There isn’t much to a flooring project, right? You choose the material, get it installed and it’s over. Actually, that’s not how it works. Most people don’t see what’s going on underneath the surface and around that material to make sure it lasts. A floor can look perfect on install day. It can still fail months or years later if the groundwork wasn’t handled right.
At Floors To Go of Lighthouse Point, we credit a lot of that knowledge to Anderson, an installer who’s been with our team for more than 20 years. Let’s talk about it.
It’s Never Just About the Wood
The wood you choose makes a difference, but no two projects are the same. Before installation day, there are so many questions to answer:
- Is this going down on a first-floor slab?
- Is it going on the second floor?
- Are baseboards included?
- Do transitions need quarter rounds?
These answers determine important factors like whether the floor will need a moisture barrier and if the glue needs a sound barrier built into it. These aren’t small details either. Skip one step and you could end up with squeaky floors, or trapped moisture damaging the material from below. Getting it right before the first plank goes down is what makes a floor last.
Why Engineered Wood Wins in South Florida
Attention to detail matters. That’s why we sell 90 to 99 percent engineered wood over solid hardwood. South Florida is humid. Combine that with moisture sitting in a concrete slab foundation, and it creates a genuine risk for solid wood. Additionally, putting the wrong product on the wrong subfloor can cause the floor to buckle long after the project is done.
Solid hardwood expands and contracts with humidity. Engineered wood is built with cross-layered construction designed to resist that. It’s exactly why we steer most South Florida homeowners toward it.
This isn’t a quick fix. Reordering the material, removing and reinstalling the existing floor is more expensive and disruptive than getting it right the first time around.
Twenty Years of Getting It Right the First Time
Installer experience makes a difference. That’s why at Floors To Go of Lighthouse Point, we rely on Anderson who has over two decades of experience on the jobsites. That kind of experience isn’t something a newer installer can shortcut. It’s built job by job, one project at a time, learning what to double-check before it becomes a problem. It’s a reminder that getting a flooring project right goes beyond the product on the showroom floor. The person putting it down and everything they look for is important for a homeowner. It’s a big part of why our customers trust us with projects large and small.
Ready for your flooring project to be done right the first time around? Contact us or visit our Lighthouse Point showroom to talk through your project today.