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How Long Does it Take to Install Hardwood Floors?

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Insights from Your Trusted Hardwood Flooring Experts in Calgary

Wondering how long it can take to install hardwood floors for your Calgary home? While a lot depends on the coverage area, there are several other factors that may impact the timelines of your project. One of the single most critical aspects that influences the time to install wooden floors is whether you go for finished or unfinished hardwood.

As one of the best hardwood floor installers in Calgary, the experts at Bull Tough Flooring offer some insights into the installation process and time.

Factors that Influence Hardwood Floor Installation Time

As a rule of thumb, prefinished hardwood floor may take longer to arrive but requires very little time to install, whereas unfinished hardwood will arrive quickly, but involves a time-consuming installation process. Here’s a quick look at the processes for both options.

For Prefinished Hardwood: For around 1,000-square foot coverage, the average installation time once the wood arrives on site is between 1 to 5 days. This excludes the time needed for floor removal and floor prep, if any.

  • Once you place the order, it can take between 1 and 3 weeks for the wood to arrive. If you need a specialty item or transitional pieces, the delivery could, at times, take longer.
  • Next, the hardwood goes through an acclimatization period, typically 2 days for most woods and 5 to 7 days for denser woods, such as Brazilian wood. This step ensures that the wood adjusts to the humidity and temperatures in your home.
  • Post acclimatization, the installation process takes 1 to 4 days, depending on the size and complexity of the area to be covered, as well as the laying pattern that you choose (straight, diagonal, herringbone, etc.).
  • Prior to installation, if there is any removal of furniture or old flooring involved, add about half a day for carpet or laminate removal, and 1 full day for ripping off tile. Based on the condition of the flooring after stripping off the old materials, the installers may need to carry out additional prep, the timing of which is unpredictable. It could be as little as an additional hour or as long as 2 extra days.

For Unfinished Hardwood: For a 1,000-square foot area, the average installation time once the wood arrives on site is between 4 to 10 days. This includes one full day for drying, and excludes additional time for old floor rip up or floor prep, if any. Any other unexpected factors, such as sub-floor damage or humidity could impact the timelines.

  • Once you place the order, the wood may arrive within 1 to 3 days, except for any special orders, such as extra wide or extra-long boards, which could take an extra week.
  • The hardwood needs about 2 days to acclimitize as the moisture content in your chosen wood materials should ideally match with the air in your home.
  • Installation time is almost the same as that for prefinished wood, even though it is a little easier to nail unfinished wood than a prefinished one.
  • Add another 3 to 5 days for sanding and refinishing, depending on the area covered, humidity levels, stain color usage, number of coats of poly.

Keep in mind that if you are undertaking multiple renovation projects at the same time, then the order of the projects is critical in order to avoid delays or extra costs.

Fantastic Wooden Floors by the Best Hardwood Floor Installers in Calgary

At Bull Tough Flooring, we offer installation, refinishing, repairs and maintenance for hardwood flooring in Calgary. Whether you choose prefinished or unfinished wooden floors, our qualified and licensed flooring professionals complete the hardwood floor installation in a quick, efficient and hassle-free manner. We promise quality materials, advanced installation techniques and minimal disruption to your routine. Typically, for a 500-square foot area, our crew will complete the job in under 2 days. For a 1,000-square foot coverage, our turnaround time is around 3 to 5 days.

Our top-notch workmanship, professional finishes and customer focused approach has earned us much recognition, including awards for “Calgary’s Best Hardwood Flooring Company” several times in the past ten years.

The experienced flooring professionals at Bull Tough Flooring will be happy to answer all your queries. For more information about hardwood flooring services in Calgary, call 403-975-2579. You can also complete our online form to request an instant quote.

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Prefinished Versus Unfinished Hardwood Flooring

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Calgary’s Best Hardwood Floor Installers Explain the Difference

Installing hardwood flooring in your Calgary home is an excellent choice. Not only will it add warmth and charm to your spaces, but wooden flooring is also highly durable and easy to clean and maintain. While selecting the wood type, shade, grain pattern, and plank width, you will also need to decide whether you want to install unfinished or prefinished hardwood.

While both options have their advantages and disadvantages, the hardwood floor installers at Bull Tough Flooring offer some insights. 

Pros and Cons of Prefinished and Unfinished Hardwood Floors

When prefinished hardwood flooring comes in factory packed boxes, it is already sanded, stained and coated with polyurethane, and simply has to be cut and nailed to the subfloor. Unfinished flooring is raw hardwood, which the installers will sand and refinish on site.

Here are some of the pros and cons of each option:

  • Installation Time: Prefinished hardwood flooring has minimal downtime. Not only is it quicker and easier to install, but you can place furniture or walk over the flooring immediately after installation. For unfinished hardwood flooring, the installation may run into several days due to the multiple steps involved in sanding on site. There is also a post-installation wait time before you can put furniture back on the floor or allow your pets to run around in that space.
  • Installation Process: While prefinished floors involve a straightforward unpack and install process, unfinished flooring requires extensive sanding and application of an oil-based polyurethane. With unfinished hardwood, you may have to deal with dust, mess, intense chemical smells, and longer downtimes.
  • Post-Installation Look: Since they are factory-finished, each plank of the prefinished hardwood features a beveled edge, which means once you install it, there will be a groove between each board. Unfinished hardwood has no beveling. Due to the onsite sanding and finishing, the completed look is perfectly smooth and flat with no visible lines or grooves. There is something truly beautiful about unfinished hardwood finished onsite, especially if you bring in experienced hardwood flooring professionals for installation.
  • Finishing Options: Unfinished floors offer a wide range of wood species, innumerable stain colors, and a host of possibilities in the finishes. In comparison, prefinished floors have a much narrow set of options to choose from.
  • Cleaning: The beveled edges of prefinished floors may act as a trap for dirt, dust and grime which can be slightly more difficult to clean than the smooth, leveled floors that you get with unfinished hardwood finished on-site.
  • Existing Floor Matching: Adding wooden flooring to select spaces in the home and wish to match that to other existing hardwood floors? Unfinished hardwood with on-site finishing by Calgary’s best hardwood floor installers will allow you to get an exact match for the wood type, stains or colors, and finishing. 

 
Expert Hardwood Flooring Installations in Calgary

For an extensive range of reliable and affordable hardwood flooring services in Calgary, look no further than Bull Tough Flooring. From installation and maintenance, to repairs and refinishing, we cater to all aspects of the wooden flooring lifecycle. Our team consists of the best hardwood floor installers in Calgary with decades of experience in floor preparation, installation and finishing for prefinished as well as unfinished hardwood. We usually complete installation projects under 500-square feet within two days and projects averaging around 1000-square feet in three to five days. Our expert crew ensures quality finishes and a thorough post job cleanup.

Happy homeowners in and around Calgary vouch for our quality workmanship, timely project completion, and consistent customer service.

Looking for the best hardwood floor installers near you? Count on the professionals at Bull Tough Flooring. Call 403-975-2579 to learn more about hardwood flooring installation in Calgary or contact us to request an instant quote.