, it will be up to you to put away your most treasured, valuable and fragile items. The wood floor installers do not want to be responsible for them, and you should be willing to take the initiative to safeguard them yourself. If the workers will not move the furniture at all, then you have a bigger job to do before they come.
2. Will they seal off the adjoining rooms?
Sawdust can make its way into carpeting, furniture and onto every surface of a room when the installation is in full swing. The best solution is for the other rooms to be sealed off, usually with heavy duty plastic sheeting. Most professional wood floor installers come prepared to handle this task. If they say they do not usually do that, request that they make an exception in your case.
3. How far will they go in fitting under baseboards and door jambs?
Reputable installers will cut under the jambs and casings, even if they have to remove these parts to get to the hidden area. This is a must if you want your floor to have a finished look and last a long time. Remember that if you were to do the installation yourself, you would have to do the same painstaking process to get good results too.
4. Will they be carting off the scraps created in the installation process?
There is always waste in installing a wood floor because the boards do not come in the proper lengths for each one to fit in the proper place without cutting. This leaves the question of what will happen to the excess materials. You have a few choices here. The wood floor installers can completely remove the wood scraps and debris. They can place it in a location on your property that you designate, or you can opt to dispose of it yourself. No matter which option you choose, it needs to be decided upon before the work starts. Working with professional wood floor installers is a breeze if you work out the details at the outset of the project.