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Footprints Floors is here to answer your flooring contractor FAQs in South Bend.

Flooring Installation FAQs


Flooring Contractor FAQs in South Bend

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There’s no better way to freshen up your space and add value to your home. But before you update your flooring, there are many choices to make. We’ve rounded up some flooring contractor FAQs in South Bend to help you with your decision-making process. If you want more information, check out our web pages dedicated to different kinds of flooring.

No matter the flooring you choose, you can trust the qualified contractors hired by Footprints Floors to do the job right.

FAQs

The first thing to figure out when updating your flooring is what flooring is right for the space. For a bathroom or kitchen where there will be lots of moisture and potentially water on the floor, something like tile or vinyl flooring is ideal because it’s durable and water-resistant. Hardwood flooring is a classic choice for other areas of your home, but you still need to choose between solid or engineered hardwood. Consider the upkeep of different flooring and the wear — do you have young kids or pets? Does the room receive much sun? Answer these questions first to help you decide the kind of flooring that will suit your needs.

It depends! Laminate and vinyl flooring can be installed directly over existing flooring, and solid hardwood can be glued directly onto concrete. Consider factors like the age and condition of your existing flooring and whether it will serve as a sturdy base for new flooring.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not difficult to care for wood flooring. You can simply vacuum hardwood floors to remove grit and debris and use a damp cloth or mop to wipe away dust. To reduce potential scratches, ensure footwear (i.e., heels) has proper plastic caps to prevent scratches, or ask guests to remove their shoes. As a bonus, you can switch up the look of your hardwood floors at any time through staining or refinishing.

You probably bumped into three terms when looking up hardwood flooring online: "painting," "staining," and "refinishing." "Painting" is obvious, but what about the others? A wood stain, usually applied by hand, is used to darken the color of the wood. The "finishing" process involves applying varnish and a coating of sealant, which adds gloss and protects the wood. "Refinishing" is the process of redoing your current flooring finish, revitalizing, and rejuvenating it.

Refinishing or restoring existing wood floors can save you tons of money! If you have old wood flooring that doesn’t look great, it can be tempting to rip it out and start over. But wood flooring is resilient and made to last. Most damage can be repaired, and refinishing or restoring can make wood floors look new. If you’re unsure whether your wood flooring can be saved, the experts at Footprints Floors can assess it.

This is another “it depends” situation. Solid hardwood flooring is more expensive than engineered hardwood. However, solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished more than engineered hardwood, so it may last longer. Engineered hardwood is more affordable and is more resistant to moisture and humidity. If you live in a place with high humidity or greatly varying temperatures, engineered hardwood flooring may be the right choice. Both look beautiful and are easy to take care of.

Laminate flooring is a budget-friendly type of layered flooring that can be made to look like pretty much anything. It’s typically made up of wood fibers compressed into a board or a plywood board. The board is then covered in an “image” layer — basically, a photo of whatever you want the flooring to look like (stone, wood, etc), and a “wear” layer, or protective layer. Some laminate may also have a backing layer made of cork or felt. Laminate is an affordable way to get the look of more expensive wood or stone flooring. It’s pretty durable, making it a great choice for homes with pets or kids, and it’s easy to clean. However, prolonged exposure to water can cause the wood part of the laminate to warp, making it unsuitable for rooms like bathrooms.

Laminate’s wood component makes it susceptible to water damage. Vinyl is an entirely synthetic material, which means it’s waterproof. As long as laminate is installed correctly, it’s fairly water-resistant, but still probably not a suitable choice for bathrooms or mudrooms where water might linger. Vinyl is extremely durable and comes in various of colors, textures, and styles. Both laminate and vinyl are great choices for homes with high traffic from kids and pets, and they’re easy to take care of — but whereas vinyl can go in any room in your home, remember to keep laminate out of the bathroom.

There is a much wider variety of colors, textures, and designs in tile flooring than in hardwood. Tile floors have a lifespan of over a century. Whether you're looking for a traditional or modern look, there is a tile pattern to suit you. Regarding durability, aesthetics, maintenance, and cost, tile is an excellent choice. It's also considered one of the most eco-friendly options for flooring in your home.

Ceramic tiles are made up of clay or other minerals that have been tightly compressed and heated in an oven. They can be glazed or unglazed and come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles that have been heated at an even greater temperature, making them more durable and less porous. Porcelain tiles are better suited for rooms with high moisture content like bathrooms, but their durability makes them an excellent choice for any room. However, ceramic tile is more affordable and still offers great durability.

We hope these flooring contractor FAQs in South Bend have been helpful to you as your start your flooring journey. Contact Footprints Floors for a free estimate when you've found flooring you love. You can feel confident in a job well done with our licensed and certified contractors.

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Footprints Floors provides flooring installation services in South Bend for both old and new homes. We handle the demolition and removal of the old flooring, as well as the necessary prep work for new flooring. We will even remove baseboards and reinstall them after completing the flooring installation.

Covering everything from design and installation to clean up, our team helps increase the value of your property with brand new hardwood floors. Contact us today to request a free estimate!

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What Our Customers Say

I am very impressed with their work ethic and communication. I had a strict time limit and they were able to accomplish quality work and kept to the schedule. I am very happy with my bathroom remodel and living room floors.
Alvaro Medina 09/12/23 — google
The guys were on time, ready to get to work and they not only did a quick and efficient job.
Karen Nelsen 08/11/23 — google
Ed Harris and his team was awesome they did a good job remodeling my bathroom. I would recommend them to family and friends.
dominick Harris 07/31/23 — google
Ed and his team came to do a bathroom remodel and absolutely knocked it out the park.I'm very pleased with the how it came out and the efficiency of how things were to get the bathroom done. I recommend Ed to family and friends.
Jayden Arroyo 07/31/23 — google
Ed Harris and his team are outstanding! They refinished my hardwood floor back to new. I also had new flooring installed and they are gorgeous. I will call them again and again for floors. In three months my wife plans to remodel our master bathroom, Ed and his team will do all the work. Thanks for a great Job Ed.
Matthew Weaver 07/30/23 — google
Amazing Company! Steve and his staff did an excellent job for me. Good work during install and left rooms nice and clean. Great service and communication - quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. I definitely recommend Footprints Floors of Michiana!
Sylvia McKenna 02/5/23 — google
Amazing Company! Good work, Great service and communication quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. Definitely will be using them on other projects.
Edwin Schneider 02/1/23 — google
Amazing Company! Good work during install and left rooms nice and clean. Great service and communication - quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. Definitely will be using them on other projects.
Edwin Schneider 02/1/23 — google
The service was fast and professional. Steven did an excellent job and I'd hire him again.
Diana Holloway 01/31/23 — google
Amazing Company! Good work during install and left rooms nice and clean. Great service and communication - quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. Definitely will be using them on other projects.
Carolyn Brown 01/30/23 — google
The service was fast and professional. Steven did an excellent job, and I'd hire him again.
Diana Holloway 01/29/23 — google
This company is very professional and honest from start to finish.
Mary Huss 01/29/23 — google
The service was fast and professional. Steven did an excellent job, and I'd hire him again.
James Tanner 01/26/23 — google
They do their work professionally and take decisions like experts. Their team is highly trained for customer service. I am really impressed with the Footprints Floors company!
Charles Meyer 01/26/23 — google
I love working with the Footprints Floors team - they are more like partners in our work then anything else. Highly recommend!
Aaron Shepard 01/26/23 — google
This is the place you should go for your next Flooring job :) If I could give them ten stars, I would. Wow! What an incredible service! I feel like I'm staying in a new home, and that is thanks to the Footprints Floors Team! I was a new customer, and I will most definitely be back!!!
Dana Clark 01/26/23 — google
Two thumbs up to the Footprints Floors Team. Very professional and friendly staff. Customer service is their number 1 quality. I highly recommend the Footprints Floors Team for all your Flooring needs.
Lois Strauss 01/26/23 — google
Great Job, does what it says on label AAA+++
John Nagle 01/26/23 — google
Great customer service. Took care of everything and made the process very simple.
Tami Rotter 01/26/23 — google
Great service and communication - quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. This company is amazing! Good work during install and left rooms nice and clean. Definitely will be using them on other projects.
Ronald Ryan 01/26/23 — google

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Customer Satisfaction


Footprints Floors is a one-of-a-kind residential flooring installation and restoration business. We offer high quality flooring installations and, with over a decade of dedication, we have quickly become the largest flooring contractor by striving to bring a higher level of customer service and sophistication to an industry where it was severely lacking. Our family-owned business is focused on customer satisfaction and quality results, all while passing savings on to you and yours through our low overhead model.

Footprints Floors is a one-of-a-kind residential flooring installation and restoration business. We offer high quality flooring installations and, with over a decade of dedication, we have quickly become the largest flooring contractor by striving to bring a higher level of customer service and sophistication to an industry where it was severely lacking. Our family-owned business is focused on customer satisfaction and quality results, all while passing savings on to you and yours through our low overhead model.

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