No. 01 · Sample board

Hardwood flooring

Solid and engineered oak, maple and walnut, nailed or glued down, and set to sit flat through a Kingston winter.

$10–$18 per sq ft, installed

Installer's hands setting a warm-toned oak plank tight against the row before it

What the price is made of

Material and labour per square foot of floor, the same split you'll see on our written quote. Waste is added to the material you order, not to the labour.

Material: $6–$12; per sq ft ordered
Labour: $4–$6; per sq ft of floor
Installed: $10–$18; per sq ft, before prep

Worked example: a 12 x 15 ft room

Floor area: 12 ft x 15 ft 180 sq ft
Material to order: 180 sq ft + 10% waste 199 sq ft
Material: 199 x $6 to $12 $1,190–$2,390
Labour: 180 x $4 to $6 $720–$1,080
Before prep and removal $1,910–$3,470

Line totals rounded to the nearest $10. HST extra.

About waste 10% for straight lay. Herringbone and diagonal patterns need closer to 15%.

Stairs $150 to $240 per step, depending on nosing, open sides and landings.

What's not in the number yet Removing the old floor, levelling and any subfloor repairs. They're separate lines, and the estimate tool adds them.

Run your own rooms

How we install it

Our approach to hardwood

Hardwood is the floor people mean when they say real floors. We nail solid strip and plank over wood subfloors, and glue or float engineered plank where solid can't go: over concrete, in basements and over in-floor heat. Every job starts with moisture readings in the subfloor and in the boards, because hardwood that goes down too wet or too dry will show you in February.

A good choice for

Main floors, dining rooms and bedrooms you plan to keep for 20 years or more
Homes where resale matters: buyers in this market still ask for it by name
Anyone who wants a floor that can be sanded and refinished later

Think twice for

Bathrooms and laundry rooms, where standing water ruins it
Basements below grade: choose engineered plank or luxury vinyl instead
Homes with big dogs, if scratches will bother you (pick a hard species and a matte finish)

Honest prep notes

The three things that decide whether hardwood lasts. We check each one at the free measure and write what we find on your quote.

Read the full prep guide

Moisture

We read moisture in the subfloor and in the boards. For most solid hardwood the two need to be within about 2 to 4 points of each other (the maker's spec decides) before we nail anything down.

Subfloor

Plywood or OSB, solid and screwed down. Squeaks get fixed first. Nail-down floors need the subfloor flat within about 3/16 in. over 10 ft; glue-down needs it flatter.

Acclimation

Boards come into your home 3 to 7 days ahead, with the heat or air running, so they settle to your house's humidity. Some engineered products need less time; we follow the maker's instructions, not a habit.

Every hardwood quote includes

Moisture readings of subfloor and boards, written on your quote
Subfloor screwed down and flattened before boards go down
Underlay or vapour retarder that suits your subfloor
Expansion gaps hidden under trim, never left showing
Transitions at every doorway, new or reinstalled quarter-round
Packaging and offcuts hauled away

What we carry

Solid red or white oak strip: 2¼ in. boards, the classic Kingston floor. Nail-down over wood subfloors.
Wide-plank engineered white oak: 7 in. and wider. More stable than solid in wide boards; glue-down or floating.
Hard maple: Pale and very hard. Shows less denting, takes stain unevenly.
Walnut: Rich and dark, softer than oak. Best in bedrooms and dining rooms.
Herringbone and chevron: Engineered blocks. Adds roughly 25% to 40% to the labour line.

Install day, step by step

01
Readings and prep

Moisture readings, squeaks screwed down, high spots sanded, low spots filled.
02
Layout

We start from the most visible wall and plan the rows so no board at a doorway is a sliver.
03
Install

Nailed every 8 to 10 in., glued where the system calls for it, gaps left for seasonal movement.
04
Trim and walk-through

Transitions, quarter-round, a vacuum, and a walk-through with you before we load the van.

Questions about hardwood

All questions

Solid or engineered?

Solid hardwood is one piece of wood and can be sanded many times. Engineered has a real wood top layer on a stable plywood core, so it handles basements, concrete and wide boards better. We recommend solid over wood subfloors on main floors and engineered almost everywhere else.

Can you match my existing floors?

Often, yes. We bring a sample of the new species and stain to your home and lay it next to the old floor. In older Kingston homes the best match is sometimes to weave new boards into the old and refinish the whole room together.

How soon can we walk on it?

Prefinished hardwood can be walked on in socks the same day. Wait 24 hours before moving furniture back, and use felt pads on every leg.

Other floors

Free within 45 km of Kingston

Ready to price your hardwood?

We bring samples to your home, measure every room with a laser, take moisture readings, check how flat the floor is, and send a written quote within two business days.

Book a free measure Estimate my floor first

Rather talk it through? Call (613) 555-0146. Priya answers weekdays, 8 to 5.