A floor is only as good as what is under it. That line has saved more projects than I can count. At Wright Flooring, we install hardwood floors, laminate flooring, vinyl plank flooring, and tile flooring, but the real work starts before the first board or tile is set. Subfloors, moisture, acclimation, and layout decisions have more to do with a long-lasting floor than brand names or trendy colors. If you are thinking about a new floor or a floor repair, let me walk you through how we approach it like we are working on our own homes.
The Foundation: Subfloors, Moisture, and Movement
One thing we always check before starting is the subfloor flatness. Manufacturers usually call for no more than 3/16 inch deviation over 10 feet for floating floors, and 1/8 inch over 6 feet for glue-down hardwood or large-format tile. That means we scrape, sand, or patch to get it right. If your floor creaks now, installing new finish flooring without tightening the subfloor to the joists is a missed opportunity. We routinely refasten loose subfloors with 2.5 inch screws and add construction adhesive where needed before we lay anything.
Moisture is the next big factor. On concrete, we run ASTM F2170 in-slab RH tests or at minimum a calcium chloride test if the job requires it. On wood subfloors, we check moisture content with a pin meter and look for 6 to 9 percent in the planks and a subfloor within 2 to 4 percent of the flooring. That gap matters. We have seen beautiful 3/4 inch solid oak cup within a month because the subfloor tested at 14 percent after a rainy week with windows open. In our experience, rushing acclimation is one of the most expensive mistakes a homeowner can make.
Regional conditions matter too. Homes that see big seasonal humidity swings need different strategies than tight, climate controlled buildings. If your house runs 30 percent relative humidity in winter and 60 percent in summer, a floating vinyl plank or engineered wood with a stable core will behave better than a wide solid plank. We often tell homeowners to budget for a humidifier or dehumidifier as part of their flooring installation. It is cheaper than fixing gapping or cupping later.
Hardwood Floors: Warmth, Value, and Patience
There is nothing like the sound and feel of solid hardwood underfoot. We install both 3/4 inch solid and engineered hardwood. Each has its place. Solid hardwood, like 3/4 inch red oak or white oak, performs best over wood subfloors above grade, nailed or stapled to 3/4 inch plywood or OSB. Engineered hardwood, for example a 1/2 inch oak with a 3 mm wear layer, can go below grade or over concrete using glue-down or floating methods because the plywood or HDF core is more stable.
Here is what most people do not realize about hardwood installation. The boards have to acclimate to the home, not the warehouse. That usually means 5 to 7 days in the space with HVAC at normal living conditions. We stack the boxes crosswise off the floor with spacers so air moves around them. For a 500 square foot room, a straightforward nail-down job typically takes 2 to 3 days for installation after acclimation, plus another day if we are doing onsite finishing or transitions.
Cost wise, a standard prefinished hardwood runs in the range of $6 to $12 per square foot installed, depending on species, plank width, and subfloor prep. Wide plank, herringbone, or site-finished floors cost more and take extra time. We do not sugarcoat it because hardwood is an investment. It can be repaired, refinished, and it adds value if cared for.
Common pitfalls:
- Skipping a felt or rosin paper vapor retarder over the wood subfloor. We use products like Aquabar B to slow moisture migration and reduce squeaks. Failing to leave proper expansion space. We maintain 1/2 inch at walls and fixed objects, then cover with base and shoe. Nailing patterns that are too light. We aim for 8 to 10 inches on center, closer near board ends.
If you have kids, big dogs, or you run a home gym, we will talk frankly about finish durability. A tough aluminum oxide prefinished surface holds up better than site-applied poly in many homes. If you want a natural oil look, we will outline the maintenance clearly so there are no surprises.
Laminate Flooring: Budget Friendly, Not Waterproof
Laminate flooring is a good option in living areas where you want a wood look without hardwood pricing. It is basically a high-density fiberboard core with a printed image and a melamine wear layer. Some brands market water resistance, but true waterproofing is not its strength. If you get a dishwasher leak that sits for hours, the edges can swell. That is the honest trade-off. Installed properly with tight locking seams and a quality underlayment, laminate is stable and looks great for the budget.
For many clients, laminate pencils out at $3 to $6 per square foot installed. The core quality and wear layer make the difference. AC4 or AC5 rated surfaces hold up better to abrasion. We like products with a robust locking profile, not the flimsy click systems that chip during installation. Underlayment matters too. A 2 to 3 mm closed cell foam with an attached moisture barrier over concrete helps with sound and minor subfloor imperfections.
A common mistake we see is skipping a moisture test on concrete because the product says water resistant. The core still hates moisture. Another is installing laminate tight to cabinets or door frames. Floating floors need 3/8 to 1/2 inch expansion gaps, and they need movement breaks at long runs, usually every 30 to 40 feet. If your home has big temperature swings, we plan those transition profiles from the start so it looks intentional.
Vinyl Plank Flooring: Waterproof Confidence and Realistic Looks
Luxury vinyl plank with a rigid core has earned its place. For busy homes, rentals, or rooms with moisture, LVP is forgiving. We install a lot of 5 to 7 mm SPC vinyl plank with a 12 to 20 mil wear layer. A 20 mil wear layer in a kitchen or mudroom stands up to grit and pet claws better than thinner products. We prefer planks with an attached IXPE pad for sound and comfort, and we still check the subfloor flatness because the rigid core will telegraph dips.
We often tell homeowners vinyl plank is not a shield against flooding, it is resistant, not immortal. If a washing machine overflows for hours and water gets trapped under the floor, we will need to pull planks, dry the subfloor, and reinstall. The good news is that click LVP can be relocked and replaced if you have spare boxes. That is a big reason we recommend buying 5 to 10 percent extra, especially for patterned or long plank styles.
Expect installation time for a 500 square foot area to run 1 to 2 days if the subfloor is in decent shape. Pricing tends to fall in the $4 to $8 per square foot installed range, depending on plank quality and the amount of prep. On concrete slabs that run a little cold or damp, vinyl plank is a smart middle ground. We still use a 6 mil poly where manufacturer guidelines allow, or a specific vapor retarding underlayment approved by the brand.
A practical tip from the field: we dry lay a few rows starting at the longest line of sight, then shift the layout to avoid narrow slivers at walls and to balance the plank width. We stagger end joints at least 8 inches and keep joints from lining up in an “H” pattern that draws the eye.
Wright Flooring Inc2775 N. Airport Rd. #102, Fort Myers, Florida 33907 Tel: (239) 938-9999 
Tile Flooring: Durability That Demands Precision
Tile is tough, beautiful, and unforgiving of shortcuts. The substrate decides the result. On wood floors, we add cement backer board or, more often lately, a crack isolation membrane like Schluter Ditra. On slabs with small cracks, a membrane can prevent those cracks from printing through the tile. Large format tile, anything over 15 inches on a side, needs a flatter subfloor than most rooms have. We will often spend a day with self leveling underlayment to get within 1/8 inch over 10 feet.
We use a medium bed mortar for heavy tiles and keep coverage at 95 percent for floors, more in wet areas. Grout lines are not just cosmetic. A 1/8 inch grout joint gives the tile room to move and corrects minor size variation. True rectified tile can go tighter, but your slab still needs to be dead flat. For showers and entries, we slope for drainage, and we always waterproof with a sheet or liquid membrane before tile. Thinset is not waterproof, no matter what the label suggests.
Tile pricing ranges widely because of prep. Simple ceramic on a sound subfloor might be $7 to $12 per square foot installed. Large format porcelain or intricate patterns can push higher, and self leveler adds cost. A 200 square foot kitchen usually takes us 3 to 4 days between underlayment install, tile setting, and grout curing. Rushing grout before the mortar sets is a rookie mistake that leads to hollow tiles and callbacks. We do not do that.
Floor Repair and Refinishing: Make the Most of What You Have
Not every project needs a full replacement. If your hardwood has wear but enough material left, we can refinish. A 3/4 inch solid oak floor can handle several sandings over its life. Engineered hardwood with a 3 mm wear layer can often be screened and recoated, sometimes lightly sanded and refinished once. If boards are cupped, we first check moisture and fix the underlying humidity issue before we sand. Sanding a wet cupped floor flat almost guarantees winter gapping.
For vinyl plank or laminate, we can replace individual damaged planks if the floor is a click-together system. Glue-down vinyl repairs are trickier but still possible with the right heat and patch methods. Tile repairs depend on having spare tiles. We recommend you keep a full box after any tile installation for future fixes. Matching dye lots years later is a long shot.
Matching Material to Room and Lifestyle
Every room tells us what will work. Kitchens see spills, grit, and chair legs. We like a 20 mil LVP or a good porcelain tile there. Living rooms call for warmth. Hardwood or a premium laminate works, with felt pads on furniture and entry mats. Basements deal with humidity and cool slabs. We usually steer folks to vinyl plank flooring or tile with area rugs, not solid hardwood. In laundry rooms, we avoid laminate and solid hardwood. Engineered wood or vinyl is the safer choice.
Pet nails, sun exposure, and water are the three biggest wear factors. UV can fade some stained hardwoods and certain vinyl patterns. We discuss window treatments or UV-resistant finishes if a room bakes in afternoon sun. If you run a big dog through the house, a wire brushed or matte hardwood hides scratches better than a glossy smooth finish. Matte LVP also hides scuffs better than high sheen.
Prep Work Most People Never See
Here is a short checklist we use on nearly every flooring installation. It is not glamorous, but it is what makes floors last:
- Verify moisture with the right test for the subfloor, document results. Check flatness with a 6 foot straightedge, mark highs and lows, correct them. Confirm HVAC is running for at least 5 to 7 days before acclimation. Plan transitions and door clearances, undercut jambs with a flush cut saw. Stage materials, acclimate per product instructions, and protect finished surfaces during other trades.
We also map out the layout around islands, fireplaces, and stairways. A common mistake is starting a floating floor in a back corner without thinking through how it will terminate at a tile bathroom or a metal stair nose. We dry fit transitions first, then start installing.
Honest Talk on Budgets, Timelines, and Disruption
Most 300 to 600 square foot projects take 2 to 4 days of actual installation, plus acclimation for wood. If we hit subfloor issues, we will show you and explain options. Leveling compounds need time to cure. Tile needs set and grout cure time. Hardwood needs acclimation and sometimes finish cure. We keep you in the loop so you can plan around furniture, pets, and kids.
Budget ranges are just that, ranges. Material quality drives a lot of it. We can put together a smart plan within your budget, but we do not cut corners on prep. For example, saving a few hundred dollars by skipping a crack isolation membrane on a fractured slab is not savings. It is a future repair. We stand behind our work, and that means doing it right.
Local Conditions and Why a Local Installer Matters
We install floors in the same climate we live in. In our area, humidity swings and shoulder seasons bring tricky moisture conditions. We see basements that run damp in spring and dry out in winter. We see air conditioning that takes a day to catch up after a heat wave, causing wood to expand fast. Wright Flooring Inc hardwood flooring Fort Myers A professional flooring contractor that understands these patterns knows to stage dehumidifiers during acclimation, or to recommend engineered over solid in certain rooms. That local knowledge saves headaches.
We also know the housing stock. Older homes with 1/2 inch subfloors often need an extra layer of 1/2 inch plywood before hardwood or tile. Newer builds may have long spans with a little bounce that calls for beefing up the structure or choosing a more forgiving material. The right call here separates a floor that feels solid from one that thumps as you walk.
Brand and Product Details That Make a Difference
We are not married to one brand, but we pay attention to specs. For vinyl plank, we look for a rigid SPC core, a minimum 12 mil wear layer for low traffic rooms and 20 mil for kitchens and entries, attached pad with a decent density, and a click system that locks tight without chipping. For hardwood, we like 3/4 inch solid oak or hickory from mills that keep moisture content consistent, and engineered boards with at least a 2 to 3 mm wear layer so future refinishing is possible.
For tile, we pair large format porcelain with a leveling clip system to reduce lippage, use a polymer modified thinset rated for large tile, and grout with a stain resistant product that fits the joint size. It is not fancy, it is just doing the job to spec.
How Wright Flooring Approaches Your Project
We start with a walkthrough, moisture checks, and a straightedge. We measure more than square footage. We look at door swings, stair nosings, floor heights to adjacent rooms, and HVAC stability. We give you straight advice. If a water prone mudroom is in the plan, we will tell you laminate is not the right choice. If you love the look of 7 inch solid white oak in a sunroom, we will talk through engineered options that keep the look and reduce the risk.
We schedule with realistic timelines. If a 500 square foot LVP install needs a day of floor prep and a day of install, we will not promise same day. If we find issues, we show you photos and explain options in plain language. We protect your home, clean as we go, and we do not leave you with a pile of unusable scraps. We leave labeled spare boxes for future repairs and explain how to maintain what you bought.
A common question we get is how to clean the new floor. For hardwood, a pH neutral cleaner and a barely damp microfiber mop. No steam. For vinyl plank, similar approach, no wax needed. For laminate, avoid standing water. For tile, keep grout sealed if the product calls for it, and use the right cleaner so you do not leave a haze.
Final Thoughts and an Open Invitation
Choosing between hardwood floors, laminate flooring, vinyl plank flooring, and tile flooring is not about trends, it is about matching material to your home and habits, then installing it the right way. In our experience, most problems come from skipping steps, not from the products themselves. Wright Flooring is built on local expertise, quality craftsmanship, honest pricing, and standing behind our work. If you want a professional flooring contractor who will give you straight advice and treat your project with care, we are here. Reach out with your questions or plans, and we will help you figure out the best path forward for your home.