Hardwood Floor Installation in Ohio
Solid and engineered wood floors, laid by hand to suit the age and the rooms of your house.
Wood is the floor most houses in our area were built with, and it is still the one people ask about first. We install solid oak strip, wide plank white oak and engineered boards, unfinished for sanding on site or prefinished from the box. The choice depends on the room, the rest of the house and how you want the floor to age.
A good wood floor starts below the boards. We check that the base is flat and firm, fasten loose spots, roll out the right underlayment, and let the wood sit in the house for a few days so it settles to the indoor air before the first row goes down.
What the work includes
- Old carpet, pad or worn covering lifted and hauled away
- Base checked for flatness and fastened where it moves
- Boards brought in early to settle in the house
- Rows laid with staggered joints and a hidden gap at the walls
- Unfinished floors sanded and sealed on site when chosen
- Shoe moulding or baseboard set back over the edge
Planning notes
Planning a wood floor in an older house often means deciding which way the boards should run. We usually follow the longest wall or the main line of sight from the front door, and in century homes we keep the direction of the original floor so the rooms read as one house.
Hardwood floors by house style
Century homes
Narrow strip oak woven into the existing floor, or a new field that matches the old width and direction.
About century homesMid-century homes
One continuous run of light or medium oak from the living room down the hall.
About mid-century homesNewer homes
Wide plank white oak through the open plan, with clean transitions at the kitchen.
About newer homes
How the days go
Delivery
The boards arrive a few days early and rest in the room they are going into.
Preparation
The old covering comes up, the base is checked and fastened, and doorways are measured for clean edges.
Laying
Rows go down from a straight starting line, with joints staggered and lengths mixed so no pattern repeats.
Finishing
Prefinished floors are cleaned and trimmed out. Unfinished floors are sanded and sealed over the following days.
Living with the floor afterwards
Sweep or vacuum with a soft head every few days, use felt pads under furniture and keep grit mats at each door. A cleaner made for wood finishes on a microfiber pad is enough for the weekly clean. Strong sun through big windows can shift the tone over time, so moving rugs now and then keeps the color even.
Questions about hardwood floors
Should I choose solid or engineered wood?
Solid boards can be sanded many times over the life of the house. Engineered boards have a real wood top layer on a layered core and stay very stable in rooms over a slab. We talk through both at the visit and look at where the floor will go.
Can new oak match my existing floor?
Usually, yes. We match the species, the width and the direction, and when the whole area is sanded and finished together the new boards blend with the old.
How long before we can use the room?
Prefinished boards can be walked on the same day. A floor finished on site needs a short rest after the last coat, and we tell you exactly when furniture can come back.
Can wood go over a concrete slab?
Engineered boards go over a flat, sound slab with the right underlayment. We check the slab at the visit and explain the steps in the estimate.
Often booked together
Planning hardwood floors?
Send the rooms and a few words about the house. We set up a visit, measure and put the plan in writing.