Best Basement Flooring for GTA Homes: What Holds Up Below Grade
The best basement flooring for GTA homes copes with a cold slab, damp air and the odd leak. Compare vinyl plank, tile, laminate and engineered wood.
Blog
Straight answers about hardwood, vinyl, laminate, tile and stairs, written for homeowners in Toronto and the GTA.
Choosing Flooring
Which floor suits the room, the building and the people living on it.
Best Flooring for Dogs and Pets: Claws, Accidents and Grip
The best flooring for dogs resists claws and accidents and gives older paws some grip. See how vinyl, laminate, tile and hardwood rank in a pet home.
Best Flooring for Toronto Condos: What Works on a Concrete Slab
The best flooring for Toronto condos suits concrete, meets your board’s sound rule and handles dry winters. Compare vinyl, engineered wood and laminate.
Best Kitchen Flooring: Tile, Vinyl, Laminate or Wood?
The best kitchen flooring takes spills, dropped pans and hours of standing. Compare porcelain tile, vinyl plank, laminate and engineered wood.
Comparisons
Two materials, or two options, side by side.
Engineered Hardwood vs Vinyl Plank: Which Floor Fits Your Home?
Engineered hardwood vs vinyl plank for GTA homes: compare water, scratches, sound, basements and resale, and see which floor suits each room you own.
Laminate vs Vinyl Flooring: Water, Wear and Where Each One Works
Laminate vs vinyl flooring for GTA homes: compare water, scratch ratings, sound and feel, and find out which suits your kitchen, basement and bedrooms.
Refinish or Replace Hardwood Floors? A 7-Point Floor Check
Refinish or replace hardwood floors? Seven checks, from the vent-cover test to cupping and pet stains, show whether your floor can be sanded or must go.
Stairs & Design
Staircases, patterns and the details that make a floor look planned.
Carpet to Hardwood Stairs: Your Options, Step by Step
Switching carpet to hardwood stairs? Compare refinishing and recapping, pick nosing, risers and rails, and follow each step of a GTA stair makeover.
Herringbone Floor Layout: Direction, Centring, Borders and Size
Plan a herringbone floor layout that looks right: which way to run it, how to centre it, when to add a border and how to meet a straight plank floor.
Planning Your Install
Contractors, timelines and condo paperwork, before the crew arrives.
Condo Flooring Sound Rating: IIC, STC and Board Approval in Toronto
A condo flooring sound rating decides which floor your board approves. Learn IIC vs STC, tested assemblies and the paperwork Toronto boards ask for.
How Long Does Flooring Installation Take? A Room-by-Room Timeline
How long does flooring installation take? Most rooms take one to three days. See what adds time, the steps from first call to handover and how to prep.
How to Choose a Flooring Contractor: A GTA Homeowner’s Checklist
How to choose a flooring contractor in the GTA: what a written quote should list, who installs the floor, insurance checks and the red flags to avoid.
How to Get an Accurate Flooring Quote Online
Get an accurate flooring quote online: how to measure each room, which photos to send and the details that change the price, before your free measure.
How to Prepare for Your Free Flooring Measure
Prepare for a flooring measure in 20 minutes: what to clear, what to show the installer, which questions to ask and what happens before your quote.
Inside Luxury Flooring
News from our team, and how we run the business behind your floor.
Our New Website: How BuildSites Built It, and What It Does for You
Our new website was designed and built by BuildSites. See what we asked for, how quote requests reach us, and what changed for GTA homeowners.
Ready to get started?
Tell us about the rooms, the floor you have in mind and your timing. We’ll measure, talk through options with you and send a written quote.
