Expert Hardwood Flooring and Installation In Chicago

The Housing Market in Chicago

The Chicago housing market has been supercharged since the beginning of 2020. While home sales and prices may be leveling out soon, it’s not too late to take advantage of the booming sellers’ market.

As of October 2021, the city’s homes are still selling fast and at high prices. Typically after only 28 days on the market, 27.2% of Chicago houses are selling higher than their list prices. Don’t sell yourself short. Adding or re-doing hardwood floors before appraisal and listing is likely to make your home irresistible to potential buyers.

Hardwood floor installation is one of the top home improvement projects for getting buyers’ attention. Most home buyers are willing to pay higher prices for homes with hardwood floors. Realtors agree that homes with wood floors sell easily and for up to 10% higher prices.

Hardwood Installation In Chicago

There are three main types of hardwood flooring a contractor can install depending on your preferences and subfloor:

If you have a plywood subfloor, you can get whichever type you want.
Concrete slab subfloors only accommodate floating and glue-down wood floors, unless you install plywood before nail-down installation, which significantly raises costs.
Lightweight concrete or gypsum can usually handle only floating wood; it’s likely impossible to glue down or add plywood for nail-down.

Floating

Floating wood floors are engineered planks that hold together like a jigsaw puzzle with interlocking edges or glued edges rather than attaching directly to the subfloor. The compressed wood layers in engineered floating planks give them strong durability that rivals solid hardwood.

Walking on floating floors is quite different from other wood floor installations. Floating wood floors have vertical give for a soft, springy feel underfoot. Many homeowners prefer this flexibility, especially in kitchens where people spend more time on their feet.

Acoustical and moisture underlayments for floating wood floors come in cork, rubber, foam, and cellulose fiber, to name a few. But even sound control underlayment won’t eliminate the hollow sound of walking across floating wood floors.

Transition moldings are needed in doorways and openings narrower than four feet to give the floating wood room to expand and contract. But because of the simple installation process that uses materials more sparingly than other options, floating floors are often the least expensive hardwood flooring option.

Nail-Down

The traditional installation method, nailing down solid wood planks, falls between floating and glue-down in price.

The preparation step creates ample space against walls for the wood to breathe, pre-drills nail holes, and arranges planks at the edge of the room before nailing down the first row by hand.

The following rows of planks are staggered to increase floor strength and give the floor a natural-looking pattern. Planks are tightly locked against the first row using a mallet and block.

After the first few rows, the flooring nailer machine nails down the boards. Because flooring nailers are large and require space around them to work, planks closest to the walls are nailed down by hand. Finally, the molding and baseboards are reattached to the walls.

Glue-Down

Glue-down installation uses engineered wood planks. The wood flooring attaches directly to the subfloor, so it feels solid like a nailed-down wood floor.

Additionally, gluing down makes the wood floor stay put, even in sloped, uneven rooms and underneath heavy appliances. The trade-off is that glue-down floor installation is more complicated than floating.

Prep involves getting the wood or concrete subfloor as clean, smooth, and flat as possible, which may include leveling. Door jambs and trims are altered so they will still clear the added height of the wood boards, and baseboards are removed.

With spacers in place, the rows are measured out and arranged with staggered seams. Then, an even layer of adhesive is spread onto the subfloor in small sections before the boards are placed down, the grooves on their edges fit together tightly by tapping and finally using a floor roller.

Hardwood Flooring Styles That We Offer

Our wide selection of hardwood flooring products has something for every homeowner from industry-leading brands like Shaw, Bella Cera, Mohawk, Bruce, and Armstrong.

Choose between eight stunning natural species of wood in a rainbow of colors: American Cherry, Birch, Hickory, Maple, Oak, Pine, and Walnut.

The classic smooth-surface look isn’t for everyone. Those who like wood floors with added texture can take the personalization further with a subtly or heavily scraped, reclaimed/distressed, or wire-brushed look.

Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Chicago

We think of hardwood as being timeless. But after a while, every hardwood floor becomes faded and worn or starts to look dated.

As the most professional Chicago hardwood flooring company, Royal Flooring helps homeowners keep and prolong their well-loved floors by giving them new life through refinishing and restoration.

Our dustless sanding system cleanly erases years of damage and scratches before applying a fresh new stain or seal, then several layers of protectant or surface finish.

Why Choose Us for Hardwood Flooring and Installation In Chicago

The Royal Promise makes Royal Flooring the best flooring store in Chicago by guaranteeing that our customers get the best hardwood flooring services and prices:

Quality Assurance- We schedule the installation when it works for you, even if something comes up. We even check in with you to confirm 48 hours ahead, then again while we’re on our way.
Free In-Home Appointment- Make a no-pressure decision from home and get all the information you need from your free cost estimate. If you’re on a budget, you can take this time to apply for low-payment financing options available for those who qualify.
Low Price Guarantee- If any other flooring store beats our prices within 30 days of your purchase, we pay you back the cost difference plus 10%, hassle-free.
Lifetime Installation Warranty- A Royal Flooring specialist will come back to fix any defects from regular wear and tear.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to choose best wood flooring for my place?

First, find out what type of subfloor you have. That will determine which type of wood flooring will work: floating, nailed or glued.

How do I care for my hardwood floors?

Use a soft bristle broom to sweep and use microfiber to mop and dust. Only use cleaning products specified for wood floors. Protect the surface from sunlight pets’ nails as much as possible.

Why is it important to have a professional install or refinish your hardwood flooring?

Hardwood installations are complicated and require expertise to execute correctly. That’s why Royal Flooring employs trustworthy hardwood flooring contractors with decades of experience.

Do you provide any other services?

Royal Flooring offers more than hardwood flooring services. We satisfy all carpet, laminate, and vinyl flooring needs.

What areas around Chicago do you cover?

As the most helpful hardwood flooring company in the Chicago area, we serve the communities of Joliet, Bolingbrook, Orland Park, Naperville, Littleton, Oak Lawn, and Plainfield.