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Flooring Installation FAQs


Flooring Contractor FAQs

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There’s no better way to freshen up your space and add value to your home. But before you update your flooring, there are many choices to make. We’ve rounded up some flooring contractor FAQs in to help you with your decision-making process. If you want more information, check out our web pages dedicated to different kinds of flooring.

No matter the flooring you choose, you can trust the qualified contractors hired by Footprints Floors to do the job right.

FAQs

The first thing to figure out when updating your flooring is what flooring is right for the space. For a bathroom or kitchen where there will be lots of moisture and potentially water on the floor, something like tile or vinyl flooring is ideal because it’s durable and water-resistant. Hardwood flooring is a classic choice for other areas of your home, but you still need to choose between solid or engineered hardwood. Consider the upkeep of different flooring and the wear — do you have young kids or pets? Does the room receive much sun? Answer these questions first to help you decide the kind of flooring that will suit your needs.

It depends! Laminate and vinyl flooring can be installed directly over existing flooring, and solid hardwood can be glued directly onto concrete. Consider factors like the age and condition of your existing flooring and whether it will serve as a sturdy base for new flooring.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not difficult to care for wood flooring. You can simply vacuum hardwood floors to remove grit and debris and use a damp cloth or mop to wipe away dust. To reduce potential scratches, ensure footwear (i.e., heels) has proper plastic caps to prevent scratches, or ask guests to remove their shoes. As a bonus, you can switch up the look of your hardwood floors at any time through staining or refinishing.

You probably bumped into three terms when looking up hardwood flooring online: "painting," "staining," and "refinishing." "Painting" is obvious, but what about the others? A wood stain, usually applied by hand, is used to darken the color of the wood. The "finishing" process involves applying varnish and a coating of sealant, which adds gloss and protects the wood. "Refinishing" is the process of redoing your current flooring finish, revitalizing, and rejuvenating it.

Refinishing or restoring existing wood floors can save you tons of money! If you have old wood flooring that doesn’t look great, it can be tempting to rip it out and start over. But wood flooring is resilient and made to last. Most damage can be repaired, and refinishing or restoring can make wood floors look new. If you’re unsure whether your wood flooring can be saved, the experts at Footprints Floors can assess it.

This is another “it depends” situation. Solid hardwood flooring is more expensive than engineered hardwood. However, solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished more than engineered hardwood, so it may last longer. Engineered hardwood is more affordable and is more resistant to moisture and humidity. If you live in a place with high humidity or greatly varying temperatures, engineered hardwood flooring may be the right choice. Both look beautiful and are easy to take care of.

Laminate flooring is a budget-friendly type of layered flooring that can be made to look like pretty much anything. It’s typically made up of wood fibers compressed into a board or a plywood board. The board is then covered in an “image” layer — basically, a photo of whatever you want the flooring to look like (stone, wood, etc), and a “wear” layer, or protective layer. Some laminate may also have a backing layer made of cork or felt. Laminate is an affordable way to get the look of more expensive wood or stone flooring. It’s pretty durable, making it a great choice for homes with pets or kids, and it’s easy to clean. However, prolonged exposure to water can cause the wood part of the laminate to warp, making it unsuitable for rooms like bathrooms.

Laminate’s wood component makes it susceptible to water damage. Vinyl is an entirely synthetic material, which means it’s waterproof. As long as laminate is installed correctly, it’s fairly water-resistant, but still probably not a suitable choice for bathrooms or mudrooms where water might linger. Vinyl is extremely durable and comes in various of colors, textures, and styles. Both laminate and vinyl are great choices for homes with high traffic from kids and pets, and they’re easy to take care of — but whereas vinyl can go in any room in your home, remember to keep laminate out of the bathroom.

There is a much wider variety of colors, textures, and designs in tile flooring than in hardwood. Tile floors have a lifespan of over a century. Whether you're looking for a traditional or modern look, there is a tile pattern to suit you. Regarding durability, aesthetics, maintenance, and cost, tile is an excellent choice. It's also considered one of the most eco-friendly options for flooring in your home.

Ceramic tiles are made up of clay or other minerals that have been tightly compressed and heated in an oven. They can be glazed or unglazed and come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles that have been heated at an even greater temperature, making them more durable and less porous. Porcelain tiles are better suited for rooms with high moisture content like bathrooms, but their durability makes them an excellent choice for any room. However, ceramic tile is more affordable and still offers great durability.

We hope these flooring contractor FAQs have been helpful to you as your start your flooring journey. Contact Footprints Floors for a free estimate when you've found flooring you love. You can feel confident in a job well done with our licensed and certified contractors.

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Footprints Floors provides flooring installation services for both old and new homes. We handle the demolition and removal of the old flooring, as well as the necessary prep work for new flooring. We will even remove baseboards and reinstall them after completing the flooring installation.

Covering everything from design and installation to clean up, our team helps increase the value of your property with brand new hardwood floors. Contact us today to request a free estimate!

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What Our Customers Say

Work was done timely and within price quoted. The rooms repaired and refinished from water damage look fantastic. Thanks.
Kelly Curtis 05/22/25 — google
I had a fantastic experience working with Footprints Floors of the Valley. From start to finish, David and his team demonstrated an impressive level of knowledge, professionalism, and reliability. They took the time to explain the entire flooring process in detail, helping me make informed decisions without ever feeling rushed or pressured, which was HUGE for us as first time getting new floors. What really stood out was their honesty and transparency. Every question I had was answered clearly and truthfully, and I truly appreciated their straightforward communication. It's refreshing to work with a company that values integrity and makes customer satisfaction a priority. They also respected my time by showing up when they said they would, keeping the project on schedule, and ensuring everything ran smoothly from the initial consultation through to the final walkthrough. The craftsmanship and attention to detail in their work is evident, and I couldn’t be happier with the end result. I highly recommend David and the team at Footprints Floors of the Valley to anyone looking for top-quality flooring services and a team you can trust!
Grace Somers 05/22/25 — google
Justin was so great to work with. So kind, and so responsive to all my questions and needs. Wanderly did our instal and he did such good work. He cleaned up continuously after himself and the tile looks amazing. We will definitely be using them again!
Emily Ferguson 05/22/25 — google
I cant recommend Footprints Floors more highly. We were amazed at how smooth it was from quote to finished floors. Great communication, high attention to detail, quick and efficient turnaround, friendly throughout. Zero issues. I only have good things to say.
Stuart Penman 05/22/25 — google
I had to have repairs done to my existing floors and new floors in two bedrooms. They did outstanding(assisted in choosing/ordering) with the 3 week turnaround. Got it done with 3 days to spare.
Laniece Dixon 05/22/25 — google
Darius is a pleasant man to deal with, so are his workers. Great job and affordable . .. almost.
paris2275 05/22/25 — google
Have used Footprints Floors several times now - they are professional and totally committed to taking care of what is needed would highly recommend them
John ODonnell 05/22/25 — google
I personally want to thank Katie, Rich, Jeremy and Marvin for turning my tired old floors into a beautiful show piece… I was nervous about taking on such a big project myself but from the beginning with Rich giving me the estimate and explaining the process to Jeremy making sure everything ran smoothly and to Marvin for helping me with some tough decisions…I knew I made the right choice and felt very comfortable that it was going to be done right…Thank you all for being very professional and your attention to detail really shows… To anyone not certain who to select to refinish your floors… I wholeheartedly recommend Footprints Flooring!
Kt Roberts 05/22/25 — google
Great company, very understanding and easy to work with. Did a wonderful job of laying a beautiful floor! Job was done within 5 days of 6 different rooms and closest kept the house and outside area clean the entire time! They kept up with all the trash they made. They gave opinions/advice when necessary as this is my first major project. Thank you !
sierra 05/22/25 — google
Ralf and his team were fantastic. He was incredibly knowledgeable and great with communication. Our floors came out beautifully. Highly recommend.
Benjamin Cobb 05/22/25 — google
We had a wonderful experience. The space was small but high traffic and has been greatly improved with the tile job. Everything was on time and clean. Thank you guys!
Meghan Wolfe 05/21/25 — google
Mike and his team did an awesome job refinishing our wood floors, and adding wood to another area. Thanks so much!
Gina Schumer 05/21/25 — google
Good companies are hard to find, Great companies are even harder, this is a Great company. I know the price may seem a bit high, but it's extremely fair and you will get what you pay for. His crew did a great job, he's been super easy to communicate with and stands by his product. I would hire him again in a heartbeat.
Joseph C 05/21/25 — google
I am very pleased with the new floor installed by Mike Goff. He provided a quick estimate that was accurate (was 60 sq. ft. less than a competitor). His crew arrived promptly, did a beautiful job in a very short time and completed every task promised in the proposal. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with him again.
Jane Coleman 05/21/25 — google
Oliver and his team were exceptional. They delivered outstanding results from start to finish, demonstrating honesty, kindness, professionalism, and punctuality throughout. I highly recommend Oliver and his company to all my friends and family.
Jodi Gilardi 05/21/25 — google
The team was very responsive and efficient. Jordan was very knowledgeable and provided guidance around requirements other competitors missed.
Asa Staven 05/21/25 — google
Very Professional Work. Would I contract Footprints again - YES.
Jim Blaha 05/21/25 — google
Outstanding service, with great attention to detail. Gene goes above and beyond to make sure his clients are satisfied and has been a great partner for all of our projects. They are knowledgeable, patient, and passionate about what they do and I highly recommend there services.
Tampa Bay Junkaneers 05/20/25 — google
Amazing job! Amazing attention to details! Done in timely manner and through cleanup. Reasonably priced.
Won Choi 05/20/25 — google
Dariusz was quick to respond and came out to review the project. He asked questions about things I hadn’t even thought about and offered suggestions. He provided a quote the same day, picked up the items I had ordered and was in constant contact with me throughout the entire process. The tile was installed on time and the area was left clean. I’m so happy with the new tile in my foyer and so impressed with Dariusz and his crew. If you want your project done by someone who is professional, pleasant and honest call Dariusz at Foot Prints, I promise you won’t be disappointed! Thank you Dariusz.
Helen Brazel 05/20/25 — google

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Footprints Floors is a one-of-a-kind residential flooring installation and restoration business. We offer high quality flooring installations and, with over a decade of dedication, we have quickly become the largest flooring contractor by striving to bring a higher level of customer service and sophistication to an industry where it was severely lacking. Our family-owned business is focused on customer satisfaction and quality results, all while passing savings on to you and yours through our low overhead model.

Footprints Floors is a one-of-a-kind residential flooring installation and restoration business. We offer high quality flooring installations and, with over a decade of dedication, we have quickly become the largest flooring contractor by striving to bring a higher level of customer service and sophistication to an industry where it was severely lacking. Our family-owned business is focused on customer satisfaction and quality results, all while passing savings on to you and yours through our low overhead model.

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