Common Mistakes to Avoid When Laying Flooring

A well-laid floor should feel solid underfoot, sit neatly across the room and stay that way once everyday life begins. The problems usually start when one of the less obvious fitting steps gets missed, and this could be anything from an uneven subfloor to too little expansion space, skipped acclimatisation or poor preparation underneath. Our LVT flooring, SPC flooring and real wood veneer ranges are designed to make installation more manageable, but they still rely on the right conditions and a bit of planning before the first board goes down.

 This guide looks at some of the most common mistakes to avoid when laying flooring, from getting the preparation and moisture checks right at the start to allowing enough expansion space, planning the layout properly and choosing the right floor for the room. We also cover points on cutting, underlay and the aftercare mistakes that can affect the floor once the fitting is finished.

It is easy to assume that one flooring range will fit much like another, especially when they use a similar click system. In practice, the details can vary quite a bit from one product to the next. Acclimatisation times, subfloor tolerances, expansion gaps, cutting methods and underfloor heating limits can all differ between LVT, SPC, real wood veneer, laminate and engineered wood flooring. Even the locking system itself may change between ranges.

 All of our LVT ranges at Topps Tiles come with integrated underlay, but Pronto, SPC and real wood veneer flooring still have their own fitting instructions and requirements.

 Reading our flooring fitting guides before you open the packs gives you a chance to plan the job properly and spot anything that needs to be accounted for early. It is much easier to deal with a fitting requirement before the first row goes down than after several rows are already in place.

The subfloor needs to be dry, stable and even before any flooring goes down. If part of a board sits over a dip, it may not have firm support underneath, which can put extra strain on the click joints and lead to gaps or movement over time when pressure is applied in and around the dipped area. Raised areas can also cause a problem by putting further pressure on the joints, while old adhesive, loose timber boards or proud screw heads can stop the boards sitting properly in the first place.

It is worth checking across the whole room, including around doorways, old repairs and the edges, as these are often the places where uneven areas are easier to miss.

Moisture needs checking too, because a subfloor can look completely dry on the surface and still be holding moisture underneath. Concrete, screed and timber should all be tested before fitting begins, using the correct limits for the flooring you have chosen. This is especially important after recent building work or where underfloor heating is involved.

If anything needs attention, sort it before the first board goes down. For more help with the preparation itself, our guide on how to prepare a substrate for LVT flooring goes through the checks in more detail, while the individual fitting guides for SPC flooring, real wood veneer flooring and Pronto LVT give the exact tolerances and moisture limits for each range.

Laminate and engineered wood can be different, as some ranges come with underlay attached and others need it separately. It is always worth checking the product details and fitting instructions before buying anything extra.

Flooring needs time to adjust to the temperature and conditions of the room before it is fitted. Bringing boards straight in from a cold van, warm warehouse or another part of the building and laying them immediately can lead to movement once the floor has settled and adjusted to the different room temperatures. That can affect how the boards sit together and the amount of expansion space around the room.

Keep the packs flat, unopened and in their original packaging while they acclimatise. The amount of time needed varies between flooring types, and the correct acclimatisation period for each range is specified in its fitting guide, so check this before installation begins.

This one is easily overlooked, as it can feel more natural to fit the boards neatly against walls, door frames, kitchen units and other fixed features.

A floating floor still needs a little room around the edges so it can move as temperatures and conditions in the room change. If that movement is restricted, the floor can start to lift, push against the joints or sit unevenly. The gap is meant to be there and it can be covered once the floor is finished with a skirting board, scotia or a suitable trim, so it's not left on show. The exact expansion space required varies by flooring type, so make sure to check the fitting guide for the range you are using before installation begins.

The name gives this one away a little, as a floating floor needs to be able to float. The boards click together as one surface, but they should not be glued, nailed or screwed to the subfloor unless the fitting instructions for that range specifically say otherwise. The same goes for the edges. Skirting, scotia, trims and door bars should finish the floor neatly, but they should not pin it in place or stop the expansion gaps doing their job.

Kitchen layouts can make things a little trickier, especially once fixed units and islands come into the picture. It is worth checking the fitting guide before installation begins, as the requirements around fixed units and kitchen islands can vary between flooring ranges.

Sometimes, when there is already a floor down, it can be tempting to lay the new flooring straight over the top without doing the necessary checks first. Soft surfaces such as carpet and existing PVC flooring do not give LVT, SPC or real wood veneer the firm support they need, so these should be removed before fitting begins.

Hard flooring can be more suitable, but it still needs checking carefully. Loose areas, movement, trapped moisture or too much height build-up can all cause problems once the new floor is in place, and timber boards should feel secure underfoot before anything goes over them.

If you are unsure, check the fitting guide for the range you are using and our substrate preparation guide before installation begins.

This is another one of those little things that can make a surprisingly big difference to how the finished floor looks. Wood-effect designs naturally vary in colour, grain and pattern, and real wood veneer has even more variation because the surface is genuine oak.

 If you work through one pack at a time, similar boards can end up grouped together and one part of the room may look noticeably lighter, darker or more heavily patterned than another. This is why we recommend opening a few packs before you start and mix the boards as you go. It helps spread the different tones and markings more evenly across the room and gives the finished floor a much more natural look.

Not every floor is cut in the same way, and using the wrong method can make a tidy job much harder than it needs to be. Some luxury vinyl tiles can be scored and snapped with a utility knife, while laminate, SPC and real wood veneer may need a suitable saw depending on the range and the type of cut.

The awkward areas are usually around pipes, thresholds, door frames and kitchen units, so check the fitting guide before you start cutting to make sure you are using the right tool and method for the product.

Taking a little more care at this stage helps keep the edges clean and avoids damaging the surface before the floor is even in place. It also makes the job considerably easier, which is what we all want.

Measuring the room gives you the starting figure of how much you need to order, but ordering exactly that amount can leave you short once cuts, awkward corners and the odd mistake are taken into account. It is always worth allowing a little extra flooring so you have enough to work with as the room takes shape. Herringbone and more complicated layouts can need a bit more because there are usually more cuts involved, while straightforward plank layouts tend to be simpler.

 The extra amount you need can vary by range, so check the fitting guide before you order. Keeping a few spare boards afterwards is useful too, especially if you ever need to replace one in the future.

Long runs and larger open areas can look like one simple stretch of flooring, but there comes a point where a floating floor needs a break. Transition joints give the floor somewhere to move and are especially important in bigger rooms or where several spaces connect.

 The exact point at which one is needed depends on the flooring range, so this is another detail to check before the first boards go down. If a transition is required, it can be finished neatly with a suitable profile or door bar and planned into the layout from the start.

This is an easy distinction to overlook because the two terms sound very similar, but they do not mean the same thing.

A water-resistant floor is designed to cope with limited moisture, such as everyday splashes and spills that are cleaned up fairly quickly. If larger amounts of water are left sitting, moisture can work into the joints or edges and may cause swelling, lifting or movement depending on the flooring type. Waterproof flooring offers a higher level of protection, although it still needs to be looked after properly and should not be left sitting in standing water for long periods.

This varies across our flooring ranges. Our LVT flooring includes both waterproof and water-resistant options, with SPC flooring fully waterproof and hybrid wood veneer using a waterproof core beneath a genuine oak surface. Laminate and engineered wood can vary by range too, so it is always worth checking the product details and room suitability before fitting.

Underfloor heating needs to be part of the plan from the start, as it affects both the preparation underneath and the way the flooring performs once fitted.

For our LVT, the surface temperature should not exceed 27°C, and the heat needs to be spread evenly across the floor. Moisture limits can also be lower when underfloor heating is involved, so the correct figures for the flooring you have chosen need to be checked before installation begins.

Another important point is that underfloor heating should never be used to force-dry a damp subfloor. The base still needs to reach the correct moisture level before the flooring goes down, which is another reason the heating system and substrate preparation need to be considered together from the start. Once the floor is fitted, some ranges also have specific requirements around rugs, furniture clearance and heated areas, so these are worth checking in the fitting guide before the room is finished.

It is easy to fall for a colour, grain or pattern first, especially when a sample looks exactly right for the scheme you have in mind. The problem comes when room suitability only gets checked afterwards.

Different spaces put very different demands on a floor. For example, bathrooms and utility rooms bring more moisture into the picture, while conservatories can see bigger changes in heat and sunlight, and busy hallways need something that can handle regular traffic. The right choice needs to suit those conditions as well as the look you want.

That is why it is worth checking room suitability before you commit. SPC, real wood veneer, laminate and engineered wood all have different requirements depending on the range, so the product details and fitting guide should be part of the decision from the start.

A sample is still useful for judging colour, finish and how the floor looks in your light, but it should come after you know the product is suitable for the room.

The wrong cleaning habits can start to affect the surface of your flooring surprisingly quickly. Too much water can work into joints and edges, steam brings heat and moisture together, rough pads can mark the finish and strong household cleaners may leave residue or dull the surface over time.

The good news is that our flooring does not need an intensive routine. Regular sweeping or vacuuming, followed by a well-wrung mop and a suitable cleaner such as our LVT and Laminate Cleaner, will take care of most day-to-day cleaning across our LVT, SPC, real wood veneer, laminate and engineered wood ranges. Spills should be wiped up as they happen, and grit is best cleared before it gets walked across the room and starts marking the surface.

For a fuller look at what to use, what to avoid and how to deal with spills and stubborn marks, read our guide on how to clean and care for LVT flooring.

We all know that feeling when you finish laying the floor and want to get the room back to normal so you can finally see the finished look, but this is another point where a bit of care matters.

Dragging furniture can scratch the surface, catch the edges of boards or put unnecessary pressure across the click joints, especially with heavier pieces. Fit clean felt pads or castor cups before moving chairs, tables and other furniture back into place, and lift heavier items where you can.

If you are bringing appliances or larger pieces through the room, protect the route first so the weight is not being rolled or dragged directly across the new floor. That little bit of care at the end can save you from marking or damaging a floor you have only just finished laying.

Before the first board goes down, it is worth giving everything one last check. Make sure the fitting guide has been read, the subfloor is ready, the moisture checks are complete and the packs have had the right amount of time to acclimatise.

Have a look at the layout too. The expansion gaps should be planned, the correct cutting tools should be ready and there should be enough flooring on site to allow for cuts and waste. It is also much easier to have trims, door bars, scotia and any transition joints sorted before you are halfway through the fitting.

A couple of minutes spent checking these things at the start can save a lot of frustration later.

If you are unsure about anything before you start, pop into your local Topps Tiles store and talk it through with the team. They can help with flooring, fitting tools, trims and the preparation products you may need for the job.