Clearly, wood-flooring installation is a way to create more comfort in your home, as well as an easy way to increase its value. In the previous article we talked about ways to prepare for wood-flooring installation from the contracting point of view, which consisted of different ways to research a contractor's credibility, and what to look for to ensure a contractor is on the up-and-up.

Now let's talk about the homeowner's responsibilities when it comes to preparing for installation.

It's been said before, but it bears repeating, that the homeowner's efforts in a wood flooring installation project are often directly proportional to how well the project comes out, or at the very least, how much it costs.

Most any wood-flooring contractors will do almost all of the work necessary, if that's what you choose. But often they will charge, too, for preparation work that could have easily been done by the homeowner and the home's family, themselves.

There are three subdivisions of prep work that a homeowner should consider when planning for a wood-flooring installation, the first two of which will be discussed in this article:

• Preparing the whole house

• Preparing the room

• Preparing the subfloor

First of all, preparing the overall home is key to getting the most value out of your wood-flooring installation. By making some small preparations you can ensure that, not only does your installation project go as planned, but that the rest of your home maintains its beauty and value. A little preparation can eliminate a lot of grief or, worst, a lot of cleanup. This, ultimately, will save the homeowner a very big headache.

Preparing the whole house

• Remember that wood-flooring installation can be a dusty project. You can avoid having that dust travel to all manner of nooks and crannies in your house by applying “dust curtains” on the doors of adjacent rooms. Often this simply means securely taping plastic tarps over the doors to prevent dust from creeping in.

• Having a outdoor workspace can help ensure less mess inside, especially when it comes to sizing or sanding wood pieces. An outdoor workspace should include some sort of portable roof or shelter, an outdoor electrical outlet and should be near the door, for easy access.

• Make plans for being home while installation is taking place. Your home is your most valued possession, so it's alright to be concerned about its well-being. To ensure that your home and possessions are taken good care during the process, try to see to it you or a trusted friend is in the home during the installation process.

Preparing the room

• Remove furniture. If your furniture is moved to an adjacent room, remember to install a dust curtain on the room, or at least be sure to cover the furniture.

• Remove doors. This is an easy process that wood-flooring installers will often do for you … with an additional surcharge. You should wrap the doors in blankets and stack them together in another room.

• Clean your floor thoroughly. It is important that surfaces remain clean so that containments don't get into your new wood floors.

If so inclined, there's much more that can be done as far as removing the old floor and preparing the subfloor. That will be discussed in the next article.