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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

Terrific service installation and communication!
David Calderhead 04/24/25 — google
Our floors had some staining & discoloration prior to refinishing. They now look better than brand new!
Therese Chenevert 04/24/25 — google
We love the floors, Tom was spectacular, and installers were very good! I would only suggest to them that they should advise a customer who has not had demo before of how bad it can be.
MIKE GREENBERG 04/24/25 — google
I am so happy with my refinished floors and staircase! Alissa was very professional and was in contact with me throughout the entire process . The workers showed up on time and completed the job in a very timely manner. I was so impressed with their work, I am having them do my kitchen floors too. Great company.
Julie 04/24/25 — google
Adam and his team at Footprints exceeded all our expectations! Adam was quick to respond to our bid request and came out to our home that same week. The quote we received was very reasonable. The install team was professional, respectful of our home, and worked incredibly hard. Our tile looks absolutely impeccable! We’ll definitely be using Footprints for all our future bathroom and tile projects.
Jessica L 04/24/25 — google
I had Footprints Floors refinish my hickory floors. They turned out fabulous and am very happy at the way they look! Aaron the owner was very nice and easy to work with! I would recommend this business for your flooring needs. The picture with my dog in it is before the floors were done.
Laureen Waud 04/24/25 — google
Excellent work, very satisfied with the end product.
Dave Paul 04/24/25 — google
We needed a wood floor repaired in a pinch. Footprint not only came in and saved the day quickly but the work was flawless! They had some great ideas to help us reach the outcome we wanted. Trust them with all my floor repairs and replacements. Great people.
Brice Beck 04/24/25 — google
Great business! Had a quick fix that took less than thirty minutes and on short notice had someone out to handle it. Did not have to schedule out a long time. Easy in and out. No attempts to upcharge or sell anything else. Great customer service and would recommend to anyone, minor job or major renovation! The owner is a great guy and the work quality I received was 10/10
Chris Frady 04/24/25 — google
These guys are fantastic. They restored our quite old wood floors beautifully. Also great to work with. I really do highly recommend them.
Displaced Films 04/24/25 — google
We had a fantastic experience with Footprints Floors for our hardwood floor resurfacing project. From start to finish, the team was professional, punctual, and attentive to detail. They took the time to explain the entire process, answered all of our questions, and worked efficiently to deliver a flawless result. The floors look brand new—smooth, clean, and beautifully restored. We were especially impressed with how respectful they were of our home and how thoroughly they cleaned up afterward. Highly recommend Footprints Floors for anyone looking to breathe new life into their hardwood floors!
Lisa Stolzenberg 04/24/25 — google
A 5* rating for Footprints Floors Nashville and their crew is justly earned. Footprints Floors are very customer-oriented and will ensure you are completely satisfied throughout the entire duration of the project. Upon my initial contact with Footprints Floors, an appointment was scheduled with Tim to provide an estimate for my tile installation project. Shortly thereafter, a date was confirmed to begin the job. Kyle was the project manager who arrived promptly on the start date with his crew. Also, he was diligent being onsite daily at times during the project to make certain it was completed to our satisfaction. Footprints Floors installed a tiled kitchen backsplash including an accent wall and kitchen island wall. Marvin was the tile installer for the backsplash who did an exceptional job. His work is outstanding and there is nothing that Marvin cannot accomplish as a tile installer. He is extremely meticulous, highly skilled and an exceptional craftsman in his trade. Marvin’s co-worker also did an excellent job installing the tile on the island. I am so pleased and impressed with the final result of the tile installation project which was completed to perfection. I highly recommend Footprints Floors who are now my go-to contractors and look forward to hiring them again for future projects.
Rosemarie P 04/23/25 — google
I highly recommend Dave and Footprint Floors! It was a pleasure working with Dave and his team. The installation of wood floors in my basement was exceptional and was completed on time. Dave was extremely professional and very responsive throughout the whole process, always quick to answer questions and keep things moving. From start to finish, the installation team led by Ricky was courteous, communicative, and genuinely cared about making sure everything turned out beautifully. Thank you, Dave!
Kimberly Donaldson 04/23/25 — google
We had laminate flooring installed in our living room, dining room, kitchen & 2 hallways. The 2 installers were very professional & polite. They worked very hard for 12 hours straight until they got the job done. Their cleanup was great & they did an amazing job with the installation. We would highly recommend!
Jim Riley 04/23/25 — google
Floor looked great after final finish Workers were always on time The price was very good for the amount of work they had to do Would highly recommend
kenneth kowaleski 04/23/25 — google
I had a fantastic experience with the company. They were professional, punctual, and very accommodating throughout the entire process. Martin, the owner, truly went above and beyond. He not only understood the needs of the project and applied his expertise thoughtfully, but he also made sure I was completely satisfied with the results. He graciously shared his knowledge and advice, and when I reached out to have him take a final look before using the floor, he came personally and took care of the last touch-ups. It’s clear he takes great pride in his work and stands behind it. My sunroom looks gorgeous!😍 Highly recommend!
Dee Brac 04/23/25 — google
Great experience with the laminated flooring installation with Footprints Floor of Tacoma. Clint was quick submitting the quote and scheduling us in. Josh, the installer assigned to our project was pleasant, professional and knowledgeable. We are very please with the final product and outstanding service.
Rollande Scolari 04/23/25 — google
Highly recommend Footprints Flooring. Adam and his team were fantastic from start to finish. The communication was clear, the estimate process was smooth, and the quality of the work exceeded our expectations. We're looking forward to working with them again on future home projects.
Tyler Pascoe 04/22/25 — google
Adam was communicative on time, clean (smelled good, etc.) professional, straightforward, honest and and gave me a very reasonable and competitive quote, explaining in simple terms what he and his company could offer me at a budget price, which is exactly what I asked for. I highly recommend Footprints Flooring for your restoration needs. Thank you Adam.
Jason Silvia 04/22/25 — google
Good people, project completed and finished as was estimated to satisfaction. BK 👍.
Brian Kilmer 04/22/25 — google

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Customer Satisfaction


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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