Hardwood flooring installers in Oxford County

Solid or engineered?

Solid hardwood is one piece of wood all the way through. It can be sanded and refinished many times over its life, and it's the traditional choice for main floors and bedrooms. It moves with humidity, so it isn't recommended below grade. Engineered hardwood has a real wood top layer over a stable plywood core. It moves less with Ontario's dry winters and humid summers, can go over concrete and in-floor heating, and is often the better choice for basements and condos. Thicker wear layers can be refinished a few times.

What's involved

• Removing the old floor, carpet, tack strip and underpad, or old vinyl
• Checking and fixing the subfloor: screwing down squeaks, levelling dips, replacing soft spots
• Acclimatizing the wood in the house before installation
• Installing, nailed down, glued or floated depending on the floor and what's under it
• Trim and transitions: baseboards or quarter round, thresholds and stair nosings

Stairs

Replacing carpeted stairs with hardwood treads and painted risers is one of the most popular upgrades. It's careful, time-consuming work, so stairs are usually priced per step.

Humidity

Hardwood shrinks in dry winters and swells in humid summers. Small gaps in January are normal. Keeping indoor humidity steady, around 35 to 50 percent, with a humidifier in winter keeps hardwood happiest.