Sub-Floor Preparation for Every Flooring Installation
Every floor covering we install starts with proper sub-floor preparation. It is not optional and it is never skipped, regardless of the product going down.
Why Sub-Floor Preparation Is Never Optional
The quality of any floor covering depends entirely on what is beneath it. A covering laid on an uneven, damp, or poorly prepared surface will fail — it will show every ridge and imperfection, lift at the edges, or start deteriorating well before it should. That is why sub-floor preparation is mandatory on every installation we carry out, regardless of the product going down. We never treat it as an optional extra or a stage to rush through. Whether we are applying self-levelling smoothing compounds in a care home or diamond grinding a factory floor, the preparation gets the same attention as the finished surface.
Our Types of Floor Preparation
Self-Levelling Smoothing Compounds
Applied over an uneven concrete screed to create a flat, smooth surface ready for the floor covering. The compound is trowelled across the surface and finished with a spiked roller to aerate and level it. At just a few millimetres thick, it fills ridges and imperfections left by the builder's screed and gives a consistent base that LVT, safety flooring, and commercial carpet can go down onto correctly.
Plyboarding
Used on uneven or springy timber sub-floors to create a rigid, flat surface before the floor covering goes down. Sheets of plywood are fixed across the existing boards to eliminate movement and level out any unevenness. It is a standard requirement on most domestic installations and on commercial projects where the existing timber floor is in poor condition or inconsistent.
Diamond Floor Grinding and Epoxy DPM
Diamond grinding is used to mechanically prepare concrete sub-floors in industrial and commercial environments, removing old adhesives, coatings, and surface imperfections before resin or safety flooring is applied. Where a concrete sub-floor has a high moisture content, we apply an epoxy damp proof membrane after grinding to seal the surface and prevent rising damp from affecting the new floor covering above.
Installing the Industry’s Leading Brands
Where We Carry Out Floor Preparation
New Builds and Construction
Sub-floor preparation on new build projects is often needed to correct the builder's screed before any floor covering can go down. Screeds are frequently uneven, contain high moisture levels, or have surface imperfections that would transfer through to the finished floor if not addressed. We work directly with main contractors to manage the preparation phase and complete the work to a standard that allows the next trade to proceed without delay.
Commercial Refurbishments
Refurbishment projects often present the most challenging sub-floor conditions because the existing screed may have old adhesive residue, be uneven, or have deteriorated under previous floor coverings. We assess the condition during the site visit and specify the correct preparation method, whether that is self-levelling compound, plyboarding, diamond grinding, or a combination. All preparation is carried out in-house and built into the project schedule from the start.
Industrial and Warehouses
Industrial sub-floors typically require diamond grinding to remove old coatings, adhesives, and surface imperfections before resin or safety flooring can be applied. Where the concrete slab has a high moisture content, we apply an epoxy damp proof membrane after grinding to seal the surface and protect the new floor covering above. We carry out all mechanical preparation with our own equipment and work around operational schedules to minimise the impact on the facility.
Domestic
Sub-floor preparation in homes most commonly involves plyboarding to stabilise and level timber floors, or self-levelling smoothing compound to correct uneven concrete screeds. It is a particularly common requirement where a house extension meets the existing property and the floor levels do not match. We assess the sub-floor during the initial visit and include all necessary preparation in the overall quote, so there are no surprises on installation day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does sub-floor preparation cost?
Pricing depends on the condition of your existing sub-floor and the methods required. Sub-floor preparation is included in our overall installation quote, not charged as a separate optional extra. Use our Quick Quote Calculator for a rough estimate, or get in touch and we will arrange a free site survey.
Why is sub-floor preparation so important?
A floor covering is only as good as the surface beneath it. Without proper preparation, LVT, safety flooring, and commercial carpet will show every ridge and imperfection in the screed, wear unevenly, and fail far sooner than they should. Getting the sub-floor right is the only way to guarantee a finish that holds up.
What is the difference between screed and a self-levelling compound?
A builder's screed is the thick concrete slab that forms the structural floor, typically around 75mm deep. A self-levelling smoothing compound is applied over the top of the screed by our team. It is usually just a few millimetres thick and gives the smooth, flat surface that the floor covering needs to go down correctly.
Do you carry out floor preparation on domestic projects?
Yes. Sub-floor preparation is required on domestic installations just as much as commercial ones. We regularly use self-levelling compounds and plyboarding to correct uneven surfaces, including where an extension meets an existing room and the levels do not match.
Does sub-floor preparation add to the project timeline?
It can add time, but it is never skipped. Plyboarding can usually be completed on the same day as the installation. Self-levelling compound and epoxy DPM typically need overnight drying time. We build this into the project schedule from the start so nothing catches anyone off guard.
Do you subcontract your sub-floor preparation work?
No, never. The preparation is carried out by our own team, the same people who do the installation. No outside contractors are involved at any stage.
Featured Project
Live Environment Refit: Herons Park Nursing Home
Commercial refits in sensitive, live environments like care homes demand more than just standard floor fitting. They require respect, cleanliness, and specialist product knowledge. For Herons House in Kidderminster, the client needed to upgrade a resident's room and ensuite to improve both the aesthetics and the safety of the space, without causing any disruption to the people living there. We uplifted the old materials and installed Scala impervious-backed commercial carpet to prevent moisture seeping through to the sub-floor, paired with Altro Aquarius safety flooring in the ensuite, a specialist product engineered specifically for barefoot use in wet rooms. The finished space was tidier, more practical, harder wearing, and delivered with complete respect for the care home environment.
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