A flawless floor finish is a testament to the unseen work beneath it. At Archer Carpentry, we dedicate as much professional rigour to the sub-floor preparation as we do to the visible layers. This critical work prevents common issues such as squeaking, bowing, or premature failure after a damp winter, ensuring your new flooring investment lasts for decades. If you want a floor to perform over the long term, the work must start with a stable and meticulously prepared base.
Why Sub-Floor Integrity is Non-Negotiable
The sub-floor serves three essential roles in a high-quality flooring installation:
Structural Support: It must be flat, stiff, and securely fixed to provide the perfect foundation for the finish layer.
Moisture Control: This is vital, especially in older properties where ground moisture, condensation, or leaks can compromise the floor structure.
Stability: Proper preparation prevents undesirable movement, such as cupping, gapping, and telegraphing (where imperfections show through) of materials like wood or LVT flooring.
Before we install anything, we conduct a thorough survey for deflection, rot, damp, ventilation, and joist integrity. Where necessary, as experienced carpenter specialists, we re-fix, pack, sister, or replace joists, add noggins to control bounce, or upgrade fixings to modern standards. This foundational work is the quiet value of our professional service.
Addressing South Coast Moisture and Insulation
Properties across the South Coast contend with specific moisture loads that can accelerate movement and decay in hidden timber. Salt, humidity, and driven rain demand a considered approach.
We strategically incorporate:
- Effective moisture barriers
- Adequate ventilation clearances
- Breathable insulation
- Correct floor build-ups
This ensures that atmospheric humidity does not become a structural issue down the line. Good preparation is invariably more cost-effective than later structural replacement.
Precision Before Finish
Whether we are serving as LVT flooring fitters, or preparing a sub-floor for engineered wood or carpet, our goal is to streamline the finishing stage. We achieve this by establishing:
- Dead-flat planes and true levels
- Clean datum lines
- Precisely detailed edges around pipe penetrations and thresholds
This commitment to exactness is the difference between a floor that looks beautiful for one year and one that performs perfectly for twenty.
Integrated Carpentry Expertise
Unlike “fit-only” services, Archer Carpentry brings comprehensive, whole-house carpentry services to every flooring project. If a floor issue is being caused by an adjacent or overhead structural problem, we identify it.
Our broader project experience, including timber frame extensions, loft conversions, and internal remodelling, means we understand precisely how floors interact with load paths, services, insulation, and project sequencing. This holistic view allows us to fix the cause, not just the symptom.
As a trusted carpenter households rely on for honest remedial work, we are straightforward when sub-floor prep is non-negotiable. If a floor has been structurally compromised, we ensure it is correctly rectified before the final layer is installed. You only open a floor once, and we ensure the work done while it’s open is permanent.
A Joined-Up Professional Service
Many of our clients initially engage us for flooring and retain us for subsequent projects. Our carpentry services encompass first and second fix work, kitchen fitting, refits, and structural timber modifications. Utilising a single, expert team ensures continuity of detail and a professional finish on every project we work on.