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Flooring Installation FAQs


Flooring Contractor FAQs in Tampa

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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 Tampa 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 in Tampa 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 in Tampa 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

From the first time I met with the owner, Gene Hawk until the time Matt Rhoden finished the job, I was constantly asked about the service. Folks, Footprints Central Florida is all you need in a flooring company. Extremely professional from start to finish. 5 Star for sure.
Bill Carew 03/27/23 — google
I have used them twice. The first time was at my restaurant and the second was at my new home. They did an amazing job!! The work was done quickly and efficiently. I will definitely use them again and highly recommend them!
Victoria Feliciano 03/23/23 — google
I would highly recommend this company to anyone who needs flooring done. The team was on time, extremely professional and very pleasant to work with.
Styles By Kiff (Styles By Kiff) 03/22/23 — google
Gene and team did a fantastic job on my laminate flooring installation! I would highly recommend Footprints floors to anyone looking for an exceptional experience all the way from estimate to installation. Our family could not be happier with the outcome and will reach out to Gene when we are ready to install flooring in our other room. Reasonable costs and excellent service. We are very satisfied with our experience.
Terry Thompson 03/13/23 — google
Gene was great!! I purchased a place in Tampa and he was able to match the flooring in the bedrooms that had carpet to the living area and kitchen. Considering I lived an hour away he made it all very easy for me. The floors look wonderful, Thank you 😊
Cindy Johnson 02/16/23 — google
Gene Hawk is a trustworthy contractor. When I first met Gene, I explained how important it was for me to have the installation completed by a specific timeframe and he agreed that it could be done and he kept to his word because moving forward he was determined to complete the installation within the promised date. Gene was always prompted to return my calls and answer any concerns I may have had. It was a pleasure working with Gene and his employees. And the job was completed a week before the promised date!!!!
Evelyn Mercado 01/21/23 — google
A very special thank you to Matt and his partner Clayton, not only did they do an amazing job on bringing my hardwoods back to life, they did it with the highest level of professionalism and solid work ethic. Matt holds himself and his work to the highest standards and it is evident in the finished product. Thank you again!
robert knutowicz 01/19/23 — google
We were very happy with our experience with Footprints. Great quality, and workmanship, dedicated staff and good communication throughout process. Very reasonable cost as well.
Cathy Grant 12/22/22 — google
Gene and his team with Footprints were amazing! We were given a quote within a day of contacting them, and the work was completed the following week. Highly recommend! Our backsplash turned out beautiful!
Maria Davila Montgomery 11/22/22 — google
Gene and his team with Footprints were amazing! We were given a quote within a day of contacting them, and the work was completed the following week. Highly recommend! Our backsplash turned out beautiful!
Maria M. 11/22/22 — Thumbtack
Gene did an awesome job on our flooring. He was very professional and helpful throughout the process. I would definitely recommend and hire Footprints Floors Central again.
Brian W. 10/28/22 — Thumbtack
Grne Hawk is one of the kindest individuals with whom our family has had the pleasure of working. Prompt, deliberate, determined, and caring, this trustworthy flooring contractor will do his absolute best for all customers.
Dave Clark 10/21/22 — google
I had a pleasant flooring installation experience with Gene and his team! Gene was very responsive to all my questions and got the job done quickly. I am happy with how my flooring turned out!
Nicole Santos 10/5/22 — google
They responded quickly to our request for quote, came in with a good price, finished on-time, and gave us a great new finish on our floors. We had some scheduling issues with other contractors, and Gene was able to rework his schedule to help us out. All vendors should be this easy to work with.
Daniel Majchrzak 10/3/22 — google
Tiffany was so easy to work with and oversaw our office flooring project until the end. The tile job was done quickly and turned out great! Very pleased with it! We would use Footprints Floors again and recommend them to anyone looking to tile floors.
Amelia K. 07/11/22 — Thumbtack
Gene and his crew are second to none! Work quality and communication were outstanding! Gene caters exactly to what the customer desires!
Carlos C. 07/6/22 — Thumbtack
I used Footprints Floors to install new tile in my office. They did a great job and Tiffany made sure we were 100% happy. I highly recommend Footprints Floors.
Amy Kilgo 07/4/22 — google
We had such a wonderful experience with Footprints Floors! I would highly recommend them to anyone with flooring or tiling needs!
Anna N. 06/23/22 — Thumbtack
I highly recommend Footprints. Everyone was very professional and answered all of my questions. I am extremely happy with the final results
Trina Marshall 06/15/22 — google
Dan and his team were amazing to work with. Dan personally called us back and checked on the progress of our bathroom project daily. His tile man was nothing short of a master tile installer. He cut 45 degree angles on our corners (marble) instead of using some clunky trim or a schluter. The marble redo of our bathroom is nothing short of beautiful. I would highly recommend Footprints Floors, You will get a great price and beyond perfect job.
Kris Hannon 06/13/22 — 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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