When installing any floating floor, it is very important to carry out the proper preparation to avoid problems later on. Woodpecker floating floors are amongst the easiest to fit, in a wide range of different spaces, but there are still a few crucial things to do before installation.

Before getting your Woodpecker floor fitted, make sure you check the following:

1. Is the sub-floor level? When fitting any wood floor, you must make sure that the subfloor is level to within 3mm over a radius of 2 metres, to avoid bouncy areas.

2. Sub-floor moisture levels. Using a moisture meter, the moisture levels in the sub-floor can be tested. Cement-based sub-floors should have a reading of less than 70% (depending on the type of meter used), whilst wood-based sub-floors should have between 7% and 11% Wood Moisture Equivalent (WME).

3. Atmospheric relative humidity (RH) levels. This is the level of humidity in the air, in the room where wooden flooring is to be installed. Ideally, atmospheric RH levels should be between 40% and 60%.

4. Have you tested the underfloor heating? If you have underfloor heating, you must make sure it is properly tested by a qualified engineer before installing a floating wood floor over it. You must also make sure the heating is turned off at least 48 hours before floor installation, and then slowly turned back up 48 hours after completion of the floor.

5. Have you acclimatised the wood? Before installation, you need to leave solid wood flooring out in the room where it will be fitted (out of its packaging) for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer, to allow it to acclimatise to humidity levels in the room.