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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

I was very Happy with the whole experience with Footprints and especially Peter, my project manager for them. He was great from the sale to the completion of the installation and beyond! When I explained that I was in a jam to get the storm damage, repaired daddy home in Indian Rocks Beach, he and his crews met the challenge, They even worked The weekend to make it all happen!. Peter and Footprints have earned my business.
Rick Daniel 02/14/25 — google
I was very pleased with the whole process. Matt, came out we had a unique situation and he gave us some great suggestions and a great price on what we needed done. Melissa, the project manager for our project was on time looked over our project and verified all the items on the contract. Then returned later in the afternoon to make sure we were happy with the project and how it all turned out, which wife and I are very pleased. Antonio, the installer was great, on time as well, he kept us informed of what he was doing and very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. I will for sure use Footprints Floors East Valley for any other future projects I have for my floors.
Keith Johnson 02/14/25 — google
10/10 the team is incredibly professional and even took their time to clean afterwards! Very impressed
Mya Genninger 02/14/25 — google
Floyd and his crew refinished our wood floor and the result is better than expected! Thanks so much!
Vicky Koehlke 02/14/25 — google
Was a good experience with everyone, crew worked hard and late to get it done in the time frame they promised.
Duane’s W9 Garage 02/14/25 — google
I recently had Footprint Floors replace the carpet in one of our rooms and hallways with flooring we had purchased, and the experience was outstanding. Gary, the owner, personally met with me and went over every detail of the project. He explained the process thoroughly, ensuring I knew exactly what to expect. His professionalism and expertise were evident from the start. The turnaround time was incredibly fast—within just two days, the job was complete. His team did an amazing job, not only with the installation but also with the finishing work and cleanup. The attention to detail was top-notch, and they left everything looking perfect. If you’re looking for a flooring company that delivers high-quality work with professionalism and efficiency, I highly recommend Footprint Floors. Thank you Gary you and your guys do outstanding work! I look forward to our future projects. Arron Schille
Arron Schille 02/14/25 — google
Footprints did a beautiful job on our hardwood floors! As it is in many construction projects, we had a hiccup at the beginning of our project where a board needed replaced and a subcontractor hurried through the fix, and we weren’t happy with the end result. Footprints completely made it right through wonderful customer service to fix the issue, and the end result was absolutely flawless. Jordan excelled in customer service in creating a solution that we were happy with, and Scott was incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, especially when walking me through stain options, and was very knowledgeable on the process of how sanding and staining hardwood floors, including the right time to identify any flaws before adding finish. This is the 3rd project we’ve worked with Footprints on, and we have been happy every time!
Katherine Beck 02/13/25 — google
100% recommend Footprint Floors NEOH. From the start of the in-person estimate to the job completion, Mike and his entire team provided excellent communication, polished professionalism, and consistent updates throughout the 6 days and many tips for care during and after the process. The floors turned out better than we could have hoped for.
Edward Kicielinski 02/13/25 — google
Called Footprints Floors to get rubber flooring installed in my basement for a home gym. Grant came out and gave me a great quote. He understood what I wanted and advised me well on some of the details. There was about a two week lead time to schedule the job. James came out as scheduled and the work was finished in under a day, and it looks great! Would definitely recommend Footprints Floors, and would hire them again for sure.
john daley 02/13/25 — google
Great experience from start to finish. As someone who relies heavily on reviews, Footprints Flooring didn’t disappoint. Professionalism and attention to detail is extremely evident in their work. Saul, Josue, and Wilson were communicative, respectful, diligent and on time every morning! I will refer them every chance I get.
John H. 02/13/25 — google
Absolute definition of professionalism. I have used Frootprints for my bathrooms, kitchen backsplash, and hardwood floor installation. Their competitive pricing and timely work is second to none. I’m convinced these guys could have rebuilt the Notre Dame Cathedral in a week.
Matthew Miller 02/13/25 — google
We had a great experience with Tom, Kyle, and the crew. They were extremely knowledgable and we very sensitive to our designs wants and our budget. Tom talked us through any change that was needed throughout the job, and explained the different options we had to mitigate cost creep. The craftsmanship of the crew was top notch, our floors look great and we couldn't be happier. One side story: We accidentally locked ourselves out with our 3 year old on a Saturday night. Kyle had an extra key to let the crew in when we weren't there, and he drove took time away from his family on a weekend to drive across town, to let us back in. The definition of above and beyond. Thank you Tom, Kyle, and the crew for the great work and great experience. Will definitely use them again.
Michael Buratto 02/13/25 — google
Three carpeted rooms converted to hardwood floors. Great match with original hardwood floors in house. Great staff and boss. Recommend highly.
Uschi Bulger 02/13/25 — google
Dave and his crew did a great job replacing a wood floor threshold and grouting as one tiles in my kitchen. They were efficient and professional. Clean job and we highly recommend them for anyone needing floors repaired.
Mary L 02/13/25 — google
Foot Prints floors saved my original hardwood floors! I’ve attached before and after photos to show just how amazing this restoration was. Alex and Joel restored these 80 year floors to their true glory! Every last detail was attended to with care. The field manager, James, was enthusiastic, communicative and thorough. And the sales manager, Jordan, was kind, direct and honest. The whole team seemed just as excited as me, to see these floors restored. I’m truly blown away! Thank you, Footprint Floors! I am absolutely thrilled!
Joshua Tryan 02/12/25 — google
The team was great. They took a very scuff floor and made it look really really nice. Very courteous, prompt, and definitely left the place looking better than before.
Gary Sumihiro 02/12/25 — google
Lived here 37 years in Wekiva and Floyd is among the finest contractors we’ve had. If you need flooring, you will not do better. Nothing but positive vibes.
Mike Sherman 02/12/25 — google
Excellent customer service, very knowledgeable, answered all my questions! I definitely recommend them!
Marcela Fajardo 02/12/25 — google
Had an amazing experience with Footprints Flooring! Tim, Saul, and their team were fantastic from start to finish. They completely demoed our old, damaged hardwood floor and installed a beautiful vinyl tile floor - all in one day! They were incredibly efficient, and the price was surprisingly reasonable for the quality of work we received. The craftsmanship was top-notch; we couldn't be happier with the results. We'll definitely consider them for any future flooring projects. Highly recommend!
Russell Cook 02/12/25 — google
I couldn’t be happier with my experience! From start to finish, everything was handled with professionalism and care. The quote was fair, and the entire team was upfront and transparent throughout the process. Aaron and Justin were fantastic—extremely professional, detail-oriented, and made sure everything was done correctly. What truly stood out was their patience and support when I changed my mind on my floors after they had already been delivered. They didn’t bat an eye, didn’t show any frustration—just worked with me to make sure I got exactly what I wanted. That level of customer service is rare, and I truly appreciate it. My floors look amazing, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for quality work and a stress-free experience!
Katie Morris 02/12/25 — 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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