Flooring Contractors near you

Every floor trades looks and comfort against moisture tolerance, repairability and how often it can be renewed. The comparison below is qualitative: products within one family vary widely, and the manufacturer's specifications settle the details.

Start with the room's conditions, then keep only the products whose manufacturer approves that use: installing a floor outside those conditions can void the product warranty.

Most floor failures start underneath. A bouncy or squeaky subfloor, a hump over a joist or a dip near an old wall shows through thin flooring, cracks tile and grout, or opens the joints of a click floor. Before confirming the scope, the installer should check the whole area with a long straightedge and look for soft spots, old water damage and loose panels.

Each product's instructions state how flat the base must be, and click floors and large tiles are the least forgiving. The fix may be screwing down loose sheathing, replacing damaged panels, sanding high seams or pouring self-levelling compound into low areas; on concrete, ridges are ground and cracks patched. A floor that sags because of the framing is a structural problem for a carpenter or engineer, not something a thicker underlay can hide.

Wood-based floors take on and release moisture with the air around them. Heating dries Canadian homes all winter and humid summers bring the moisture back, so boards shrink and open small gaps in January and swell in July. Installing material straight from a cold truck or a damp warehouse is a common cause of later gaps, cupping and buckling. The manufacturer says how to store and acclimatize its product, and some engineered and vinyl floors need little or none, so follow the instructions for the product you bought.

Health Canada recommends keeping indoor relative humidity between 30% and 50%. The advice is aimed at preventing mould, but steady humidity within that range also helps wood floors: a humidifier in winter, and a dehumidifier or air conditioning in muggy weather or a damp basement, limit seasonal movement, and a simple hygrometer shows where your home actually sits. Wet work such as drywall compound, plaster or a new slab should be finished and dry before the floor goes in.

Health Canada says asbestos was used in building materials before 1990 and lists floor tiles among them. The Quebec government, noting that asbestos products were mainly used in construction between 1930 and 1990, names vinyl tiles, linoleum and adhesive coatings among the floor coverings that may contain it. In older homes these often lie under carpet, laminate or newer vinyl, and the glue under old tiles or sheet flooring deserves the same caution.

Health Canada explains that intact, undisturbed materials pose no significant health risk, but that drilling, sawing, sanding, scraping, removing or breaking them releases fibres. Never sand, scrape, grind or pull up suspect flooring or glue yourself, and don't let demolition start until a professional has tested it. If asbestos is found, a qualified removal specialist takes it out, or the old floor may stay undisturbed under the new one, a decision to make with that professional. When in doubt, the Quebec government advises treating a material as if it contains asbestos.

Quotes for the same room often differ because they describe different jobs. Before comparing totals, line them up item by item and have each contractor fill any gaps in writing.

In Quebec, a contractor doing renovation work in your home must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) that carries the subclasses matching the work. Ask for the licence number and look it up in the RBQ's online registry before signing. Building permits are a municipal matter, so ask your city before any work on joists or other structural parts, and in a condo, check with the syndicate or condo corporation before changing floors.