How long does installation take?

A typical 1,000 sq ft job takes 3–5 days of install plus 1–3 days of acclimation and sub-floor prep. Site-finished floors add 3–5 days for sanding and finish.

Can I install hardwood myself?

Engineered floating-floor systems are DIY-friendly. Nail-down and glue-down installs are not — the cost of getting it wrong vastly exceeds professional install pricing.

Do you remove old flooring?

Yes — we handle demo, dispose of old material, and prep the sub-floor as part of a turnkey install.

Can hardwood go over existing tile or vinyl?

Sometimes — if the underlying surface is flat, sound, and the finished height works at every threshold. We assess case-by-case.

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Installation• 6 min read

Nail-down, glue-down, or floating — which install method is right?

Quick Answer

Three primary methods, dozens of decisions inside each. A premium product installed wrong will fail. A modest product installed correctly will outperform it for decades.

Detailed Explanation

Nail-down (or staple-down)

The traditional method for solid hardwood over plywood sub-floor. Fasteners drive through the tongue at a precise angle and spacing. Done well, it's quiet, tight, and lasts generations. Done with the wrong fastener length, spacing, or schedule, you get squeaks and movement.

Glue-down

The default for engineered hardwood over concrete and almost always correct over radiant heat. Modern moisture-cured urethane adhesives also act as a vapour retarder. Sub-floor flatness matters enormously here.

Floating

Boards lock to each other but not to the sub-floor, riding on a foam underlayment. Quickest to install. Best suited to specific engineered products with engineered locking systems. Sounds and feels different underfoot than nailed or glued.

What we obsess over before installation day

Sub-floor flatness to manufacturer spec (often 3/16″ over 10′). Moisture readings documented in writing. Correct expansion gap at every vertical surface. Fastener and adhesive selection matched to product and sub-floor. Mock-up of the first three rows for grain, length, and colour variation.

Top 5 Mistakes

What we see go wrong, again and again.

1Skipping sub-floor flatness checks — hollow spots and ridges telegraph through every board.
2Using the wrong fastener length or schedule on nail-down installs.
3Floating hardwood over an uneven sub-floor and then wondering why it clicks.
4Forgetting expansion gap at walls, cabinets, fireplaces, and pipe penetrations.
5Letting the installer pick the adhesive based on what's in the truck, not what the product specifies.

Aaron's Advice

"Ask your installer to show you their moisture readings. If they don't take any, you need a different installer."

— Aaron, President, Cypress Hardwood Flooring

Frequently Asked Questions

What homeowners ask us most.

How long does installation take?: A typical 1,000 sq ft job takes 3–5 days of install plus 1–3 days of acclimation and sub-floor prep. Site-finished floors add 3–5 days for sanding and finish.
Can I install hardwood myself?: Engineered floating-floor systems are DIY-friendly. Nail-down and glue-down installs are not — the cost of getting it wrong vastly exceeds professional install pricing.
Do you remove old flooring?: Yes — we handle demo, dispose of old material, and prep the sub-floor as part of a turnkey install.
Can hardwood go over existing tile or vinyl?: Sometimes — if the underlying surface is flat, sound, and the finished height works at every threshold. We assess case-by-case.

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