Flooring installation and replacement in Toronto and the GTA

Which floors can be saved after water damage?

Laminate swells at the seams within hours and is always replaced. Carpet soaked by clean water can sometimes be dried, but the underpad is discarded, and anything touched by sewage is removed. Solid hardwood that has cupped can often be dried slowly and then sanded flat. Engineered hardwood usually delaminates and needs replacing. Porcelain tile generally survives, though the subfloor beneath it may not.

What is the best flooring for a basement?

Luxury vinyl plank is our most common basement recommendation. It is fully waterproof, comfortable underfoot, and if the basement ever takes on water it can often be lifted, dried and reinstalled. Porcelain tile is equally waterproof and works well with in-floor heating. We avoid solid hardwood and standard laminate below grade.

Before any basement floor goes down we test the slab for moisture. A slab that reads high needs a vapour barrier or an insulated subfloor panel system, or the source of the moisture needs to be fixed first.

What if only part of my floor was damaged?

When damaged flooring runs continuously into undamaged rooms and an exact match is no longer available, insurers will often pay to replace the whole continuous area so it looks uniform. We document the layout and product with photos so the adjuster can make that decision.