A multi-day project to strip, level and prepare a room's floor and skirting before new flooring goes down, with trade input where needed.
PH-01Plan the job and get everything readyClear the room of furniture and measure it so you know how much carpet, skirting and levelling compound you're dealing with. Book a skip or van for waste, and set aside a full weekend for a small room, or 3-5 days for a larger one with a lot of levelling. Budget roughly £150-£400 in materials for an average room, more if the subfloor is in poor shape or you need a tradesperson partway through.
10 each · Heavy-duty rubble sacks 1 job · Skip hire or tip run PH-02Strip out the old carpet and gripper rodsFollow the guide Remove old carpet and gripper rods to clear the floor back to bare boards or subfloor. Work from one corner outwards and bag offcuts as you go, since loose carpet and nails are a trip and injury risk. This is a one-room, half-day job for most bedrooms and living rooms.
1 each · Pliers or pincers PH-03Take off the skirting boardsFollow the guide Remove skirting boards without damaging the wall. Before prising near any socket, switch the circuit off at the consumer unit and prove it's dead with a tester, since some sockets sit low enough that the skirting tucks behind the faceplate. Check for cables and pipes with a detector before levering near wall corners too, and still expect to find something.
RULESKNOW THE RULES
Moving or raising a socket to clear new skirting is a job for a registered electrician. It's not notifiable in England on an existing circuit, but can be notifiable in Wales, so check locally if unsure.
PH-04Level the subfloorFollow the guide Level a floor before laying new flooring to sort out dips, high spots and loose boards across the whole room. Before drilling, screwing or lifting any boards, check for cables and pipes with a detector and still expect something underneath. If you find damaged pipework or wiring, stop and call a plumber or electrician rather than working around it.
RULES20 kg bag · Self-levelling compound KNOW THE RULES
If levelling work exposes damaged cables or pipes, this is a job for a qualified electrician or plumber. Do not attempt a repair yourself.
PH-05Fix any squeaky boards while the floor is exposedFollow the guide Fix a squeaky floorboard now, while skirting and covering are already off, since this is far easier than coming back to it later. Check for cables and pipes with a detector before screwing down into any board, and still expect something there. Doing this now also stops the new flooring hiding a squeak you'll regret missing.
20 each · Floorboard screws PH-06Trim the door to clear the new floor heightFollow the guide Trim the bottom of a door once you know the combined thickness of your new flooring and underlay, since trimming too early risks cutting the wrong amount. Do this towards the end of the project, after the subfloor is level and you've confirmed the finished floor height. Take the door off its hinges to work on it safely.
1 each · Panel saw or circular saw PH-07Refit skirting and do final checksOnce new flooring is down, refit the skirting using the same techniques from Remove skirting boards without damaging the wall in reverse, scribing it to the new floor level where needed. Fill nail holes and gaps with caulk or filler, then check the door swings cleanly and nothing squeaks underfoot. Expect the whole project to run 3-5 days for a single room, or two weekends if you're doing it alongside other jobs, with total costs typically landing between £200 and £500 once flooring itself is included.
1 tube · Decorator's caulk 1 pack · Skirting fixings 1 small tin · Touch-up paint Travis Perkins, Tooled Up and Machine Mart links are affiliate links: if you buy after clicking, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. B&Q and Amazon links are plain searches and earn us nothing.
Save this as a projectBack to all guides