Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about flooring.
Hardwood will outperform and outlast any other flooring material without any additional care or attention. And, of course, nothing can compare to the elegant beauty of a hardwood floor.
Hardwood flooring can be installed almost anywhere in your home. Solid wood, such as site-finished and prefinished flooring, can be installed on or above ground while engineered and laminate flooring can be installed anywhere including basements. It is not recommended to install hardwood flooring in moisture prone areas of your home, such as the wet areas of a bathroom.
The price of hardwood floors can vary depending on what type and material grade you select. Since most hardwood floors last a lifetime, there is no question about their value.
It’s lasting beauty will be enjoyed by you for many years to come and the impact on future owners will be similar. In general, hardwood adds three times the purchase price of your new hardwood floor to the value of your home.
Consult a stain specialist that can custom blend a matching stain color to order. Most major paint stores and home centers offer custom mixing programs.
With sufficient impact or pressure, any hardwood can dent. We recommend using floor protectors on the feet of heavy furniture and area rugs in high traffic zones of the home to prevent dents and dings.
Sunlight exposure is the most probable cause, darkening or lightening the exposed area. Wood reacts to ambient light and ages over time. Some degree of color change will naturally occur. We recommend occasionally shifting furniture and area rugs to prevent noticeable shading in the floor.
Laminate has a trademarked locking system that hooks, snaps or clicks the tongue and groove together to lock the floor into place. The innovation of these locking systems has greatly simplified the installation process for laminate floors. These floors can be installed faster with no messy glue clean up, no pneumatic tools and are able to be used immediately.
While easier to install than most other flooring, unless you’re experienced and accustomed to working with your hands, you might want to leave this one to the professionals.
Install parallel to incoming light from any windows or if lighting is not a concern, parallel to the longest wall in the room.
Yes. Be sure to fully adhere the flooring to the stairs without using foam underlayment.
Specialized stores offer lines of coordinated trim and molding pieces for most floors. Choose from:
- Quarter round moldings: finishes the space where the laminate flooring meets the wall
- Multi-purpose reducer: provides a smooth transition from laminate flooring to another type of flooring of a lower height. Finishes the space where Laminate flooring ends against a vertical surface and where quarter round cannot be used.
- T-Molding: Used where the flooring continues through doorway or passageway into another room. Used in doorways or entryways, finishes the transition between two pieces of laminate flooring.
- Flush stair nose: finishes the flooring edge at staircases, step downs, and landings.
- Overlap step nose: used where the flooring meets a step down or landing.
They are easy to maintain with just a damp mop and a citrus cleaner, or water mixed with vinegar or ammonia.
It is possible to install a laminate floor over virtually any existing floor, except high-pile carpet.
Primarily composed of compressed wood chips, laminate flooring’s core board is susceptible to swelling when exposed to moisture. Thus, it is not recommended to install the product in bathrooms or washrooms where run ins with water are likely. Also laminate flooring requires expansion joints for most installations to prevent the floor from buckling due to natural reactions to the environment.
Ceramic tile flooring is an extremely durable, long lasting choice. It is often moisture, stain, and wear resistant and is very easy to clean and maintain. It is available in an array of colors, shapes, sizes, and designs and can be installed in almost any situation.
Tile flooring can be hot or cold to the touch depending on the temperature of the air. Also, glazed tile or tile flooring that is often wet can be slippery. Although it is stronger and more moisture resistant that some other flooring options, ceramic tile floors can crack, chip, or have other issues. It can also be more expensive and difficult for a self-installer to tackle.
When properly installed and maintained, ceramic tile floors can last a lifetime. Unglazed tile shows less wear than glazed tile and will last longer in high traffic areas. Porcelain tile is known to be the longest lasting.
Tile flooring is extremely versatile and can be installed in almost any situation above, below, or on grade. Many tile floors are frost, heat, and moisture resistant and can be installed outdoors for porches, pool decks, patios, and so on. Glazed tiles and wet tiles can become slippery and are not recommended in areas where this may be a problem. Ceramic tile is great in kitchens, entryways, or other areas that require a tough, durable surface. Refer to the PEI rating to find the best ceramic tile flooring for your situation.
- Divide the floor into rectangles.
- Measure the length and width of each individual rectangle.
- Multiply the length by the width of each individual rectangle.
- Add your total for each rectangle together to get the total square footage.
- Add an additional 5-10% (depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations) of the total square footage to cover the waste factor.
When properly installed and maintained, ceramic tile floors can last a lifetime. Unglazed tile shows less wear than glazed tile and will last longer in high traffic areas. Porcelain tile is known to be the longest lasting.
The primary cause of squeaky floors is subflooring that is moving due to inadequately-secured subflooring to the floor joists. When walking on a problematic floor, the up and down movement can cause squeaky flooring. There are ways to repair this problem if the problem can be located.
Subflooring is the fundamental layer(s) of plywood or OSB that lies between a home’s interior flooring and the floor joists. The interior or primary flooring may be wood, laminate, tile or carpet, but the subfloor is most often made of wood and is attached to floor joists beneath. If a gap occurs between the subfloor and the primary floor or the subfloor and floor joists, the floor will squeak when walked upon from the up and down movement.
At the moment we only accept cheques or cash.
Go back to the flooring dealer where the material was purchased. We do not have individual representatives to inspect your floor. You will need your sales receipt to show your proof of purchase. From your receipt, the flooring dealer should be able to identify the name and model number of your floor.
If you purchased your home through a builder, the builder should be able to provide you with the name of the flooring dealer where the material was purchased. Contact this dealer to file your claim.
