Overview: Hardwood Floor Installation & Refinishing
Wood floors in Canada ride a yearly cycle. The furnace dries the air all winter, the boards shrink, and thin gaps open between them. Humid summer air swells them shut again. That's normal movement, and a good crew will ask about your humidity before it talks about stain colour.
Health Canada advises keeping indoor humidity in a moderate middle range to keep mould away, neither bone dry nor damp. Wood floors happen to like that same range. A humidifier on the furnace in winter and a dehumidifier in a damp basement do more for the boards than any finish.
Over a concrete slab, engineered boards are the safer pick, and the slab gets a moisture test first. In a condo, read the building's rules before anyone orders wood, since some want a sound-control underlay and approval in advance. In Quebec, ask for the contractor's Régie du bâtiment licence number and look it up.
Our listings show what each flooring contractor says on its own website about installing, sanding and refinishing wood. Choose your province, then your city, to reach crews that work on wood floors in your area.
What does hardwood flooring cost in Canada?
Compare installed flooring with refinishing, using the same measured area and a separate allowance for subfloor repairs.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Solid hardwood supplied and installed | C$11–C$21per sq ft of finished floor | Straight-lay, prefinished solid wood on a sound wood subfloor; named species and grade.Confirm the purchased quantity, waste allowance, trim and transitions in the installed total; do not compare material-only prices.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified flooring; Straight-lay installation Budget separately or confirm: Subfloor repair; Old floor removal |
| Engineered hardwood supplied and installed | C$9–C$20per sq ft of finished floor | Named engineered product, straight layout and manufacturer-approved fixing method.Confirm the purchased quantity, waste allowance, trim and transitions in the installed total; do not compare material-only prices.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Flooring; Specified installation system Budget separately or confirm: Levelling; Stairs |
| Sand and refinish existing wood | C$4.50–C$7.50per sq ft | Sandable existing hardwood; clear finish on an open, emptied floor.Confirm that the remaining wood layer can be sanded and how many finish coats are included. Repairs, staining and furniture moving are separate.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Sanding; Specified finish coats Budget separately or confirm: Board replacement; Colour staining |
| Screen and recoat existing finish | C$1.50–C$4per sq ft | Suitable existing finish without deep damage; compatibility confirmed before work.A recoat renews a compatible surface finish; it does not remove deep scratches or stains. Confirm the minimum project charge.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Surface preparation; Specified topcoat Budget separately or confirm: Full sanding; Deep stain removal |
| Existing floor removal | C$1–C$4per sq ft | Remove non-hazardous nailed-down hardwood; accessible rooms, disposal quoted separately.Removal is labour only. Disposal is extra, and a minimum project charge can outweigh the per-square-foot calculation.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Removal labour Budget separately or confirm: Disposal and hazardous-material handling; Subfloor repairs |
What changes the price
- Species, grade, plank width, installation pattern and finish system.
- Subfloor flatness, moisture, adhesive removal and damaged boards.
- Stairs, occupied rooms, furniture handling and minimum project charge.
Ask before accepting a quote
- What finished area and purchased quantity are you charging for, including waste, trim and transitions?
- What moisture and flatness checks happen before you approve the subfloor?
- Can this floor be refinished, and what work would still be visible afterwards?
Compare the achievable result
- A recoat refreshes a suitable surface; it does not remove deep scratches or repair damaged boards.
- Compare refinishing and replacement with matching furniture, trim and disposal allowances.
Canadian context
Ask for the product's indoor humidity requirements and any acclimatisation allowance before scheduling installation.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
Solid boards or engineered?
Engineered, for anything over concrete, which covers most basements and condo slabs. Its layered core moves less than solid wood through a year of dry furnace heat and humid summers. Solid boards suit a wood subfloor on the main floor and can be sanded many times over. Ask how thick the real wood top layer is, because that decides how many refinishes the floor has in it.
Why does the wood have to sit first?
Because boards that spent January in a cold warehouse or truck hold a different amount of moisture than your heated house. Fit them straight away and they'll shrink or swell in place, opening gaps or lifting edges. A careful crew leaves the wood in the room with the heat on as usual, then checks the boards and the subfloor with a moisture meter. Over a slab, the concrete gets tested too.
Are gaps between the boards every winter a problem?
Usually they're just the season. Heating dries the air, each board gives up moisture and shrinks a little, so hairline gaps show up in winter and close by summer. Wide gaps that stay open all year, or boards that cup, point to a real moisture problem underneath. A humidifier narrows the winter gaps. Skip the wood filler on seasonal gaps, since swelling boards will squeeze it back out.
Which season suits refinishing a wood floor?
Late spring and early fall are the easy months. You can open windows to clear the smell, and the air is neither furnace dry nor muggy. Winter jobs work too, but you'll be airing out a closed house, and cold rooms slow the finish. Health Canada's advice for any renovation with chemicals is to open windows or run exhaust fans during and after the work, and to keep children away.
When can furniture go back on the floor?
Ask the crew for two times: when you can walk on it in socks, and when the finish has fully cured. Socks usually come within a day. Curing takes longer, and a cool house in shoulder season stretches it further, so keep the heat at normal room temperature. Put felt pads on every chair and table leg. Wait until the finish has cured before rugs go down, or they can leave a shadow.
