Flooring & Tile Installation
Herringbone and chevron engineered oak, stone inlay borders, and large-format porcelain. Most flooring problems are subfloor problems, so the part of this job that decides whether it lasts happens before any finished material comes out of the box.
Free on-site assessment. Written quote, no pressure.
What is included
- Subfloor assessed for deflection, moisture and flatness before anything is ordered
- Self-levelling compound where the substrate needs it, not just more adhesive
- Herringbone and chevron layouts set out from a centreline so cuts land evenly at both walls
- Stone and porcelain inlay borders cut and fitted into hardwood runs
- Large-format porcelain over uncoupling membrane so seasonal movement does not crack tile
- Transitions and thresholds detailed, not covered with a strip of trim
- Acclimatisation period respected before installation, which is where most cupping comes from
- Existing floor removal, disposal and dust containment included
How the job runs
- 1
Subfloor assessment
We check flatness, deflection and moisture content. In older Durham houses this is where the surprises are.
- 2
Layout set-out
Pattern floors get a centreline and a dry run. Herringbone set out from the wrong point leaves a sliver cut down one side of the room.
- 3
Preparation
Levelling compound, membrane or underlay as the substrate requires. Material acclimatises on site during this stage.
- 4
Installation and finishing
Floor laid, borders and inlays cut in, transitions and trim detailed, then a full clean.
Flooring & Tile across the GTA
We take flooring & tile jobs in all nine cities below. Each page covers that municipality's permit process and the housing stock we work on there.
Other services
Flooring & Tile work we have finished
Real jobs, photographed on site. No stock photography.
Flooring & Tile questions
Why does herringbone cost more than plank flooring?
Roughly double the labour for the same square footage. Every board is cut at an angle, the set-out has to be exact or the pattern drifts visibly across the room, and waste runs higher because of the angled cuts. The material itself is often the same price per square foot. You are paying for the layout and the cutting.
Can you install large-format porcelain over an existing floor?
Sometimes, but it is usually the wrong call. Large-format tile is unforgiving about flatness, and going over an existing floor means inheriting whatever is wrong underneath plus adding height at every doorway. We would rather take it up, see the subfloor and start from a known condition.
What causes hardwood to cup or gap after installation?
Moisture, almost always. Either the material was not acclimatised to the house before it went down, or the subfloor moisture content was too high, or the humidity in the house swings hard between seasons. We measure subfloor moisture before installing and we will tell you if a floor is not ready, even when that means pushing the date.
Do you do stone inlay borders in hardwood?
Yes, and it is one of the details that changes how a floor reads. A dark marble or porcelain border set into a chevron oak field defines a room without a wall. It needs the two materials to finish at exactly the same height, which means the substrate build-up under each is planned separately.
Need flooring & tile in the GTA?
Free on-site assessment, a written quote, and no pressure. Call us or send your details and we will get back to you within one business hour.