The week before
Acclimation. Boxes are delivered and need to sit flat, unopened or opened per the manufacturer, in the rooms where they will be installed for the required period, usually 48 hours, at normal living temperature. Keep the heat on and do not stack them in the garage.
Confirm the scope. Re-read the quote: which rooms, removal included or not, furniture handling, appliance pulls, baseboard reset or quarter round, stairs. Ask anything that is unclear now.
Order anything you are supplying. If you bought the flooring yourself, make sure it has arrived, with the waste factor and the matching trim and nosings, and that the underlayment is what the product requires.
Schedule around it. Painters should come after the floor if baseboards are being reset or quarter round added; before, if you are painting walls and the floor is being protected. Plumbers and appliance deliveries should not be the same day.
The night before
Clear what you can. Small furniture, lamps, rugs, plants, everything on shelves and anything fragile out of the rooms. Standard furniture moves are usually included; the less there is, the faster the day goes.
Closets. Empty the floor of every closet being done; crews cannot install around boxes.
Electronics and valuables. Unplug and move TVs, computers and audio equipment yourself. Pianos, safes, aquariums and pool tables need a mover arranged in advance.
Doors and access. Decide which door the crew uses, where tools and boxes stage, and where cutting happens; a garage or covered porch is ideal in Seattle weather.
Parking. In Seattle neighborhoods with restricted parking zones, a crew van needs a legal spot near the door for the day. Hold a space with your own car the night before and move it in the morning, or check whether a guest permit is needed.
On the day
Walk the plan with the installer. Direction of the planks, where transitions go, which rooms first, how doors will be handled, and anything the tear-out might reveal.
Pets and kids out of the work area. All day.
Expect noise and traffic. Saws, compressors, boxes in and debris out. Heat may be lost through open doors; it comes back.
Be reachable. If removal uncovers a subfloor problem, the installer will call with a price before continuing.
The walkthrough
Before the final payment, walk every room with the installer: seams tight, no hollow spots or movement, transitions secure, trim finished and caulked, doors swinging freely, appliances back and level, vents in place, debris gone. Ask for the leftover boxes, the product and lot information, and care instructions. Photograph the finished floor for your records.
Afterward
Felt pads under every furniture leg. Mats at exterior doors; Seattle grit is the floor's main enemy. Clean with a damp, not wet, mop and the cleaner the manufacturer specifies. Keep a box of attic stock for future repairs.
