Frequently Asked Questions about Flooring and Remodeling

Triexta offers natural, permanent stain resistance built into the core of the fiber. It is incredibly soft, highly durable, and cleans easily with just water, making it excellent for busy households.

Carpet padding is essential because it absorbs the impact of footsteps, protects the carpet backing from wearing out against the subfloor, and provides insulation and sound dampening. Never reuse old carpet padding. Even if it looks fine from the top, old padding has already lost its structural elasticity, traps deeply embedded dirt, mold, or pet odors from the past, and will cause your brand-new carpet to wear out prematurely.

The active installation phase for a standard home usually takes 1 to 2 days. A single room can typically be completed in 2 to 4 hours. The total timeline depends heavily on the amount of furniture that needs moving and whether old flooring requires removal.

Clear the walkways and remove all small items, breakables, electronics, and knick-knacks from the rooms receiving new carpet. Empty the bottoms of closets if those closets are being carpeted. Strip the beds if bedrooms are being worked on to avoid dust settling on sheets. Secure your pets in a safe, separate room or arrange for them to be out of the house during the loud installation process.

Solid Hardwood is made from a single, solid piece of wood from top to bottom. It can be sanded and refinished multiple times over decades, offering unmatched longevity, but it is highly sensitive to moisture and humidity fluctuations. Engineered Hardwood features a real wood veneer top layer bonded over a multi-layered core of high-density plywood or fiberboard. This cross-layer construction makes it much more dimensionally stable, meaning it resists warping, cupping, or swelling when exposed to minor humidity changes.

Yes, but only a limited number of times. Solid hardwood can be refinished 4 to 7 times over its lifespan. Engineered hardwood can typically only be refinished 1 to 3 times, depending entirely on the thickness of its top real-wood wear layer. High-quality engineered floors with a thick wear layer (4mm or more) can be refinished multiple times, while budget options with a thin wear layer (under 2mm) cannot be safely sanded at all and can only be lightly recoated.

Yes, the LVP material itself is 100% waterproof. Because the planks are made of synthetic polymers (PVC), they can be completely submerged in water without swelling, warping, or rotting. However, an LVP floor does not act as a waterproof barrier for your home. Water can still seep through the seams between interlocking planks and reach the subfloor below, which can cause mold or mildew if left untreated. Standing water or major floods should always be dried promptly.

The wear layer is the clear, top protective coating applied over the photographic design layer of the plank. It determines how well your floor resists scratches, stains, and scuffs.

Yes, LVP can be installed directly over existing hard surfaces like ceramic tile, linoleum, or old wood sheets, provided the existing floor is flat, structurally sound, and securely bonded. However, you cannot install LVP over carpet or cushioned vinyl sheet flooring, as the soft sub-surface will cause the click-lock joints to break under pressure. If installing over ceramic tile, the grout lines may need to be filled with a self-leveling compound if they are deep or wide, preventing them from telegraphing through to the surface of the vinyl over time.

Historically, laminate was highly susceptible to water damage, but modern high-end laminates are highly water-resistant. Many manufacturers now offer "waterproof laminate" that guarantees protection against spills and pet accidents for 24, 72, or even 100 hours. They achieve this using hydrophobic edge coatings and tight-locking joints that prevent water from seeping into the wood fiber core. However, no laminate is 100% waterproof in the way vinyl is; a major plumbing flood that fully submerges the floor will still ruin the HDF core.

Yes, all laminate flooring requires an underlayment. The underlayment cushions the planks, dampens the hollow "clicking" sound when walked on, provides a thermal barrier, and smooths out minor subfloor imperfections.

Quartz is an engineered stone made from crushed natural quartz bound with polymer resins. It is 100% non-porous, meaning it never needs sealing, is completely stain-resistant, and offers highly consistent color patterns. However, it can scorch if exposed to direct, extreme heat (like hot pans straight from the stove). Granite is 100% natural stone slab cut from the earth. Every slab features a completely unique, unpredictable pattern and possesses incredible heat resistance. Because it is naturally porous, it requires periodic sealing (typically once a year) to prevent liquids from staining the stone.

The countertops must always be installed before the backsplash. The backsplash sits directly on top of the countertop surface. Installing the counters first allows the fabricator to secure them tightly to the walls, giving the tile installer a perfectly level base to template, align, and tile upward.

Renovation involves updating the cosmetic appearance of your kitchen without altering the underlying structure. This includes projects like painting walls, replacing cabinet hardware, swapping light fixtures, or installing a new backsplash. Remodeling refers to transforming the actual layout, structure, or function of the space. This includes tearing down walls to create an open concept, moving plumbing or gas lines, relocating major appliances, or installing entirely new cabinetry layouts.

Before Cabinets: This is required if you are using a glued-down or nailed-down material like tile or solid hardwood. It ensures a uniform height across the room and lets you change your kitchen layout in the future without leaving gaps in the floor.

After Cabinets: This is required if you are installing a floating floor (like most luxury vinyl planks or laminates). The cabinets must be installed first so their immense weight doesn't pin down the floor, which would prevent it from expanding or contracting naturally and cause buckling.