Flooring Services

Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring comes from a solid piece of milled wood and contains solid wood all throughout. Popular hardwood varieties include maple, oak, walnut or cherry. Its versatility and quality make it a desirable flooring option for many home buyers. However, it’s one of the more expensive flooring materials on the market and does take regular maintenance, such as using a specialty hardwood floor cleaner once a month and applying a fresh coat of finish every three to five years, to keep them looking great.

• Increases home value
• Can be refinished multiple times
• Many options available
• Strong and durable

• Expensive
• Can incur scrapes, scratches and dents in high-traffic areas
• Susceptible to moisture damage
• Not suitable for bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements

Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring offers the look of real wood at a more affordable price than solid wood. The floor features a thin layer of hardwood bonded over a high-quality plywood substrate. It’s as durable as solid hardwood flooring and can last as long with proper care.

• Has real hardwood top layer
• Greater resistance to moisture and water than real wood
• Less likely to warp
• Multiple installation methods

• Can’t be refinished more than once
• Not fade-resistant
• Wide variation in quality
• Can sound hollow underfoot

Laminate Flooring

Laminate is an affordable flooring option for homeowners who prefer an alternative to carpet but want to avoid the cost of hardwood or tiles. The floors consist of a particleboard wood base topped by wood or tile photo beneath a clear plastic protective layer.

• Inexpensive compared to wood
• Easy to clean
• Scratch-resistant
• Many styles and colors available

• Susceptible to moisture damage
• Chips easily
• Does not look and feel like wood
• Has a hollow sound underfoot

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is extremely water-resistant and won’t sustain damage even if water sits on the surface for an extended amount of time. Composed of plastic, it’s available in plank, tile and sheet form. Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) are two forms that have gained popularity recently because of their durability and variety of styles available.

• Good for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements
• Water- and fade-resistant
• Many design choices available
• Easy to maintain

• LVP and LVT is more expensive than laminate
• Lower ROI than wood

Tile Flooring

Tile flooring is a popular choice for moisture-prone areas like bathrooms and kitchens. The most common tile materials are ceramic or porcelain. Tile is water-resistant, durable and comes in a variety of styles and colors. The installation cost varies depending on the material; for instance, glazed ceramic is less expensive than porcelain tile.

• Waterproof
• Durable
• Long-lasting

• Expensive
• Hard to install
• Lot of prep work is needed before installation
• Cold and slippery

Stone Flooring

Natural stone, such as granite, marble, travertine and sandstone, are popular flooring choices for both indoor and outdoor spaces. Like ceramic and porcelain, stone is extremely durable and waterproof. The stone’s finish determines the amount of care needed to maintain the floor. However, stone offers natural beauty and quality that is unparalleled by most types of flooring.

• Bold and elegant
• Long-lasting
• Waterproof

• Expensive
• Hard to install
• Lot of prep work is needed before installation
• Cold and slippery
• Difficult to maintain

Linoleum Flooring

Linoleum is a durable, eco-friendly flooring option made from linseed oil and cork. Linoleum flooring is affordable and easy to install. The flooring comes in sheet form and in a variety of colors and styles. It is resilient (made with elastic materials) and can last for decades if cared for properly. Linoleum is gaining in popularity as flooring manufacturers offer more modern colors and styles.

• Inexpensive
• Eco-friendly
• Available in a variety of colors and patterns
• Requires little maintenance

• Does not increase home value
• Easily dented or cut
• May darken or turn yellowish when exposed to sunlight
• Not suitable for moisture prone-areas

Carpet Flooring

Carpet is a favorite flooring option for homeowners, especially in bedrooms. It comes in a variety of colors, materials and textures. Carpet technology has improved over the years, and modern carpets have stain-resistant qualities. It’s also the most cost-effective flooring option on the market.

• Soft and warm on feet
• Visually warms up the space
• Multiple colors, materials and designs available
• Great for soundproofing
• Stain-resistant varieties exist

• Hard to clean
• Can stain
• Shows wear pattern
• Not suitable for allergy sufferers

Cork Flooring

Cork flooring is made from the bark of the cork oak tree. The bark is harvested every 9-12 years without harming the tree and then processed into tiles or planks for flooring. Cork flooring has a distinctive look and texture with a warm, natural appearance.

• Naturally resistant to water, mould, and mildew
• Soundproof
• Good insulator
• Eco-friendly and biodegradable
• Great for asthma or allergy sufferers

• Susceptible to water damage
• Susceptible to fading and discolouration
• Expensive
• Vulnerable to scratches and dents

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring is made from the bamboo plant. It is a renewable and sustainable material that is becoming increasingly popular as an eco-friendly flooring option. Bamboo is actually a grass, not wood but it has similar properties to hardwood and is often used as a hardwood flooring alternative. Bamboo flooring is available in two main types: solid and engineered. Solid bamboo flooring is made from solid pieces of bamboo that have been cut into planks, while engineered bamboo flooring is made from a thin layer of bamboo that is glued onto a backing material. Bamboo flooring is available in a range of colours and finishes and can be stained to achieve a variety of looks.

• Eco-friendly
• Durable
• Unique appearance
• Low cost

• Vulnerable to moisture
• Susceptible to scratches and denting

• Q: What is hardwood flooring?

  Hardwood flooring is any flooring product made of real wood sawn from timber and manufactured for use as a floor. Hardwood is available in a wide variety of different tree species and can be manufactured as solid hardwood (the planks consist of one solid piece of wood sawn from a single timber) or as engineered hardwood (a planks are made from multiple layers of wood adhered together). Hardwood flooring can come in planks, strips, parquet patterns and other shapes. Generally hardwood products come prefinished from the factory with stain and a wear layer to protect it, but in some cases the wood is installed without a factory finish and the finish is applied onsite. Some hardwood floors can be sanded or screened and refinished overtime to return a more pristine look and feel, however this process can be expensive, time consuming and messing. As a result the practice of sanding/screening and refinishing is becoming less common as consumers more often opt to replace older and worn out hardwood floors with entirely new ones. Hardwood floors typically feature a tongue and groove construction so that the planks lock together. Hardwood floors are often nailed or stapled into the subfloor for installation. In some cases engineered wood may be glued to the subfloor. Before installing any hardwood floor a moisture test must be done to ensure the moisture rising from the subfloor does not warp or damage the floor after installation.

• Q: How long do hardwood floors need to acclimate?

  Most manufacturers recommend that any hardwood product be acclimated in the space that it will be installed for no less than 72 hours. It is also important to arrange the hardwood boxes for acclimation in a way that would give equal airflow to all of the boxes, ensuring each box of wood gets the same level of acclimation. Generally stacking the boxes no more than 4 high and with at least 6” of space around all sides will suffice.

• Q: Can I steam clean hardwood floors?

  No, you should not steam clean hardwood floors. Cleaning your hardwood floors with a steam cleaner or with excess moisture will damage your floors and cause them to warp. In many cases using a steam cleaner on your floors will void their warranty. Always consult the warranty guide for your floor before using any cleaning products. Some steam cleaner manufacturers may boast that their products are safe to use on hardwood floors (with the disclaimer that the floors must be properly sealed) but both the Wood Floor Covering Association and the National Wood Floor Covering Association do not recommend using steam cleaning products on hardwood. There are also no major hardwood floor manufacturers that recommend using steam cleaners on hardwood floors. Refer to the manufacturer of your floor or to your local Flooring America/Flooring Canada for other cleaning options that would be appropriate for your floor.

• Q: How do I protect my hardwood floors from furniture scratches?

  Hardwood floors are naturally resistant to damage and scratches from furniture, which is one of the factors that has contributed to their enduring popularity. Nonetheless, there are steps you can (and should) take to help prevent furniture scratches. For example, you can purchase small felt pads, which are placed on the ends of chair and table legs, to help furniture glide more easily over your floors. You might also consider using an area rug, which offers cushioning and protection while still leaving most of your gorgeous hardwood flooring exposed.

• Q: What can I use to clean my hardwood floors?

  Hardwood floors are easy to clean, but there are still some basic rules you should follow to keep them looking their best. Based on many years of experience in the flooring industry, we generally recommend that you do a quick daily sweep with a soft bristle broom. This will remove any fine particles of dirt or grit that could otherwise wear down your flooring over time. For spills, we recommend using a soft cloth to wipe the soiled area. Together with the cloth, we recommend using a cleaning product designed for use on hardwood floors, such as our recommended floor care product, Resista Hardwood Floor Cleaner, to avoid further discoloration or damage. As an extra protective measure, you might wish to consider using humidifiers, which help to prevent warping and shrinkage.

• Q: How to select hardwood flooring?

  When you’re choosing hardwood flooring for your home, you have quite a few decisions to make. Engineered, or solid hardwood? Hand-scraped, smooth, or wire-brushed? Stained or unstained? Prominent grain pattern, or one that’s barely noticeable? Creamy yellow, deep mahogany, or somewhere in between? We’ll help you select the right products for any room in your home, breaking down key factors like your budget, your timeline, your design preferences, your lifestyle, and the amount of flooring you need installed.

• Q: How is laminate flooring made?

  Laminate flooring is made of multiple layers adhered together and heated in factory settings. Most laminate flooring consists of 4 layers: the backing layer, the core layer, the image layer, and the wear layer. The backing can vary depending on the product but is often made of melamine, cork, felt or another soft product to allow the laminate to sit comfortably on the floor. The core layer is typically comprised of recycled wood fibers tightly compressed into a dense wood-like core, sometimes referred to as a high-density fiber (HDF) core. The image layer is where the desired look (e.g. wood, stone) is printed onto the product and texture is added through a process called ‘embossing’ to make it feel similar to the material it is made to look like. The wear layer is a clear protective layer manufactured on top of the image layer. The wear layer is often made from aluminum oxide and designed to prevent the floor from scratching or showing excessive wear over time. Higher quality laminate products often boast an extra resilient wear layer that makes the product scratch, dent and fade resistant.

• Q: Is laminate flooring waterproof?

  In some cases yes, but not always. Some laminate products on the market that advertise themselves as waterproof but typically laminate floors are not. With more common laminate water can cause major damage, especially if the water soaks into the wood pulp core causing it to expand and damage the rest of the plank and those planks around it. There are many waterproof vinyl plank alternatives to laminate that will perform similar or better than laminate, and resist water damage, at a similar price point.

• Q: Why is my new carpet shedding?

  The balls of fluff, or loose fibers, found on carpet or in the vacuum cleaner bag are the normal result of fiber left in the carpet from the manufacturing process. Removing these loose fibers does not affect carpet life or appearance. Because of their large size, these fibers are too big to become airborne or to be breathed in. With proper vacuuming and using a quality vacuum cleaner, most shedding gradually disappears within the first year after installation.

• Q: What can I do about static shock?

  When a room’s relative humidity is very low, a static charge can build up in your carpet as you walk across it. If this occurs, a humidifier or other commercially available products can help.

• Q: How can I avoid permanent indentations?

  Your carpet pile may compress due to heavy foot traffic or weight of furniture. Rotating furniture may help reduce indentations. You can work the pile back into place with the edge of a coin. Sometimes, passing a hot steam iron over the spot can also help, but keep the iron at least four inches above the carpet.

• Q: What vacuum should I use on low pile and high pile carpet?

  Some high-tech vacuums can cost close to a thousand dollars (or more). Fortunately, you don’t need fancy bells and whistles to keep your low pile or high pile carpet looking great — just a few basic features. Look for a lightweight vacuum with wide, sturdy wheels. These features will allow you to maneuver the vacuum more easily. Ideally, we recommend using a model with adjustable height and motor speeds, though brush roll control is optional. Most vacuums have adjustable settings (such as “high” and “low”) that are designed for use on different floor or carpet types.

• Q: How do I keep carpet clean?

  Regardless of what sort of carpet you have, the best way to keep it clean is by following the manufacturer’s recommendations. These recommendations vary by brand and product line, depending on factors like the “pile” (height) of the carpet and what materials the carpet is made out of. If you have questions about how to keep your new carpets clean, just ask our knowledgeable flooring experts for tips.

• Q: Which tiles are best for flooring?

  The answer to this question all depends on you: your personal tastes and aesthetic style, your lifestyle, which room you’re re-flooring, and the environment where you live. For example, ceramic tiles might be ideal for a bathroom or humid environment because they are highly resistant to moisture. No matter what you have in mind, the experts at Flooring America can help you find competitive prices on gorgeous products that fit your needs, your budget, and your sense of style.

• Q: What is the best way to clean tile floors and grout?

  With their even, easy-to-wipe-down surfaces, tile floors are a snap to keep clean. Daily sweeping or vacuuming, combined with weekly or biweekly mopping, should be enough to keep your tile floors looking shiny and bright. Grout, which is the material between tiles, should be cleaned with a hot, soapy solution to soften any packed-in dirt or grime. Using a stiff brush on the grout will help to dislodge and remove any remaining debris. For best results, always refer to the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. The manufacturer’s guidelines will explain exactly what to do and which products to use — plus, the products you should avoid using.

• Q: Can you stain or refinish porcelain tile?

  You already knew that hardwood floors could be stained or refinished. But did you know you the same techniques could also be used to customize the look of porcelain tile flooring? While the process is different, the end result is the same: a richer color, and a glossier surface. But be warned: staining and refinishing is a complicated, difficult project, especially when working with a material like porcelain. For lasting, quality results without any stress or mess, ask a professional flooring installation team for help.

• Q: What is the tile installation process?

  Installing tile can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, particularly for homeowners who have never done it before. Not only are they heavy and hard to move, tiles also require painstaking, meticulous alignment, plus extensive treatment with various glazes and adhesives. Even tiny mistakes can add up to less-than-dazzling results — which is the last thing you want from any home makeover. Get the job done right by hiring our experienced flooring installers who take the stress and effort out of the process. With our flooring installation team handling your project, you can feel confident about the results.