Preparing for Carpet Fitting Day: A Simple Checklist for London Homes

You have chosen your carpet and booked a fitting date. A little preparation now makes the day quicker, smoother and less disruptive, especially in a London flat with stairs, lifts and limited parking. This checklist is based on over 25 years of fitting carpets across London.

A week before: confirm the details

• Check what is included. Confirm whether uplift and disposal of your old flooring, furniture moving, and any door trimming are part of your quote.
• Tell your building. If you live in a mansion block or managed building, let the porter or managing agent know the date. Some buildings require fitters to book the lift, use a particular entrance, or work within set hours.
• Check your lease. Some London leases require consent for new flooring or set acoustic standards. It is far easier to sort this out before fitting than after.
• Think about parking. Carpet rolls are long and heavy. If there are restrictions outside your home, tell us so delivery can be planned, and check whether a visitor permit or parking suspension is needed.
• Finish other trades first. Painting and decorating, especially skirting boards, should be completed before carpet goes down, so the new carpet does not get paint on it.

A day or two before: clear the rooms

• Empty wardrobe floors, drawers, bookshelves and display cabinets.
• Remove small furniture, lamps, plants, ornaments and anything fragile.
• Unplug and move electronics such as televisions, computers and games consoles, and take care with cables.
• Take down long curtains that touch the floor, or tie them up out of the way.
• Clear a path from the front door to each room, including the stairs, so rolls can be carried in safely.
• Vacuum the old carpet if it is being taken up. It keeps dust down during removal.

On the day

When the fitters arrive, walk them through each room and confirm the carpet, the direction it will be laid, where any joins (seams) will fall, and the trims to use at doorways. If old flooring is being removed, it is taken up first, then the floor is checked and prepared. Gripper rods are fitted around the edges of the room, the underlay goes down, and the carpet is stretched and fixed in place.

Keep children and pets out of the rooms being fitted. Fitters use sharp tools, and gripper rods have small pins that face upwards until the carpet is laid.

Occasionally, lifting old flooring reveals a problem underneath, such as loose or uneven boards. If that happens, we will explain what we have found and the options before doing anything extra.

Doors and thresholds

New carpet and underlay are often thicker than what they replace. If a door no longer clears the new floor, it may need to be trimmed. This is quick to do but is worth agreeing in advance. At doorways between carpet and hard flooring, a threshold strip finishes the edge neatly and protects it from wear.

After fitting

• Check that every door opens and closes properly.
• Expect some shedding of loose fibres from new wool carpet in the first few weeks. It is normal and vacuuming removes it.
• Small shading marks, where the pile lies in different directions, are a natural feature of many carpets and are not a fault.
• Use furniture cups under heavy items to spread the weight, and rearrange occasionally to avoid permanent dents.
• Keep a few offcuts in case you ever need a small repair.

For day-to-day care, see our carpet maintenance and cleaning guide.

Book your fitting

Every Yazco installation starts with a free home measure, so we can spot anything that needs planning, such as stairs, door clearances, lifts or parking, before fitting day. All installations come with a 12-month workmanship guarantee. Call 020 7224 8876, visit our showroom at 31 Crawford Street, Marylebone, or book a free consultation.