Flooring Remodeling
Waterproof Flooring Installation done properly
Waterproof plank has become the default for kitchens, baths and basements, and mostly it deserves it.
What this work involves
Rigid-core products handle spills, pets and humidity in a way laminate never did, and they are far more forgiving underfoot than tile. In a basement, over a slab, they are usually the right answer.
Waterproof describes the plank, not the assembly. Water that gets through the seams still reaches the subfloor and still sits there, so in a bathroom the perimeter and the fixture penetrations still need sealing.
Floating installations need expansion gaps at every wall and a break at large openings. Skipping those is what makes a floor peak in the middle of a room in August.
The sequence on a job like this
- Subfloor flatness and moisture checked, particularly over slab
- Underlayment matched to the product and the substrate
- Expansion gaps at all perimeters and transitions at large openings
- Perimeter and penetrations sealed in wet areas
What we look at before quoting waterproof flooring installation
Every waterproof flooring installation job starts the same way: we look at what the new work has to sit on. Floating installations need expansion gaps at every wall and a break at large openings. Skipping those is what makes a floor peak in the middle of a room in August.
A problem found on the walkthrough is a line item. The same problem found after demolition is a delay and a change order. We prefer to find it the first way.
Worth knowing
The thing that usually goes wrong
No expansion gap at the walls. The floor has nowhere to go when it expands and it lifts in the middle of the room.
The difference between a remodel that lasts and one that looks fine for two years is almost always in the part nobody photographs. What the tile is set on. Whether the framing was corrected before the drywall went up. Whether the decking under the shingles was replaced or covered over.
Want Igor to take a look at your project? Call (678) 665-7771 or reach us online. The walkthrough costs nothing, and you will get an honest answer on scope.
Other flooring work
All of it is on the flooring remodeling services page.
Where we do this work
We cover six counties out of Roswell: Fulton, Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, Gwinnett and DeKalb. That includes Alpharetta, GA, Marietta, GA and Woodstock, GA, and thirty-nine other cities listed on the service areas page.
Have a look at the gallery for finished work, or call (678) 665-7771 and we will come out.
Where the money actually goes
You should know where your money is going, and we will show you in detail once we have walked the job. Until then, any figure we gave you would be made up.
The largest variable is almost always whether things move. Keeping the layout keeps the mechanical work small. Changing it means drains, vents, circuits and often framing.
The second variable is what turns up once things are open. That is why the walkthrough matters and why we look at what we can before quoting rather than after.
Specifying the job
We spend more time on the layers you will never see than on the ones you will. Underlayment and membrane choices rarely come up in a showroom, yet they decide whether a finish lasts ten years or fails early.
So we specify the hidden layers to a standard and let the visible layers follow your budget. That is not a sales position, it is just where the risk actually sits.
If you have already bought materials, bring us in before installation rather than after. Some products are much harder to install well than others and it is better to know in advance.
Permits and inspections
Structural changes, additions, most electrical and plumbing moves, decks and roofs all get permitted where the jurisdiction requires it. We pull them and we meet the inspectors.
Requirements vary across the six counties we work in, sometimes noticeably. What needs a permit in one jurisdiction may not in the next, and setback and zoning rules differ enough to change what is buildable on a given lot.
Unpermitted work causes problems at resale and at insurance claim time. It is not worth the saving, and a project that a contractor wants to keep off the books is telling you something.
After we finish
The end of the job includes a walkthrough where we go over what was done and what it needs from you, which is usually not much.
The parts worth attention are the wet joints, the exterior drainage and anything that moves. Everything else is built to be left alone.
If something needs looking at later, call. Knowing what is behind the finish is worth something, and we do.
Questions people ask
Is waterproof flooring actually waterproof?
The plank is. The assembly is not. Water through the seams still reaches the subfloor and sits there, so in a bathroom the perimeter and the fixture penetrations still get sealed.
Why leave a gap at the walls?
Because a floating floor expands. With nowhere to go it lifts in the middle of the room, usually in the first humid August.
Do you have to remove the old floor first?
Almost always. Floating a new floor over an old one that was never flat just moves the problem up an inch, and it shows within a year.
Who is actually on site?
The same crew, and Igor is on the job rather than running it from a truck somewhere else. That is the difference a smaller shop can offer.
What happens if you find something unexpected?
We stop and show you, the same day, with photos and our plan for fixing it. Nothing goes back behind drywall until you know what is there.
Will we be able to live in the house during the work?
It depends on how much of the house is torn open at once. One room at a time, yes in most cases. For full remodels and larger additions, we talk it through honestly at the walkthrough.
Let us take a look at your waterproof flooring installation project
The first step is a conversation at your house. Book it at (678) 665-7771 or through the contact page. Igor will look at what you have and talk through what you want, then give you an honest sense of the scope. We keep the workload small enough that he can be on site for all of it.