Installing timber floors in a home can make the space look rich and luxurious while also offering a cleaner and more hygienic surface than you would have with standard carpeting. When you are ready to schedule a timber floor installation for your home, note a few important questions you should ask a potential installer so nothing is overlooked and you know what's involved with the job and the flooring maintenance.

Find out if you should vacate and for how long

Timber floors always need a coating of some sort after they're installed; this might include a paint, stain, varnish or a sealant that protects the wood. It's always best if you're out of the home while the floors are being coated so you avoid breathing in any vapours, but in some cases, it might be recommended that you be out of the house for several days! Be sure you note the time needed for those fumes to dissipate, as you might want to schedule your installation job to correspond with an upcoming holiday or other such plans.

Ask about clearing a room and removing flooring

The more furniture you clear out of a room, and the more carpeting and tile you pull up yourself, the easier the job will be for your floor installer. However, they may also actually charge you for every piece of furniture they need to move and for any square footage of carpeting and tile they need to pull up. Ask about this ahead of time, as you might then decide to move furniture to the garage or a self-storage unit before your new floor is installed and may want to remove as much old flooring as possible, in order to save on that extra cost.

Always ask when the floors will need a recoat

Never assume that timber floors will need sanding and a new sealant every year; this will depend on the species of wood you choose, the sealant applied and the overall daily wear and tear the floors suffer. In some cases, you may not need to recoat the floors for several years, and sanding them down more often than necessary will cause the timber to become thin. In turn, you will need to replace the floors sooner than you should. Your installer can note when it's recommended to have the floors recoated so you don't sand them too soon or too often or don't too long before a new sealant is applied.