Hardwood Installation

Hardwood installation in Tampa Bay — NWFA Certified, lifetime warranty

Solid and engineered hardwood installation in any species, manufacturer-spec acclimation, NWFA Installation Guidelines-compliant subfloor prep, and a lifetime workmanship warranty registered to your address.

Hardwood installation in Tampa Bay — NWFA Certified, lifetime warranty

Hardwood is the highest-margin, highest-margin-of-error flooring category — done right, hardwood floors last 50+ years and refinish 3-4 times. Done wrong, they cup, gap, and squeak within 18 months and void the manufacturer warranty.

Tampa Bay hardwood pricing (installed): solid 3-1/4" oak $9-$12 per sq ft; solid 5" white oak $11-$15 per sq ft; engineered 5" white oak $7-$11 per sq ft; engineered 7" wide-plank hickory $10-$14 per sq ft; exotic species (Brazilian cherry, walnut, teak) $14-$22 per sq ft.

The Florida-specific spec: engineered hardwood is more dimensionally stable than solid for slab installations and high-humidity environments — Tampa Bay homes with concrete slab construction should default to engineered. Solid hardwood works fine over plywood subfloor in homes with continuous HVAC. Either way, the acclimation period (72-96 hours for solid, 48 hours for engineered) is what protects both your manufacturer warranty and our lifetime workmanship warranty.

What's included

  • NWFA Certified Installer leads every job
  • Moisture test (Tramex MEP) of subfloor + product
  • Subfloor flatness leveled to NWFA spec (3/16" over 10')
  • Vapor barrier and underlayment per manufacturer
  • Pre-install acclimation (72-96 hr solid / 48 hr engineered)
  • Transitions, baseboards, quarter-round installed

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Hardwood Installation — common questions

How long does a hardwood install take?
Total project: 5-14 business days depending on scope. Day 1-4: acclimation (product on-site, conditioned to home environment). Day 5: removal + subfloor prep. Day 6-N: installation. Most 1,000-1,500 sq ft single-story projects complete in 5-7 business days; 2,500-4,000 sq ft whole-house projects in 10-14 days.
Solid or engineered hardwood — which is better for Tampa?
For slab construction (most Tampa Bay homes built post-1990): engineered hardwood is the safer choice. The cross-grain ply construction is more dimensionally stable in our humidity. For plywood subfloor with continuous HVAC: both work. Engineered hardwood quality has improved dramatically since 2015 — premium engineered (top-grade veneer, 7+ ply, multi-layer wear) is indistinguishable from solid hardwood once installed.
Can I install hardwood over my existing tile?
Sometimes. The combined floor height with hardwood over tile may exceed door clearances and create transition issues to other rooms. If the tile is well-bonded and flat (and the resulting height works), engineered hardwood with proper underlayment can be floated over it. More commonly we remove the existing tile to install new hardwood at the original subfloor height.
Will hardwood add resale value in Tampa Bay?
Yes — hardwood is consistently the highest-ROI flooring upgrade in Tampa Bay. Listing photos of hardwood floors increase agent showings 18-23% (Tampa Bay MLS data). Realtor reports consistently rank hardwood replacement at 70-80% ROI on sale within 18 months. LVP delivers about 50-60% of that ROI at half the cost — also a viable choice depending on home value and target buyer.

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