What to Expect During Hardwood Floor Installation
Knowing what happens during hardwood floor installation helps you prepare your home, plan your schedule, and set realistic expectations. Professional installation follows a consistent process designed to deliver beautiful, long-lasting results. Here’s a complete walkthrough of what you’ll experience from consultation through completion.
Before Installation Day: Preparation Phase
Initial Consultation and Measurement: The process starts with an in-home visit to measure your spaces and evaluate existing conditions. Our team assesses subfloor type, checks for moisture issues, identifies potential complications like uneven areas or transitions, and takes precise measurements for material ordering. This visit typically takes 30-60 minutes and is always free.
Material Selection and Ordering: Based on your design preferences and our site evaluation, you’ll select flooring at our showroom. Lead times vary—common domestic hardwoods often ship within a week, while specialty products may take 2-4 weeks. We’ll coordinate delivery timing with your installation schedule.
Acclimation Period: Your flooring materials arrive 3-7 days before installation (longer for wide plank products). The flooring sits in your home with HVAC running normally, allowing wood to adjust to your home’s temperature and humidity. This critical step prevents post-installation problems from moisture-related expansion or contraction.
Preparing Your Space: Before installation day, you’ll need to completely clear furniture from installation areas, remove items from walls and shelves that might vibrate loose, and ensure clear pathways from the delivery area to all rooms. Consider where you’ll store furniture during installation—bedrooms or garages often work well. If you have pets, plan accommodations elsewhere during installation days.
Installation Day: What Happens
Arrival and Setup: Your installation crew typically arrives between 8-9 AM. They’ll bring necessary tools and equipment—expect pneumatic nailers, air compressors, saws, and various hand tools. Setup takes 30-45 minutes as they organize materials, protect adjacent areas, and prepare workstations.
Subfloor Final Inspection: Before any flooring goes down, installers verify subfloor conditions. They’ll check flatness with straightedges, take final moisture readings, and address any issues discovered. Minor high spots get sanded; low areas may need leveling compound. This quality control step prevents problems later.
Old Flooring Removal (if needed): Removing existing flooring adds time to your project. Carpet removal proceeds quickly—usually 30-60 minutes per average room. Vinyl or laminate removal takes longer. Hardwood or tile removal requires substantially more time. Expect dust and debris even with containment measures.
Installation Progresses Room by Room: Your crew works systematically through each space. Nail-down installation proceeds at roughly 100-150 square feet per hour per installer. A typical two-person crew completes 500-750 square feet per day in straightforward layouts, less in rooms with many cuts around obstacles.
Noise and Dust: Hardwood installation generates significant noise—pneumatic nailers and saws easily reach 80+ decibels. Plan to be elsewhere or wear hearing protection if you stay home. Despite dust collection systems on saws, expect fine sawdust to migrate beyond work areas. Cover electronics and other dust-sensitive items.
End of Day: Installers clean their work area and remove debris each day. On multi-day projects, completed areas remain accessible but should be treated carefully. Expect installation materials and equipment to remain on-site overnight until the project concludes.
Project Timeline by Size
| Project Size | Installation Time | Total Project* |
| 150-300 sq ft | 1 day | 10-14 days |
| 300-500 sq ft | 1-2 days | 10-14 days |
| 500-1,000 sq ft | 2-3 days | 14-21 days |
| 1,000-2,000 sq ft | 3-5 days | 14-21 days |
*Total project includes ordering, acclimation, installation, and finishing
After Installation: Moving Back In
Prefinished Flooring: You can walk on prefinished hardwood immediately after installation—just wear socks for the first 24 hours to avoid tracking debris. Light furniture can return after 24 hours. Heavy furniture should wait 48 hours. Avoid wet-mopping for the first week while any adhesive fully cures.
Site-Finished Flooring: Site-finished floors require additional curing time after installation. Stay off the floor entirely for 24 hours. After 24 hours, you can walk in socks. Light furniture returns after 48-72 hours. Heavy furniture and area rugs should wait a full week. Complete curing takes 3-4 weeks for oil-based finishes—avoid heavy use during this period.
Final Details: After the main installation, finishing touches complete your project. Trim installation (baseboards, quarter round, transitions) typically happens the final day or shortly after. A final walkthrough with your installer addresses any questions and ensures you’re completely satisfied.
Communicating with Your Installation Team
Good communication ensures your project meets expectations. Share any concerns about specific areas or special requests before installation begins. If questions arise during installation, don’t hesitate to ask—installers would rather address issues immediately than discover problems later.
You don’t need to supervise constantly, but checking in at lunch or end of day keeps you informed of progress. Your installer may have questions about transitions, doorways, or other details where your preferences matter.
If anything doesn’t look right during the walkthrough, speak up immediately. Addressing concerns before the crew leaves is far simpler than scheduling return visits.
Schedule Your Installation
Leicester Flooring’s professional installation teams deliver exceptional results throughout Asheville, Hendersonville, and Western North Carolina. Our experienced crews handle projects of all sizes with attention to detail and respect for your home.
Contact us to schedule your free in-home consultation. We’ll evaluate your space, discuss your vision, and provide a comprehensive estimate with a realistic timeline. From first measurement to final walkthrough, we’re committed to making your hardwood installation experience smooth and successful.