How to prepare your concrete subfloor

How to prepare your concrete subfloor

So, you’ve decided on a brand new floor for your property. This could be a vinyl, laminate, luxury vinyl tiling or carpet floor. Whatever flooring you’ve chosen, it’s important to prepare your subfloor prior to installation. This can seem tricky or overwhelming but it’s actually a fairly simple process. Here at Tech Flooring, we want to make the installation of your new floor as quick and easy as possible. To help you out, here are our steps on how to easily prepare your concrete subfloor.

Step 1- Clean your subfloor

Assuming you’ve removed your old flooring, the first step is to clean your subfloor. It’s important to wash off any old paint, sealers or adhesive. This ensures the new flooring can be put down cleanly. Start by sweeping up large loose debris like leaves, mud and dust. Once that is cleared, go in with a hoover. Make sure your hoover is on the right setting and that the hoover filter bag is clear. This means your hoover will be more efficient.

Once you have hoovered, it’s time to mop. A good tip is to use two mops to clean- one for cleaning and one for rinsing. You can use a mild cleaning solution, soapy water or even just plain warm water. Go over the floor thoroughly so that no spots are missed.

Step 2- Make sure the subfloor is level

Your beautiful new flooring will lay down much easier if your subfloor is level. Test this with a level tool (or even a level app on your phone). The floor must be level and uniform within 3/16 inch every 10 feet. You can sand down any high spots. If there are low points, fill them in with levelling compound and sand until smooth.

Step 3- Make sure your subfloor is dry

This is so important for successful flooring installation. Leave plenty of time between cleaning and installation to allow your floor to dry.

Step 4- Check moisture levels

This is one of the most crucial steps in preparing your subfloor. Take a moisture reading for your concrete subfloor. If the rating is higher than 4.5%, the floor is not sufficiently dry. Always test the moisture rating, you would be surprised at how many old concrete floors retain moisture.

Step 5- Bring the new flooring in to acclimatise

The final step is to bring your new flooring in to acclimatise to the humidity and temperature. Bring your new flooring planks into the room. You can leave them in the box or take them out, either way works. Leave for 48 hours.

You are now ready for Tech Flooring to come and professionally install your new flooring. Interested in re-vamping your property with new flooring? Get in touch today to receive expert advice. Contact us to chat about the different options available and to get a free, no obligation quote.