What happens when new floors are installed or hardwood is refinished?

Updated November 11, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What happens on a flooring job?

Most jobs run in the same order: the room is cleared, the old floor comes up, the subfloor is checked and prepared, the new floor goes down or the old one is sanded and finished, and then the room is left to cure and air out. How long each stage takes depends on the material and the products, and none of the trade bodies publishes a standard number of days. What follows is what each material involves and what to watch for.

What happens before the crew arrives?

Agree on who does what. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), the carpet industry's association, tells homeowners to settle in advance who moves the furniture and whether that costs extra, who removes and disposes of the old floor, and to finish any painting or wallpapering in the room first. Take breakables and electronics out.

If the flooring is delivered early, ask where it will be kept. Penn State Extension explains that dried wood stored in an unheated building gains moisture until it matches the air around it, which in Pennsylvania means roughly 11 to 14 percent outdoors, against around 7 to 8 percent for most kiln-dried hardwood. Wood that is installed and then dries out in a heated house can shrink. Ask the contractor how and where the flooring will be stored and how its moisture will be checked before installation.

What happens when the old floor comes up?

The old covering is removed and the subfloor beneath is cleaned and checked. The CRI suggests vacuuming the old floor before it is taken up and vacuuming the subfloor afterward, to cut dust.

This is the stage to stop and ask questions if the old floor is vinyl tile or sheet vinyl, or has old adhesive beneath it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists those among materials that may contain asbestos and says they should not be sanded, scraped or swept up dry. If an accredited contractor removes asbestos, the EPA says to get a written contract beforehand and, at the end, written assurance that all procedures were followed, and that a regular vacuum should never be used to clean up.

If damaged subfloor or joists turn up, Pennsylvania's home improvement law requires any material change to the agreed plans to be in a written, dated change order signed by both of you, with the price.

What happens when a wood floor is sanded and finished?

• Containment. Expect the crew to seal off the room. In a home built before 1978, the firm must be lead-safe certified and use lead-safe work practices; the EPA's description of those practices for homeowners includes plastic over doorways and vents, forced-air heating and cooling turned off, and HEPA vacuums attached to power tools.
• Sanding back to raw wood, which the NWFA says is what a complete sand and refinish involves.
• Stain, if you have chosen one; this is the point at which color can change.
• Finish coats. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), the hardwood trade body, says a site-applied finish requires drying time during which you cannot walk on the floor, and that factory-finished floors, by contrast, can be walked on straight after installation. Water-based finishes, it says, dry quickly; oil-based ones are amber in color.

Plan to be out of those rooms, and ask the contractor how long each coat needs before light foot traffic, furniture and rugs. The EPA says varnishes and waxes contain organic solvents and that high levels can linger long after the work, so keep fresh air moving.

Ask too how stain and finish rags will be handled. The U.S. Fire Administration says to keep oily rags in airtight containers and away from heat, and to store paints and varnishes in a shed away from the house.

What happens when tile is laid?

The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), a tile industry education body, describes what a sound job involves: a flat and rigid base, a crack isolation membrane over cracks in concrete, mortar covering at least 80 percent of the back of each tile in dry areas and 95 percent in wet ones, grout joints at least 1/16 of an inch, movement joints, and time for the installation to cure before it is walked on or wet. The CTEF says to expect some days with no work while products dry or cure, and that the amount of time depends on the site and the materials.

What happens when carpet goes in?

The CRI says its installation standard requires carpet to be power-stretched to prevent wrinkles and ripples, and seam edges sealed. Seams can be placed where they are less visible, but it says not to expect them to be invisible. Except for carpet that is glued directly down, it recommends a cushion under every carpet.

It also says ventilation is the homeowner's job: open windows and doors or run an exhaust fan or the heating and cooling fan during installation. It reports that most off-gassing from new carpet is complete within about 24 hours, recommends ventilating for 48 to 72 hours, and says shedding in the first months is normal.

What should you check before the last payment?

Walk every room with the contractor.

• Wood: even color, no missed patches or sanding marks, a smooth finish, and baseboards and thresholds back in place.
• Tile: no hollow-sounding or cracked tiles, even joints and clean grout.
• Carpet: no wrinkles or ripples, and tight, sealed seams.
• Paperwork: product names, warranty documents and the care instructions the finish or flooring requires.

The Federal Trade Commission's advice is never to make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied. If something needs fixing, put it in writing. The questions worth asking before the job begins are in questions to ask a flooring contractor, and the cost of each stage is in the cost guide. Businesses are listed on the flooring contractors directory page.

Sources

1. Installation Tips, The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)
2. Frequently Asked Questions, The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)
3. Finishes, National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)
4. Refinishing Your Floors, National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)
5. The Homeowner's Guide to Hiring a Qualified Tile Installer, Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF)
6. Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
7. Volatile Organic Compounds' Impact on Indoor Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
8. Basement and Garage Fire Safety, U.S. Fire Administration
9. Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
10. Understanding Equilibrium Moisture Content, Penn State Extension
11. How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
12. 2008 Act 132 (Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act), Pennsylvania General Assembly