Stair Flooring
Worn stair carpet replaced with hardwood or vinyl, every tread glued down across its full surface.
Real wood floors
Hardwood Floor Installation in Orlando, FL
Real wood, fastened the right way for your slab or plywood.
KPC Flooring installs hardwood floors in Orlando and nearby cities, from tear-out and subfloor prep to the last board, with the wood supplied.
- Tear-out and prep
- Wood supplied
- Stairs can match
Wood, concrete slabs and Florida humidity
Hardwood is a natural material: it swells when the air is damp and shrinks when it dries out. Central Florida summers are humid, and most houses here sit on concrete, which can wick moisture up from the ground. Both facts shape which boards make sense and how they're fastened.
Running the AC year-round keeps indoor humidity steady, and that steadiness matters more to a wood floor than any single product feature. Before any board goes in, the slab or plywood is checked for flatness and for signs of moisture.
Solid or engineered hardwood?
Both have real wood on the surface. What's underneath differs, and it affects where each can go. Which one suits your house is settled after we see the subfloor.
| Solid hardwood | Engineered hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | One piece of wood, top to bottom | Hardwood veneer glued to a cross-layered core |
| Response to humidity | Moves more as moisture changes | More stable from season to season |
| Over a concrete slab | Limited; usually needs a wood subfloor | Commonly glued down or floated |
| Over plywood | Nailed down | Nailed, glued or floated |
Nailed, glued or floating
Wood floors go down in three ways, and the subfloor usually decides which is right. Over plywood, boards are typically nailed through the tongue with a flooring nailer. Over concrete, engineered boards are glued to the slab or installed as a floating floor over a cushioned underlayment.
The method is recommended before you choose a board, so the material fits the house rather than the other way around.
- Nail-down: wood subfloors
- Glue-down: concrete slabs, engineered boards
- Floating: over an underlayment, engineered boards
Acclimation, expansion gaps and plank width
Many wood products need days inside the home to adjust before installation; the manufacturer's instructions set how long, and delivery is planned around it. Along every wall the boards stop a little short, leaving an expansion gap so seasonal swelling doesn't push them into buckling; trim hides it.
Wide planks show off grain beautifully but also show movement more, with slightly larger seasonal gaps or cupping, which is one reason wide boards in humid climates lean toward engineered construction. Narrow strips look traditional and move less per board.
Species, grade and finish
Oak accepts stain evenly and hides everyday scuffs. Hickory is among the hardest common domestic species, with bold color variation from board to board. Maple is pale and smooth with a tight grain. Grade describes how many knots and color swings the boards carry: clear or select grades look calm, whereas character or rustic grades look lively.
Factory-finished boards arrive with the coating already applied, so rooms are usable once the boards are down. Species, color, grade and width are chosen from the samples we bring.
Board layout and racking
Before nailing or gluing, boards from several cartons are spread out and mixed, a step called racking, so shade and grain vary naturally across the room instead of in blocks. End joints are staggered well apart from row to row, without the stair-step or H-shaped patterns that make a floor look amateur, and the first row is snapped to a chalk line off the longest straight wall.
What drives hardwood floor installation cost
With wood, the boards themselves carry more weight in the quote than with manufactured floors. Labor depends on the fastening method and the condition of what's underneath.
- Solid or engineered, species, grade and plank width
- Room sizes and layout
- Nail-down, glue-down or floating
- Tearing out the existing floor and flattening the base
- Stairs, trim and transitions
Hardwood floors we've installed
Hardwood work from KPC jobs.
Project Videos
Hardwood installation questions
How much does hardwood floor installation cost?
The biggest factors are the wood itself (solid or engineered, species, grade and width) and the fastening method your subfloor calls for. Tear-out and leveling come on top of that. We quote after measuring and checking the subfloor during a free in-home estimate.
Can hardwood go over a concrete slab?
Engineered hardwood is the usual choice over concrete, glued down or floated over an underlayment. Solid hardwood normally needs a wood subfloor. What fits your house is confirmed once we've seen it.
Is hardwood a sensible idea with Florida humidity?
It can be, with the right board and installation. Engineered boards ride out humidity swings better than solid ones, expansion space at the walls lets the floor move without buckling, and steady air conditioning helps a lot.
Does the wood need to sit in the house before installation?
Many wood products should acclimate indoors before they go down. How long depends on the product and its manufacturer's instructions.
Is engineered hardwood real wood?
Yes. The surface you see and walk on is a layer of real hardwood; underneath is a cross-layered core that keeps the board stable. From the top, it looks like solid wood of the same species.
Will my wood floor show gaps at some point in the year?
Small seasonal gaps between boards are normal for real wood, more so with solid and wide planks, and they tend to close again when humidity returns. Keeping the AC running steadily keeps that movement small.
How long does it take to install hardwood?
It depends on the area, the method and how much tear-out and leveling come first. Glue-down floors also need the adhesive to set. You'll get a schedule once we've seen the floor.
How does hardwood meet ceramic or vinyl in the next room?
With a transition piece sized to the height difference: a flush strip when both floors sit level, a reducer when the wood is higher. Each doorway is planned before installing.
Can you do the stairs in hardwood to match?
Yes. See stair flooring for how we handle staircases.
Do you handle the whole job, old floor out and new wood in?
Yes. The existing carpet, ceramic or vinyl comes out, the base is prepared and the new boards go in, all by one crew, with the wood supplied by us.
Have a question that is not answered here? Call and ask — se habla español.
Call (407) 427-8271Plan your hardwood floor with us
Call (407) 427-8271. We'll set up a visit, check your subfloor and bring wood samples.