Flooring we install
- Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) — the default here, and for good reason
- Laminate — click-lock, budget-friendly, dry areas
- Engineered hardwood — floating or glue-down
- Solid hardwood — nail-down, where the build allows it
- Tile — porcelain, ceramic, natural stone
- Sheet vinyl — laundries, mudrooms
- Subfloor repair and levelling before anything goes down
- Demolition and removal of the old floor
- Baseboard, quarter-round and transitions
A level subfloor is the whole job. Squeaks, bounce, gaps and lifted seams almost always trace back to a slab or subfloor nobody levelled first. We check with a laser level and self-level the low spots before a single plank is laid.
What flooring has to survive in Florida
Moisture comes up through the slab. This is the one that catches people out. A concrete slab holds and releases moisture, and a floor glued or laid over a slab that is still giving off vapour will cup, lift at the seams or grow a smell. On a slab we check moisture before committing to a product, and where it is needed we use the right underlayment or a moisture barrier rather than hoping.
Humidity swings in a closed-up house. A snowbird home sits for months with the AC set high and the humidity climbing. Solid hardwood hates that — it moves, and gaps open over a season. Engineered and LVP handle it far better, which is why we steer most seasonal homes away from solid wood regardless of budget.
Tile sounds and feels different here. On a slab there is nothing to absorb sound, so a large tiled room echoes. It is not a defect, but it surprises people, and it is worth knowing before you tile an open-plan living area.
Lanais and anything that sees water. Only some products belong in a lanai or a Florida room. We will tell you what will hold up out there and what will not, rather than installing something indoor-rated and calling it your problem later.
Choosing between them
LVP — waterproof, forgiving over an imperfect slab, comfortable to stand on, and good-looking now in a way it was not ten years ago. For most homes here this is the right answer.
Tile — the most durable thing you can put down and the coolest underfoot, which matters in August. Harder on the legs and on anything you drop. Best in wet areas and entries.
Engineered hardwood — real wood surface with far more stability than solid. The option when you want wood in a Florida house.
Laminate — the budget choice for dry rooms. Keep it away from bathrooms and anywhere a leak could sit.
Solid hardwood — beautiful, and the least forgiving of this climate. We will install it where it makes sense and tell you when it does not.
Pricing (labour only, materials extra)
LVP: $3/sqft
Laminate: $2.50/sqft
Engineered hardwood: $3.75/sqft
Solid hardwood nail-down: $4.50/sqft
Tile (standard 12×24 or similar): $9/sqft
Demo old flooring: $2/sqft
Self-levelling compound: $2.50/sqft
What moves these: how flat the slab is, how much demo there is, tile size and pattern (herringbone and large-format cost more to set), and how many transitions and thresholds the layout needs.
How long it takes
- One room of LVP or laminate: one day
- Whole-house LVP, average three-bedroom: three to five days
- Tile, one bathroom: two to three days including setting and grouting time
- Tile, open living area: four to seven days
- Add a day or more if the slab needs levelling, and levelling compound needs its own cure time
FAQ
Which flooring is best for a Florida kitchen?
LVP for most people — waterproof, comfortable underfoot and forgiving over a slab. Tile is the most durable option if you do not mind it being harder and cooler.
Can new flooring go over the old floor?
Sometimes, for LVP and laminate, but only if what is underneath is level, sound and dry. Old vinyl or tile that is lifting or hollow is better taken out — covering it just moves the problem up a layer.
Do you have to level the slab first?
If it is out of level, yes. It is the difference between a floor that stays tight and one that gaps and clicks within a year. We check it with a laser level rather than by eye.
Is solid hardwood a bad idea in Florida?
Not bad, but less forgiving. In a home that sits closed up for part of the year, solid wood moves with the humidity and gaps open. Engineered gives you the same surface with far less of that.
What about moisture coming up through the concrete?
It is real and it is the most common cause of a failed floor here. We check slab moisture before committing to a product and use the right barrier or underlayment where it is needed.
Do I need to move the furniture?
Ideally yes. If that is difficult we can move it for a small extra charge — just tell us at the walk-through so it is in the estimate.
Do you replace the baseboards too?
We install baseboard, quarter-round and transitions as part of the job. If you want the existing baseboard kept, we work to it — say so early, because it changes how the floor meets the wall.
Can you do a lanai or Florida room?
Yes, with a product rated for it. Not everything that works indoors belongs out there, and we will say which is which.