What's Included in a Parkside Flooring Project
A flooring install is rarely just laying down planks. Most of the work happens under the surface and at the edges. Our flooring projects include: removing the existing flooring (and disposing of it); inspecting the subfloor for damage, level, and squeaks; repairing or replacing damaged subfloor sections; flattening high spots and self-leveling low spots to within manufacturer tolerance (typically 3/16" over 10 feet for hardwood); installing the appropriate underlayment or moisture barrier; running the actual install in the proper pattern with consistent gap and end-joint stagger; trimming around obstacles; finishing with quarter-round, transitions, and reducers; and door undercutting where required.
The single most-skipped step on bad flooring jobs in Calgary is subfloor flattening. A 5/16" hump in the subfloor will telegraph through engineered hardwood within a year, visible as gaps at the seams, audible as squeaks underfoot. We measure the subfloor with a 6-foot straightedge, mark the high and low spots, and address them before any plank goes down.
Common Flooring Projects We Handle
- Main floor engineered hardwood. Most-requested project. 1,000 to 1,800 sq ft of 5" to 7" wide engineered, often in white oak, with full subfloor prep and trim transitions to existing tile or carpet.
- Whole-house repaint and reflooring. Replacing carpet and 1990s tile with continuous engineered hardwood across the entire main and upper floors. Coordinated with paint so the schedule overlaps and total disruption is shortest.
- Basement LVP install. Calgary basements with moisture exposure or concrete slab subfloors are well-suited to LVP. We install with a vapour barrier, click-lock or glue-down depending on subfloor condition, and proper expansion gaps at every wall.
- Hardwood refinishing. Sanding, staining, and finishing existing solid hardwood. Most appropriate for floors with at least 1/4" of wear layer remaining. We use water-based finishes (Bona Traffic HD or similar) which dry faster, smell less, and yellow less than oil-based.
- Stair runner or full stair re-clad. Replacing carpeted stairs with hardwood treads and risers, or installing a runner over existing hardwood. Either is a 3 to 5 day project that dramatically changes how the home feels.
- Mudroom or kitchen tile. Where wet floors meet dry (entryways, mudrooms, kitchens) we often recommend tile rather than wood. We install large-format porcelain that visually integrates with the adjacent hardwood at a clean transition strip.
Why Calgary Climate Matters for Flooring
Calgary's relative humidity swings from below 20% in mid-winter to 60%+ in summer. Solid hardwood reacts to that with measurable seasonal movement: gaps in winter, tightness in summer. This is why we lean toward engineered hardwood for most projects: the cross-ply construction is dimensionally more stable, gaps less in winter, and is more forgiving of basement-or-slab installations. We acclimatize every wood floor product on site for at least five days before install, in the conditions where it will live, so seasonal movement starts from a representative baseline.
Service Area
Calgary (all quadrants), Okotoks, Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, High River, Heritage Pointe, De Winton, Priddis, Bragg Creek, Strathmore, Black Diamond, and Turner Valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hardwood, engineered, or luxury vinyl plank: what's right for a Calgary home?
Engineered hardwood is the most-installed material in our renovations because it handles Calgary humidity swings better than solid hardwood and looks identical. Solid hardwood is still our recommendation for traditional homes, custom widths, and forever-floors that you plan to refinish multiple times. Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is excellent for basements, mudrooms, and rentals where moisture and durability matter more than authenticity. We rarely recommend laminate anymore; LVP has caught up and surpassed it on every metric except absolute price.
Can you install hardwood over a concrete slab?
Engineered hardwood, yes, typically with a moisture barrier and either floating-floor or glue-down installation. Solid hardwood over concrete is not recommended in Calgary because slab moisture and basement humidity will cup, gap, or buckle the floor over time. For a basement, engineered or LVP is the right call.
Do you do dustless sanding for hardwood refinishing?
Yes. We use Festool and Bona dust-collection systems for refinishing. The job is not literally dustless (there is always some fine particulate) but it is dramatically cleaner than traditional sanding, and the air quality difference matters in Calgary homes where the HVAC will redistribute any settled dust for weeks otherwise.
What about radiant heat under hardwood?
Engineered hardwood is compatible with hydronic radiant heat as long as the floor is heated gradually, the surface temperature is kept below 27°C, and the manufacturer specifically approves the product for radiant. We will check those specs against the product you are considering before install. Solid hardwood is generally not recommended over radiant heat because the seasonal movement is too aggressive.
How long does flooring installation take?
A 1,500 sq ft engineered hardwood install typically runs 3 to 5 days including subfloor prep. LVP is faster: 2 to 4 days. Tile floors take longer because of substrate prep, waterproofing, and grout cure (5 to 8 days for a large area). Solid hardwood with site-finishing adds another 4 to 7 days for sanding, staining, and three coats of finish with cure time between each.
What's the typical cost?
Installation labour for engineered hardwood is typically $4-7/sq ft, plus material at $5-12/sq ft for mid-range product. LVP installs around $3-5/sq ft labour plus $3-7/sq ft material. Solid hardwood with site-finishing is $9-15/sq ft labour and finishing, plus material. Subfloor prep, demolition of existing flooring, and trim transitions are quoted as separate line items so the price is clear.
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Complete kitchen remodels including cabinetry, countertops, backsplashes, and layout redesign.
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Luxury bathroom renovations with custom tiling, fixtures, vanities, and finishes.
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Full basement finishing: framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, and finishing carpentry.
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