Flooring Installation

A new floor is only as flat, quiet and solid as whatever sits under it. That is why most of the work on a flooring job happens before the first plank is clicked or nailed into place: taking up the old surface, finding out what the subfloor is really like, and correcting it. We lay floors in houses, condos, rentals, shops and offices around Toronto and the GTA, sometimes as a single job and often as the last big step of a larger renovation.

Matching the floor to the room it goes in

We help you choose by room, not by showroom sample. These are the trade-offs we talk through at the estimate:

• Solid hardwood is nailed down over a wood subfloor, so it belongs on main floors and upper floors. It can be sanded and refinished later, but it reacts to seasonal humidity and is not a good match for a basement slab.
• Engineered hardwood has a real wood wear layer over a more stable core. It moves less with the seasons and, depending on the product, can be floated, glued or nailed, which opens up condos and many basements.
• Laminate resists scratches and dents and suits busy households, though water left sitting on it can swell the seams, so we are careful about where we suggest it.
• Vinyl plank shrugs off moisture, which is why we often recommend it for basements, laundry rooms and rental units that see heavy wear between tenants.

For entries, bathrooms and anywhere water is part of daily life, porcelain or ceramic tile is usually the stronger option.

Under the floor: subfloor, moisture and levels

Once the old flooring is up, we check the subfloor for loose sheathing, soft spots, dips and humps. On wood subfloors we screw loose areas down to the joists, which cures many squeaks at the source, and replace damaged sections. On concrete, which is what most basements and condo units have, we grind high spots and fill low ones with levelling compound until the surface meets the flatness the flooring maker calls for.

Moisture gets the same attention. Wood products are brought into the home ahead of installation and left to adjust to the conditions they will live in, with the heat or air conditioning running as it normally would. We check moisture in both the boards and the subfloor before we begin, and use an underlayment or vapour barrier suited to the product and the surface below. If a basement slab shows signs of water coming in from outside, a foundation waterproofing specialist has to deal with that before any new floor goes down.

Condo flooring and building rules

Many Toronto condo corporations regulate hard flooring because footsteps carry to the unit below. Buildings often require a specific sound-control underlayment and written approval from management before work starts, plus booked elevator time and set working periods. Send us your building's flooring rules and we will price the underlayment and installation method they ask for, then plan deliveries and debris removal around the building's schedule.

From the old floor out to the baseboards back on

1. We measure every room, note transitions and floor heights, and give you an itemized written estimate.
2. Furniture is moved and the old carpet, laminate or tile is taken up and hauled away; bigger tear-outs are handled by our demolition and removal crew.
3. Subfloor repairs and levelling are completed and checked.
4. Rows are planned so the boards run in a sensible direction, stay straight through doorways and never end in a thin sliver against a wall.
5. We leave the expansion gap the product needs around the edges, undercut door casings so planks slide beneath them, and cover the gap with baseboard or quarter round.
6. Transition strips go in where the new floor meets tile, carpet or a change in height, and we walk the finished rooms with you.

A thicker floor can leave interior doors rubbing, and a dishwasher can end up trapped if the floor is raised around it, so we plan for both before the first row goes down.

What moves the price and the timing of new floors

Square footage is only one line. The price changes with the product you choose, how much old flooring has to come out (tile set in mortar or glued-down sheet vinyl takes far more work than carpet), how much levelling the subfloor needs, the number of rooms, closets and transitions, and the pattern. A herringbone or diagonal layout means more cutting and more material than straight rows.

Timing follows a similar list. Levelling compound has to dry before anything is laid over it, wood flooring needs its time to adjust indoors, and a special-order product or a booked condo elevator can decide the start date. We work through the rooms in an order that keeps part of the home usable.

Knowing which rooms you want redone and what covers them now is enough to begin. Book a measuring visit; once we have looked at the subfloor wherever it can be reached, your free written estimate will show removal, levelling and installation as separate items.