It might not be the most exciting part of having a new floor installed but subfloor preparation plays a key role in both the finished appearance and also the longevity of your finished floor coverings.
For hard flooring such as LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tiles) and Engineered Oak this means preparing the subfloor surface with either a smoothing compound (screed) to a concrete subfloor or lining with plywood to a wooden subfloor. Particularly in the case of LVT it is imperative that the subfloor is smooth and flat to get a good adhesion with the glue.
In the case of concrete subfloors it is highly recommended that a moisture test is carried out to ensure the floor is fully dry. If it is not and flooring is laid on top it can lift the adhesive and also cause damage to your subfloor as the moisture may have no means of escape once the finished flooring is laid. This could result in the entire floor needing to be replaced proving very costly and disruptive!
The moral of the story is look after your subfloor and your subfloor will look after you! It may be boring but it’s true!