Hardwood Floor Installation in Rochester, NY

Hardwood floor installation is the job for rooms that never had wood, for floors too thin or damaged to sand again, and for kitchens and additions that need to tie into existing oak. We install solid hardwood, nailed down over a wood subfloor, in species like red oak, white oak, maple and hickory, either unfinished and finished on site or prefinished from the factory.

Start with the subfloor

Solid strip flooring wants a flat, stiff, dry wood subfloor. In older Rochester houses that may be diagonal boards from the original construction; in newer ones, plywood or OSB. We check for soft spots, squeaks, high or low areas and moisture. Fixr notes that some jobs need a new 3/4-inch plywood subfloor, and that reinforcing or replacing joists runs about $30 to $60 per square foot where it is needed. We find that out at the estimate, not halfway through the job.

Acclimation and moisture

Wood moves with humidity, and a Rochester house can swing from very dry winter heat to damp summer air. The National Wood Flooring Association's guidance, as reported by Hardwood Floors magazine, is to run the house at 60 to 80°F and 30 to 50 percent relative humidity before and during installation, and to keep the subfloor and the flooring within 4 percent moisture content of each other. We take readings on both and do not install until they are in range.

Finished on site or prefinished

Unfinished flooring is sanded flat and finished after it is laid, so the boards end up with tight, square edges and you can choose any stain. It takes longer and involves sanding dust. Prefinished flooring comes with a factory finish and small beveled edges, goes in faster and can be walked on right away, but the color is fixed. When new wood has to blend into an old oak floor, site finishing is almost always the way to make the two look like one floor.

Basements and slabs

Solid hardwood is a poor choice below grade or directly on a concrete slab, where moisture from the ground can cup or buckle the boards. For those rooms we look at engineered hardwood instead, which is built to be more stable.

Removing what is there

Carpet over plywood comes up easily; Fixr lists carpet removal at about $0.25 to $0.75 per square foot and tile at $1.50 to $3.25. Old resilient flooring and its adhesive can contain asbestos in older homes, and we do not tear that out without knowing what it is. If we suspect it, we tell you to have it tested first.