Replacing floors: plan the work and return to use

List areas, furniture, doors, thresholds and routes that must remain accessible. Identify underfloor heating, wet rooms, other work and the desired return date. Agree who moves furniture, removes skirting and protects adjacent areas. Fixed fittings are not automatically removed; include their treatment in the scope.

Identify finishes, adhesives and layers to retain or remove. For premises built before 3 April 2001, ITM highlights identification of potentially asbestos-containing materials before intervention. Appearance alone cannot settle this. Clarify the assessment before stripping, sanding or drilling; do not sample suspect material yourself.

Have the quote describe required flatness, soundness, finished level and installation compatibility. Screed, levelling compound and local repair perform different tasks. Underfloor heating or a level difference does not automatically require liquid screed. Agree how work that can only be assessed after removal will be priced.

Weber’s anhydrite guidance explains that a dry-looking surface and elapsed time do not establish suitable moisture for tiling. Ask for the proposed check and its result before covering. Product, thickness and indoor conditions affect timing; anhydrite does not guarantee faster drying.

For wood flooring over heating, Buildwise identifies substrate moisture, commissioning protocol and material compatibility among the relevant conditions. Coordinate the heating and flooring contractors and retain the applicable protocol record. Do not improvise higher temperatures to save time; obtain installation and restart instructions.

Check edges, transitions, thresholds and agreed outstanding items. Obtain separate timings for walking, furniture, wet cleaning and heating; these depend on the actual adhesives, joints and finishing products. Separate removal, waste, preparation, materials, installation and finishing in the budget. Agree extras in writing before they proceed.