Finally, you have taken up the home improvement project that you have always wanted. For starters, you want to begin with new flooring installation. You have decided to put up the hardwood flooring you have always wished for in the living room, perhaps you want to refresh the carpet in the TV room, or maybe you want to give the entire house a makeover of the entire floor. Whichever the case, you have to move household appliances and furniture.

So, what do you do with furniture when getting new flooring? Ideally, for the new floor to be installed, the furniture must be out of the way. You could move it to another room, rent a container for them, or even put them outside under a shed.  

In this article, we delve deeper into the question of handling furniture during new flooring installation and other preparation to be undertaken before the installation. Keep reading for a deeper insight.

Why You Have To Move the Furniture

When preparing for new flooring installation, you will definitely have many questions concerning the furniture. Why you have to move it? Can’t the installers do their work with the furniture in the room?

Well, there are many reasons why you need to move furniture as seen below.

• You want the installers to have ample space to do their work. If you leave furniture in the room, the installer will have a hard time juggling between moving the furniture while at the same time installing the floor.
  
  Even if your quote includes the installer moving the furniture, note that they will always make a point of moving it prior to the day of installation.

• Your furniture must be precious to you and you will always want to take good care of it. Thus, you couldn’t want it mishandled or damaged in a way. Assuming your precious dining table is in the room of installation, and accidentally the tools of work fall on it.
  
  It may somehow attain scratches and this will not go so well with you. In fact, it will even fade away the excitement you had about new flooring if some of your furniture are going to be damaged in the process. Avoid this by moving the furniture first.

• Some flooring installation may need removal of the current flooring. For instance, when replacing tiles with new ones or some other type of flooring, the old tiles have to come out.
  
  The dust that will come out in the process may damage the soft furnishings on your furniture. Imagine all this dust land on your white couch. Thus, no one should tell you to have the furniture moved. The nature of the work itself dictates everything.

• Lastly, before installation, the entire floor has to undergo thorough inspection, especially the underneath to ensure it is in good condition for new installation. This is possible if furniture and any other household appliances are on the way.

What Criteria Will You Use For Moving Furniture?

With furniture out of the way, your flooring project will proceed smoothly. To determine how to move forward with your furniture, consider the following points.

• Consider how big your flooring project is

If you intend to install a new floor in just one room, say the dining room, dealing with furniture is easy. You just have to move the table and chairs to the living room or any of the remaining rooms. However, if you are doing the whole house, then you will have to think up a working strategy because you have to move all furniture and other appliances before the project begins.

• Think about the amount of time the installation will take

If the installation is bound to take a day, you can find temporary storage maybe in the garage or in the shed. However, if it takes more time, then you must think of a safer place to keep your furniture until the project is complete. Here, you may consider hiring a container.

If your house is big, you may be lucky to have internal storage areas such as spare rooms and a garage. You can even build a temporary shed in the backyard if space allows. This would not be the case if you were living in some rental apartments somewhere.

• Budget plays an important role.

When you are figuring out what to do with furniture, your budget will come in handy. You may want the installation company to handle the moving of furniture if your budget allows. You can even go further to hire a temporary storage unit. Thus, keeping your budget in mind, there is a lot you can do pertaining your furniture.

So, if the installation company offers furniture relocation, then you will be in luck though it will come at extra cost. However, you will only leave the heavy furniture and move the small ones to save time and even avoid accidental breakages.

Apart From Furniture, What Else Needs To Be Moved?

Note that not only furniture should be out of the way. Several other items in the house must also be moved as seen below:

• All breakable items such as lamps and movable glass cabinets will have to be moved.
• Any wall hangings that might fall down at slight movements should also come out.
• Electronic appliances such as the TV, the music system, the fridges, cookers, washing machines, driers, and heaters should also be moved. For those with complex connectivity of wires, it is advisable to seek professional services to disconnect and remove.
• Additionally, you may want to remove your soft furnishings such as curtain from the windows. This way the room will have sufficient natural light, and you will not be worried about your curtains getting dirty or being torn.

Possible Areas to Put Furniture during Installation

With the points above, you will now have an easy choice to make regarding where you will be keeping your furniture during your new flooring information.

Below are the possible areas to choose:

• Moving It To Another Room

When installing a new floor, you can move furniture to an adjacent room if it can fit. This will work for less bulky furniture such as musical chairs. If multiple rooms are being done, then you will have a lot of movement back and forth, but at the end of the day, you will have sorted the issue of furniture in the room being done.

• Storage in the Garage or Shed

This is a convenient choice for those with outdoor storage areas such a shed or the garage. Simply move all your furniture here until the work is done. However, you must be careful to ensure that these areas are waterproof so that you do not mess your furniture and soft furnishings with any leaks.

• Hired Storage Units

If you are not on a very tight budget, you can consider renting a storage unit for some days or even a month. It may cost you a lot, but it will be quite convenient, especially, if you are living in some tight quarters, or if you are installing flooring in the entire house.
You will avoid dealing with trying to fit in furniture in some squeezed areas. Additionally, there will be no cramming of space, which can even damage some of the furniture.

How to Prepare the Floor for Installation of New Flooring

Once you have handled your furniture and the floor is cleared of any item that may hinder installation, it is time to prepare your floor for the installation to take place.

For hardwood installation, first, you need to remove the doorframes and baseboards. This way, the installer can get perfect fit of the floor. Proceed to get rid of the existing floor. Do a thorough inspection to ensure that the subfloor is leveled up, and whether it is in good condition.

For hardwood, the floor has to dry up completely with no moisture. Good thing is that you do not have to do all this by yourself; this is where professionals or your hired installers come in.

If you are doing carpet installation, the process is just the same as that of the hardwood installation. You will need to remove the current flooring and clean the floor underneath before you can lay out your new carpeting.

However, if your current flooring is vinyl or wood, you do not have to remove it. You can lay your carpet right on top. However, ensure to consult with installation professionals on how to go about the whole procedure and any other available options.

General Tips to Help You during New Flooring Installation

Apart from moving your furniture and preparing the floor, the following tips will come in handy as you prepare for the remodeling.

• If you have any pending remodeling tasks such as painting of the wall or adding a wallpaper, or any general repair tasks, it is advisable to complete such first. This way after installing your new flooring, you will not be worried about any damage that could otherwise be caused if you attempted these tasks later.
• Ensure to empty your closets, cabinets and any other storage unit in the house.
• In case you have any pets, be mindful of them. You can lock them up in a secure room away from the installation noise and dust.
• For a smooth flow, plan well with your contractor to ensure that he or she is in line with your schedule.
• If your budget allows, you can plan a small vacation/getaway with your family during the installation period. You will be able to relax and give the installers some space to do a perfect job for you.

Related Questions

Do Flooring installers move the furniture?

Yes, most installers move furniture with the cost included in the initial quote. However, you will want to move the small items such as the T.V, the lamps and the breakables. Then you can leave the bulky items for the installers to handle.

How long should you wait before putting furniture on newly installed hardwood floor?

Even with the excitement of wanting to place back your furniture and go back to your functional life, it is recommended to wait until the floor has cured properly. Do not step on it until after 24 hours, and when you do, wear socks. Give it at least four days before moving back the furniture. For the wooden and metal furniture, use protective pads on the legs. To avoid dents and scratches, do not push, pull, or drag anything on the floor. Always lift and place gently on the right spot.

See Also:
Does Furniture Dent Vinyl Plank Flooring
How Soon Can You Put Furniture On New Carpet
Can You Put Heavy Furniture On Vinyl Plank Flooring