Hardwood floor installation & refinishing in Forest Hill.

Yes — fixed, in writing, in your contract. Our senior estimator moisture-tests your subfloor and inspects conditions during the free consultation, so there are no "unforeseen conditions" to surprise you later. The number on paper is the number on your invoice.

Yes. Our dust containment captures roughly 99.7% of airborne particulate at the source using HEPA-sealed systems. Most refinishing clients sleep at home every night of the job, and our water-based finishes are low-odour and walk-on ready in 2–4 hours.

Your finishes and materials carry their manufacturer warranties — typically 25–35 years on finish, up to 50 years structural — passed through to you in writing, itemized in your contract. If anything in our workmanship isn’t right, we come back and make it right.

A standard 1,000–1,500 sq ft installation takes 5 to 7 working days: moisture testing and acclimation, installation, then sanding, staining and finishing. Refinishing is typically 3–5 days. Your written estimate includes a committed schedule.

Engineered, not solid — the substrate decides it, not the budget. On a concrete slab the assembly is the specification: adhesive, underlayment and acoustic rating are part of the answer, and the slab is moisture-tested with in-situ probes before a board is opened. The full specification is published as our condominium-over-concrete-slab reference installation.

By matching species, width and grain direction first, then trialling stain on site on the actual old boards — never from a single can chosen off a sample. Where boards have to be replaced, repairs are feathered into the surrounding run rather than butted in a straight line. A full sand alone will not hide a species or width mismatch, which is why matching is decided before any machine is switched on.

Installed ranges typically run about $11–$18 per sq ft for new hardwood, $4.75–$7.50 for full sand and finish, and $2.50–$4.00 for a screen and recoat — before stairs, transitions, or moisture remediation. Species, pattern, and substrate move the number. The fixed price is written after a free in-home measure, not from a phone quote.

Dustless means HEPA-sealed extraction at the machine and containment at the room — not a marketing label. Roughly 99.7% of airborne particulate is captured at the source. Most refinishing clients sleep at home every night of the job. Water-based finishes are low-odour and walk-on ready in 2–4 hours.

White oak is more tannin-stable under water-based finishes, takes grey and modern stains more evenly, and is the default for contemporary renovations. Red oak is the heritage Canadian floor with a more open grain. Neither is universally better — substrate, stain target, and traffic decide. See the white-oak guide and the species comparison article for the decision tree.

Yes, when the slab moisture, acoustic assembly, and elevator logistics are specified first. Pattern work multiplies labour and waste; the substrate still decides solid vs engineered. Glue-down engineered over a tested slab is the usual condo path. Building management windows often decide the schedule more than the pattern does.

Ask for a written fixed price after a moisture test, not a phone range. Confirm who actually sands the floor (salaried crew vs revolving subcontractors), which machines run in which order, and whether manufacturer warranties are itemized in the contract. Compare the decision guide on evaluating a hardwood quote before you sign anything.

The substrate decides, not the budget. Plywood over joists can take solid; concrete slabs, radiant heat, and wide humidity swings favour engineered. A generational wear layer only matters where solid is structurally allowed. Walk the solid-vs-engineered guide before you buy material.