Flooring Installation in Ipswich: How the Job Works, Survey to Handover
Flooring installation in Ipswich and east Suffolk is all we do: we fit carpet, LVT, vinyl, laminate and wood floors bought from any retailer, and prepare the subfloor ourselves. This page explains what happens from survey to handover, and what affects the price.
- Fitting only: buy your floor from any shop
- Subfloor checked before we quote
- Written, itemised quote
Floor fitters for homes across the town and nearby
Most of our work is replacing a tired floor in a lived-in home: a worn stair carpet, a kitchen going to LVT, a hallway going to engineered oak. We also fit floors in extensions, renovations, new-build houses and rental properties between tenancies.
If you have not chosen a material yet, start with our guide to flooring for homes.
A fitting-only service
We are fitters, not a shop. You buy the floor from whichever retailer, showroom or website you like, and we fit it. Because we sell nothing, our advice on products is neutral.
It works best if we measure before you order. We give you the exact quantity to buy, with the right cutting allowance for the room shape and laying pattern, and a list of what else the job needs: the correct underlay or adhesive, thresholds, beading and trims. We check the delivery with you before fitting day, so a short or damaged order is found in time. Preparation materials such as smoothing compound, plywood and damp-proof membrane are part of our quote.
Flooring types we install
LVT
Glue-down LVT needs a very smooth, dry subfloor. Click LVT floats over underlay and tolerates a little more. LVT in detail
Sheet vinyl
Cut from a roll and fitted with as few seams as the room allows. Any ridge in the subfloor shows through, so the surface underneath must be smooth. Sheet vinyl
Laminate
A floating floor over underlay, with an expansion gap around the edge hidden by skirting or beading. Laminate
Engineered and solid wood
Boards are floated, glued or fixed depending on the product and the subfloor. Timber needs time to acclimatise in the house before fitting. Wood floors
Herringbone and parquet
Patterned floors are set out from a centre line and take longer to fit than straight planks. Herringbone and parquet
Carpet and carpet tiles
Carpet is stretched over new underlay on to gripper. Carpet tiles are laid with a tackifier so they can be lifted. Carpet fitting
Your existing floor
The first question is what is down now, and whether it stays.
- Carpet and underlay come up, along with gripper rods.
- Old laminate or floating floors lift easily.
- Glued vinyl, old tiles and adhesive residue take more work, and the surface usually needs making good afterwards.
- Ceramic tiles can sometimes stay if they are sound and the added height works at the doors.
We uplift and dispose of the old floor as part of the job, and show it as its own line on the quote. More on removing old floors.
Preparing the subfloor
The subfloor decides how the finished floor looks and how long it lasts. At the survey we check four things.
- What it is made of. Concrete, screed, floorboards, chipboard or plywood.
- How flat it is. Dips and ridges show through thin floors and make click joints fail.
- Moisture. Concrete and screed are tested. Wood and laminate in particular cannot go over a damp base.
- Movement. Loose or squeaking boards are fixed before anything goes on top.
Common preparation includes a smoothing compound over concrete, plywood over floorboards, and a damp-proof membrane where readings call for it. We do this work ourselves. Levelling, screeding, moisture treatment and subfloor repairs are explained on the floor preparation page.
- Finished floor heightDoor clearances, thresholds, stairs
- Underlay or adhesiveChosen for the floor and the heating
- FlatnessDips and ridges measured with a straight edge
- MoistureConcrete and screed are tested
- SubfloorWhat it is made of, and whether it moves
More detail
Underlay
Floating floors and carpet need underlay. The right one depends on the floor and the subfloor: some include a moisture barrier for concrete, some reduce impact noise for upstairs rooms and flats, and some are rated for underfloor heating. Glue-down LVT, sheet vinyl and glued wood do not use underlay.
Underfloor heating
Most LVT, laminate and engineered wood can go over underfloor heating. Manufacturers set a maximum floor surface temperature, commonly 27°C, and the heating is turned down before and after fitting. Carpet works too, provided the carpet and underlay together have a low enough tog rating. Solid wood is rarely recommended over underfloor heating. Tell us at the survey what system you have.
Doors, thresholds and skirting
A new floor changes the floor height. Doors may need trimming, and each doorway needs a threshold strip that suits the floors on both sides. Floating floors need an expansion gap at the walls. It is covered either by refitting the skirting boards over it or by adding beading. We agree which at the quote stage.
Getting the room ready
- Clear small furniture, ornaments and anything fragile.
- Empty bookcases and cabinets that need moving.
- Disconnect appliances in kitchens and utility rooms if they sit on the new floor.
How long fitting takes
A single room in click LVT or laminate over a sound subfloor is often fitted in a day, and a carpet in a couple of hours. Add time for uplift, smoothing compound that must cure, glue-down floors, herringbone patterns and stairs. Wood needs several days in the house to acclimatise before the fitting date. We give you a programme with the quote.
What affects the cost
- The material and its grade
- Floor area, and how many cuts the room shape needs
- Removing and disposing of the old floor
- Subfloor condition and the preparation it needs
- Underlay or adhesive
- Laying pattern: herringbone and borders take longer and waste more
- Trims, thresholds, beading or skirting
- Door trimming
- Stairs, landings and winders
- Access, parking and which floor of the building
We do not publish a price per square metre because two rooms of the same size can need very different preparation.
Aftercare
Every floor is handed over with care guidance for that product: what to clean it with, what to avoid, and when furniture can go back. Felt pads under furniture and a doormat at the entrance do more for a floor’s life than any cleaning product.
Where we fit floors
We cover every part of Ipswich, plus Kesgrave, Martlesham and Woodbridge. See all service areas.
Fitting questions
Can new flooring go over an existing floor?
Sometimes. The existing floor must be sound, flat and dry, and the extra height has to work at doors and stairs. Carpet always comes up.
Does my subfloor need levelling?
Only a survey can tell. Thin floors such as sheet vinyl and glue-down LVT need the smoothest base.
Do I need to be home during fitting?
Someone needs to let us in and agree details at the start and end of each day. You do not need to stay in.
Will there be dust?
Cutting is done outside where possible. Uplifting old floors and sanding down adhesive create some dust, and we tell you in advance if that applies.
When can I walk on the floor?
Click floors and carpet can be used straight away. Glued floors need the adhesive to set, usually overnight. We confirm for your product.
Tell us about your flooring project
Send us the rooms, approximate sizes and the floor you have in mind. We will come back to you to arrange a survey.
01473936738