Flooring Contractors: A Comprehensive Guide On How to Choose the Best Option For You

Whether you’re looking to install new flooring in an office building, at home, or are just looking to get your current flooring spruced up, any flooring project is difficult and can be frustrating. Unless you work in the flooring industry or have preexisting knowledge of all its ins and outs, even knowing where to start is tough. You have to choose a type of flooring, know how to properly take care of it, know how much material to purchase, and find someone to install it.

However, what if we told you this didn’t have to be a complicated process? Hiring a flooring contractor takes all the guesswork and stress out of having your floor refurbished or installed. There are many services a flooring contractor can provide for you; all you need to do is choose one to fit your needs! And it’s okay if you don’t know how to do that- Eco Flooring is here to help.

This comprehensive guide will tell you all about what a flooring contractor is and what services flooring contractors provide. You’ll learn a little bit about what a flooring installation project looks like from start to finish, as well as the process of refurbishing an existing floor. We’ll also give you some factors to consider when selecting a flooring contractor, so you get the best contractor that suits your needs.

What is a flooring contractor?

Before we get into all the details and technical jargon regarding flooring projects, let’s take a look at what a flooring contractor is. You may even have a good idea of what a flooring contractor is- and that’s great! 

A flooring contractor is a company or group of individuals that are certified and have experience in the industry of flooring. Different flooring contractors provide different services based on what they specialize in, which we’ll expand on in the next section. Most flooring contractors can take the ideas you have for your residential/commercial projects and design a flooring concept, order materials, and install those materials according to the project plan you both agree on. Many offer refurbishing services as well, although some may just be focused on new installations.

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Services different flooring contractors provide

Now that you have a better idea of what a flooring contractor is, let’s take a look at the different services they provide! These services vary by organization terms, education, and experience.

Residential Flooring Removal

One service that many flooring contractors provide is flooring removal in residential areas. Residential areas are usually defined as the area that needs flooring removal in one’s home. Residential floor removal is going to cost less than commercial floor removal and is much less involved than commercial removal services are. This is because the area where the floor is removed is smaller! 

Certain contractors specialize purely in residential flooring services, while some specialize in both residential and commercial floor services. Contractors that specialize in only residential flooring may be able to provide more recommendations to you regarding your flooring plan, as they have specialized knowledge in the residential flooring industry.

Additionally, contractors who include residential floor removal may also include the moving of your furniture to and from the area that the floor is being removed from. However, whether or not the contractor provides this service is up to them. Some do provide this as part of a maintenance package, some include extra fees to help move furniture, and some don’t provide furniture removal. 

Residential Flooring Installation

Going right along with the previous section, another service that flooring contractors provide is the installation of flooring in residential areas. This can be for your home, smaller businesses that work out of smaller spaces, and other areas that aren’t as large as a department store, for example.

Commercial Flooring Refurbishing

The same thing can be said for commercial floor restoration as flooring installation. Although it may not seem like it because all there is are people fixing broken floors, commercial spaces have different rules and standards they’re held to. Therefore floor restoration for commercial spaces will look different than residential floor restoration.

Most flooring contractors that offer other commercial flooring services will offer commercial restoration services too. Some flooring contractors completely specialize in just restoration, offering services to residential and commercial areas alike. And some, especially larger contractors, specialize in everything from residential removal to commercial installation.

Residential Flooring Refurbishing

While some flooring contractors specialize in new flooring installation, some may offer residential floor refurbishing as well. Floor restoration involves repairing damaged or old floors to make them in better condition again. Although they’re related, floor restoration and installation are different tasks that require different materials and levels of expertise. Not all contractors that offer residential installation offer restoration services and vice versa, while some offer both. It’s always best to double check which services a contractor offers before hiring them.

Commercial Flooring Removal

The next type of floor service that’s common to see is commercial flooring removal. Flooring removal for a commercial building includes larger, non-residential areas. Examples of commercial buildings include department stores, government buildings, hotels, and other areas that are generally thought of as being outside the intimate home space. Commercial floor removal is more expensive than residential floor removal and takes a different level of expertise because there’s a wider area to cover as well as potentially different building laws that commercial properties have to adhere to.

Commercial Flooring Installation

Commercial flooring installation is far different from residential installation. Residential spaces are smaller, more customizable, and more intimate to the person who owns the home. Commercial spaces on the other hand have to adhere to building codes, reflect the business’s image, and be welcoming to all groups of people instead of being very personalized to one person’s liking. 

There are many flooring contractors that purely specialize in all things commercial flooring, while some specialize in both residential and commercial flooring. Additionally, the flooring process looks different from start to finish when comparing a residential space and a commercial space.

Specializations in Specific Flooring Materials

Now that we’ve talked about all the different flooring services ranging from residential to commercial spaces, there’s one specialization left that you may not know about. Believe it or not, certain flooring contractors specialize in removing, installing, and refurbishing specific flooring materials. 

For example, some flooring contractors specialize in different types of hardwood floors, stone, laminate, carpet, and even other tile options. Even the folks here at Eco Flooring specialize in the best eco-friendly materials there are. While we don’t currently offer carpet installations, we do install more than 20 types of wood, tile, and stone that allow us to support the environment around us! If you’re interested in seeing the products we carry, refer to this website for more information.

The Flooring Installation Process From Start to Finish

Every flooring project is different, which means that each flooring installation process will look a little different from start to finish. However, here are some general steps you can expect to happen when your new floor is installed.

Step One

Creating a Design and Contract With Flooring Specialists

The first step contributing to the success of any flooring project is starting with an idea. Typically, you should expect to meet with your flooring contractor (probably more than once) to discuss the type of flooring you’re installing, pricing, furniture removal (if applicable), the actual installation process, and many more things. 

It’s at this point in the process that the flooring contractor will create a physical floor plan and contract to finalize details and get them in writing so there is no confusion or miscommunication anywhere along the way.

Step Two

Removal of Furniture

If you’re building a brand new home and are having flooring directly installed from the get-go, this step doesn’t apply to you and you can skip down to step four.

However, if you’re having your existing floors demolished, removed, and having new flooring installed, this step is for you. Before the new installation can take place, either the homeowners or the flooring contractor are going to remove the existing furniture and appliances away from the area that’s being worked on. While they install flooring, the old furniture will be stored away in another room until it can be safely moved back.

Step Three

Demolition and Removal of Old Flooring

Now comes the fun part. Let the demolition begin! At this point in the installation process, your flooring contractors are going to demolish your existing floors and remove the floor covering debris, disposing of it according to code. After the old flooring is gone and debris is removed, the contractors will clean the area to ensure they didn’t miss any flooring.

Step Four

Preparing the Surface For New Flooring Additions

After all the old flooring is removed, it’s time to prepare the surface for the new flooring. This usually involves sweeping and cleaning the old floor. This ensures there’s no dust, dirt, debris, or adhesive left behind from the old flooring and that the surface is as clean as possible in preparation for the new floor.

Step Five

Installation of the New Flooring

Now your flooring contractors can install the new flooring! How long this part of the process takes depends on how large the area is that the flooring is installed on. With numerous people working in a coordinated fashion, it can be a quick and seamless process. 

The flooring is placed onto a surface with adhesive on it and sealed with grout (if using a tile or stone type of flooring). There may be curing times or a set amount of time the new flooring needs to lie untouched so the adhesive can fully try and settle into place. Most flooring contractors recommend that the new flooring is left untouched for 24-48 hours before the furniture is moved back and you can use it.

Step Six

Post-Installation Cleanup and Care Instructions Provided

After the flooring is cured and ready to go, it’s time to make any final touch-ups and clean the new surface. Although it is new flooring, installation can get dusty and dirty which is why it’s always a good idea to clean new flooring once it’s cured. Once the final cleaning is completed, the furniture and appliances can be moved back to their original positions.

Your flooring contractors may give you specific care instructions for the floor, like how to clean it and take care of it to extend its lifespan as much as possible.

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How floors are restored

How floors are restored largely depends on the type of flooring you have, as each type requires different materials and processes to restore them. The following steps are more general, giving you an idea of what you can expect during your flooring restoration project.

Step One

Creating a Contract With Flooring Experts

As with flooring installation, the first thing that you need to do with your flooring contractors is create a plan that details the restoration process. First, the flooring contractor will come out to your home and complete a walkthrough of the space, writing down details such as the size of the restoration, detailing the space’s damage, and making calculations as to how much material they’ll need to complete the job.

After they figure out the specifics, they’ll create a contract that’ll tell both of you numerous things, including:

  • Size and time of the job
  • Materials used in the job
  • Specific processes they’re going to do
  • Pricing
  • Many more things

Step Two

Removing Any Furniture

After the contract is signed and you receive a copy of it, it’s time to remove the furniture and appliances that sit on the floor that’s going to be restored. This gives the flooring contractors ample opportunity to restore all portions of the floor, including spaces that may be hidden from the human eye.

Step Three

Restoration Begins

Once the playing field is open, it’s time to begin the restoration. This is where the flooring contractors work their magic, performing all the steps they need to ensure your floor is looking like it just got installed for the first time. They’ll repair broken flooring, clean up stained grout, and many more things. Once complete with all the different restoration tasks, they’ll do a final walkthrough to clean the surface.

Depending on how much flooring was replaced, there may be a time period of 24-48 hours that the flooring needs to be left untouched so the new material can fully dry and cure.

Step Four

Furniture is Moved Back, Care Instructions Provided

After the final cleaning is complete and flooring is cured, your furniture and appliances are moved back to their original positions. You’ll get care instructions on how to properly look after and clean your new flooring as well as any other last-minute information.

What to consider when choosing a flooring contractor

Now that you know a little bit more about the flooring process and the different services flooring experts offer, let’s take a look at what you need to consider when choosing a flooring contractor for your project. Different contractors are better suited for different jobs, and that’s completely okay! It’s better to do more work now and find one that’s perfect for you than figure out later on that they can’t best serve your needs.

Identify Whether They Service Residential Areas, Commercial Spaces, or Both

The first thing you need to consider when searching for different flooring contractors is the type of spaces they service. If you’re looking to get a commercial building installed with new flooring, it probably wouldn’t be much help to you to look at options that only service residential areas. 

While you’re performing your searches, it may be helpful to include keywords in the search bar so you receive results tailored specifically to what you need. For example, if you’re getting your home’s flooring refurbished, enter this into the search bar: “Residential flooring restoration near me”. This way, the search engine will likely filter through anything that includes only commercial restoration services. 

Before requesting consultations and spending money on estimates, it’s always a good idea to double-check whether or not you’ve got the right type of flooring contractor. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

 

Identify the Flooring They Specialize In

If you have an idea of the type of flooring you want to be installed, keep this in mind while looking for a flooring contractor. Say you want to have stone tile installed in your home’s kitchen. Contractor A specializes in wood flooring only, while Contractor B specializes in stone and wood flooring. It wouldn’t be wise to contact Contractor A, because they don’t have the type of flooring you want!

Many flooring contractors are also willing to give you samples or show you pictures of previous installations using the type of flooring you want, too. An excellent flooring contractor is always willing to talk about their previous work and make recommendations to you based on your wants/needs. If you’re talking to a hesitant flooring contractor or one who just won’t give you the time of day, it’s probably wise to look elsewhere.

 

Look At What’s Included in Their Packages and Pricing

Each flooring contractor is different, which means that each will have different services included in their installation and restoration packages. Some may be full-service, providing furniture and appliance removal, demolition, installation, and cleanup. Others may only demolish and install the new floor, leaving the furniture up to you to move. 

Additionally, the way that flooring contractors price their projects varies from company to company. Some include the price of materials in their packaging, while others don’t. Some may go off of the square feet of installation and may sort out labor and materials as separate charges. Whatever the case may be, a good flooring contractor should always be willing to work with you and be open about their pricing so both of you have an understanding of the costs. 

 

Read Testimonials and Customer Reviews

Consumers never lie, especially when they’ve had major renovations made to their homes such as flooring installation or restoration. Reading testimonials from their website as well as reviews on Google and other online forums will give you an honest idea of the reputation that specific flooring contractor has. Chances are you’ll get a clue about their customer service and customer interaction levels, as well. Generally, if a flooring contractor has overwhelmingly positive reviews, it’s likely that they’re true to their name. If a contractor doesn’t have the best ratings and barely has testimonials on their website, it may be a good idea to look elsewhere.

 

Look at Their Experience, Education, Insurance, and Licensing

One of the most important things you should research when looking at different flooring contractors is their experience, education, insurance, and licensing. Even if a contractor is just starting their business, a prepared contractor will have proper insurance, licensing, and education that proves on paper they’re qualified for the job at hand. 

These types of things also provide you protection as well as them too, in case anything goes awry during the installation or restoration of your flooring.

 

Don’t Be Afraid to Interview or Schedule Consultations

Finally, don’t be afraid to interview flooring contractors or ask them questions. Excellent contractors will always be there to help, and won’t be hesitant to answer your questions or concerns. This also gives you an opportunity to witness firsthand how they work with their customers. Do they provide timely, well-thought-out responses? Or do they take days to respond without answering all of your questions?

Generally, if you are comfortable with a flooring contractor, find it easy to converse with them, and think they’ll provide good services, they’re a good choice for you.

 

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Concluding thoughts

Finding the perfect flooring contractor to fit your next flooring project doesn’t have to be a hassle. After reading this article, we hope you were able to find some useful information that helps you embark on your flooring journey! If you’re still looking for a flooring contractor to help you achieve the floor of your dreams, Eco Flooring USA would love to help you out. 

The team at Eco Flooring has done more than 1,000 projects installing and refurbishing floors with the highest-quality eco-friendly materials. Not only are we a team of passionate experts, but we’re local too! Born and raised in Duluth, Georgia, Eco Flooring USA serves local areas all around Duluth. Our flooring installation and restoration services are better for you, your pets, and the environment. We’d love to welcome you to the team so we can give you an excellent flooring experience. Contact us here so we can get to know you and help you out.