Flooring installation, chosen room by room
We supply and install luxury vinyl plank, engineered wood, solid hardwood, laminate and tile in homes across the north and northwest Chicago suburbs. The room decides the material, and the floor underneath decides how long it lasts.
Kitchen
Luxury vinyl plank
Spills, a dishwasher that may leak one day, and heavy traffic. LVP takes water on its surface and still looks like wood.
Basement
LVP or tile
Concrete lets moisture up even when the room feels dry. Neither of these minds it.
Main floor
Solid hardwood
It can be sanded and refinished, and buyers look for it in living and dining rooms.
Bathroom and entry
Tile
Wet boots, a shower, salt from the driveway in January. Tile is the floor that shrugs that off.
Bedrooms
Engineered wood or laminate
Real wood that copes with humidity swings, or a lower-cost floor where the wear is light.
Three checks we make before any floor goes down
Hollow spots, squeaks, gaps between planks and cracked tile usually start under the floor, not in it. A manufacturer will not cover them, because they are not a product defect. So the subfloor gets checked and prepared first, and that prep is part of the job, not an extra on the bill.
Is it flat?
We lay a long straightedge across the room and look for the gaps under it. Each product has a flatness limit printed in its installation instructions.
If not: high spots are ground or sanded down, low spots are filled with leveling compound, and only then does the floor go in.
Is it dry?
Wood subfloors and concrete slabs are moisture-tested. Wood flooring laid on a damp base cups and gaps, and adhesives let go.
If not: we find where the water comes from first, then put down the moisture barrier or underlayment the product calls for.
Is it solid?
We walk the room and press on soft spots, especially near the tub, the toilet, the dishwasher and exterior doors.
If not: the damaged sheathing is cut out and replaced, so the new floor sits on wood that does not move.
Can you put new flooring over the old floor?
Sometimes. Some vinyl plank and laminate can float over an existing floor that is sound and flat. Every flaw in the old floor shows through the new one, and an install that ignores the manufacturer's rules usually voids its warranty. We tell you which row you are in before we quote.
| What is down now | What we usually do |
|---|---|
| Carpet, pad and tack strip | Comes outNothing hard goes over carpet. It is pulled, hauled away, and the subfloor under it is checked. |
| Sheet vinyl or old tile, flat and well stuck | Can stayA floating LVP or laminate floor can often go over it, if the extra height works at doors and transitions. |
| Old floor that is uneven, loose or cracked | Comes outThe unevenness would telegraph through the new floor, so it is removed and the base is leveled. |
| Any floor that is damp or has been wet | Comes outMoisture trapped under a new floor stays there. We remove it and look at what is underneath. |
| Solid hardwood that is worn but sound | Ask firstIt may only need refinishing. If you want a new floor anyway, we talk through height and transitions. |
What flooring works in a basement?
Luxury vinyl plank or tile. A slab moves moisture up through the concrete even when the basement feels dry, so we moisture-test it first and install the barrier the product needs.
Goes down on a slab
- Luxury vinyl plank over the right underlayment
- Porcelain or ceramic tile set on the slab
- A moisture barrier matched to the test result
Stays upstairs
- Solid hardwood, which swells and gaps with slab moisture
- Standard laminate, whose wood-fiber core does not like water
- Any floor over a slab that is visibly wet before the cause is fixed
If the slab shows real water rather than ordinary dampness, that has to be dealt with before any floor. Putting a new floor over it only hides the problem until the next heavy rain.
Can you replace flooring damaged by water?
Yes. A dishwasher line, a toilet, a roof leak or a backed-up drain all end at the floor. Here is the order the work goes in.
- Pull the wet floorThe damaged flooring and underlayment come out, so the subfloor can be seen and checked.
- Check the subfloorThis is the step most often skipped. Soft or stained sheathing under a wet floor is the reason new floors fail.
- Repair what took waterDamaged sheathing is cut out and replaced. Where the leak reached walls or the ceiling below, we write that into the scope too.
- Install and finishThe new floor goes in with its transitions, thresholds and baseboards back on.
If the damage is part of an insurance claim, the carrier decides what it covers. Our part is documenting the damage, writing the repair estimate and building it. Read more on storm and insurance work.
What the written price covers
We measure, bring samples and give you an installed price in writing. These are the things it already includes, and the few we settle with you before the day.
In the installed price
- Tear-out and disposal of the old floor, including carpet, pad and tack strip
- Subfloor inspection, moisture testing, leveling and repair of damaged sheathing
- Underlayment and moisture barrier matched to the material and the room
- Installation with the expansion gaps the product needs, the detail that stops buckling
- Transitions, thresholds, shoe molding and reinstalled baseboards
- Moving standard furniture, and a clean room you can move it back into
Agreed in advance
- Pianos, large aquariums, safes and other very heavy or fragile pieces
- Stairs, and floors that run into rooms we are not redoing
- Rooms that connect to a kitchen, bathroom or repair we are doing at the same time
Questions people ask before a flooring job
Which flooring is best for a Chicago home?
For most rooms luxury vinyl plank is the safest all-round choice, because it is waterproof on the surface and hard-wearing. Solid hardwood still suits main living areas best, engineered wood copes better with humidity swings, and tile is the answer for wet rooms and entries.
Do you move the furniture?
Yes, standard furniture is moved as part of the job. Very heavy or fragile items such as pianos, large aquariums and safes are agreed in advance, so nothing gets damaged and nothing holds up the schedule on the day.
Why does the subfloor matter if the new floor is good?
A floor is only as flat, quiet and durable as what it sits on. An uneven or damp subfloor gives hollow spots, squeaks, gapping planks and cracked tile, and none of that counts as a product defect, so no flooring warranty covers it.
Get the rooms measured
We come out, measure, check the subfloor, bring samples and leave you a written installed price. Call (866) 992-2982 during business hours, or pick a time online.
Related services
Want this looked at?
We inspect for free, document what we find and prepare a code-compliant estimate you can hand to your insurer. Our partner, a licensed public adjuster, State Adjusting Services, can represent you on the claim.
Call (866) 992-2982. Free Inspection