Subfloor and preparation
How flat does my floor need to be?
Floating and click floors need the substrate flat to within 3/16 of an inch over a 10-foot radius. Lay a long straightedge on the floor and look for daylight under it. More than that and the joints will work loose over time, which is the most common cause of a click floor failing early.
What does subfloor levelling cost?
Self-levelling compound runs about $2 to $4 per square foot and a plywood overlay about $2 to $3 per square foot. Which one you need depends on whether the problem is a dip in a slab or a wood subfloor that is too thin, so we decide it with a straightedge on the site visit.
Why do you test the concrete before quoting?
Because moisture coming up through a slab destroys adhesives and cups wood. The working limit is under 3 lbs per 1,000 square feet over 24 hours, measured with a calcium chloride test. A slab reading above that needs a barrier or a different floor, and both change the price.
My new condo slab looks dry. Can you install now?
Often not yet. New high-rise slabs in the GTA typically need 30 to 60 days of curing before a moisture test tells you anything useful. Installing before that is how a glue-down floor lets go six months later.
Condo flooring
What acoustic rating does my building require?
Most Toronto declarations set a minimum of IIC 55 and STC 55 for hard-surface flooring. Older buildings with thinner slabs often require IIC 60 or higher. Your status certificate and the building rules give the exact figure, and that figure decides the underlay.
What paperwork does the board want?
A third-party test certificate from an accredited lab, naming your exact flooring product and your exact underlay product, with results referencing ASTM E492 and E989 for IIC and ASTM E90 and E413 for STC. A manufacturer claiming good acoustic performance is not accepted.
What happens if the floor does not comply?
The condo corporation can require you to take it out and reinstall with compliant materials at your own expense. That is the reason the compliant underlay is worth paying for the first time.
Wood floors, wear and repair
Should I refinish or replace?
Refinish if the boards are solid, at least 3/4 inch, and still have wear layer above the tongue. At $4 to $8 per square foot it beats replacing at $10 to $18. Replace if the boards are thin engineered with a worn-through veneer, water damaged, or already sanded two or three times.
My floors gap every winter. Is something wrong?
Probably not. Wood flooring is built for 30 to 50 percent indoor relative humidity, and Toronto heating season runs well below that. Boards shrink, gaps open, and they close again in summer. A gap that never closes, or a board that has cupped or lifted, is a different issue and worth a look.
Can you match boards in an existing floor?
Usually. Species, width, grade and cut all have to line up, and the new wood will not have the colour the old floor has taken on. Where the repair is large or very visible, sanding and refinishing the whole run afterwards is what makes the patch disappear.
Can I put hardwood over a heated floor?
Yes, within limits. The surface must stay under 85F, which rules out some species and thicknesses. Engineered is the safer choice over heat because it moves less across the grain than solid.
Cost, timing and terms
Why are your quotes itemized?
Removal, preparation, material, labour, trim and disposal all move independently. Splitting them shows you where the money goes and lets you cut scope deliberately instead of negotiating a single blended number.
Do you guarantee the work?
Any workmanship warranty is set out in your written quote, job by job. Scope, substrate condition and the product chosen all affect what can honestly be warranted, so we write it for the specific job rather than publishing a blanket promise.
Is the quote free?
Yes. The site visit, the measurements and the written quote cost nothing and carry no obligation.