Hardwood refinishing
Screen and recoat for tired finish, full sanding for scratches and wear, and stain changes tested on your own floor before we commit.
City of Toronto
Flooring installation and refinishing in Scarborough
Scarborough houses tell you when they were built: 1910s to 1950s cottages near the Bluffs, 1950s bungalows inland, and newer towers at the City Centre.
Read the date off the house
You can often tell what a Scarborough floor will need by the year the house went up. Much of the old township was farmland until the late 1940s, then filled with bungalows and backsplits, and the City Centre added towers later. Here is how that plays out, decade by decade.
Before 1950: by the Bluffs
Birch Cliff and Cliffside, along Kingston Road between Victoria Park and Birchmount and east from there, hold the oldest stock: houses from the 1910s through the 1950s in Tudor, Edwardian and Cape Cod styles. Lots are often wide, and brick bungalows are common.
The common job here is a bungalow that has been topped up to two storeys. The original main floor often deserves a refinish, and the new upstairs floor needs to match it. We sample, stain on site and show you before we commit.
The 1950s and 1960s: the big build
Wexford filled in during the 1950s baby boom: storey-and-a-half houses on generous lots, plus plenty of bungalows. Guildwood Village took shape from 1957 on curving streets. Agincourt kept its old village core while postwar bungalows grew around it, and Tam O’Shanter added two-storey homes and ranch bungalows. Backsplits from this period are common across Scarborough.
What this means for floors:
- Hardwood under carpet. Worth checking before you buy anything new.
- Short flights everywhere. Backsplits have several, and stair refinishing keeps every level consistent.
- Basement suites. A backsplit’s separate entrance makes a rental unit easy. Below grade we lean toward vinyl plank after moisture readings, or tile in wet areas.
Later decades: towers and rentals
Around Scarborough City Centre, high-rises and condos have pushed density up since the late 20th century. A condo floor here follows the board’s rules: acoustic underlay, documents and booked elevator time. For rental houses where budget matters, laminate on upper floors is a practical option.
A note on rentals: if tenants are living in the lower unit, we schedule around them and keep dust walls on shared doorways, so the upstairs and downstairs can both carry on while we work.
Before we quote
Every Scarborough quote starts with a measure, moisture readings and a look at the subfloor wherever it can be seen. The quote breaks out removal, underlay, prep, stairs and trims one by one, with a levelling allowance [CONFIRM amount]. If you are closer to Markham or East York, we cover those too. Book your free measure.
Photo placeholder: Refinished oak floor in the living room of a 1950s Scarborough bungalow
Neighbourhoods we cover
- Birch Cliff
- Cliffside
- Guildwood
- Wexford
- Agincourt
- Tam O'Shanter
- West Hill
- Woburn
- Malvern
- Scarborough City Centre
Homes we work on in Scarborough
Birch Cliff and Cliffside, 1910s to 1950s
Brick bungalows, storey-and-a-half houses and two-storey homes along Kingston Road. Many bungalows have been topped up to two storeys, so old and new floors often meet at the stairs.
1950s bungalows and backsplits
Wexford is largely a 1950s baby boom neighbourhood; Guildwood Village took shape from 1957. Backsplits from the 1950s and 1960s are common in Scarborough, often with a separate basement entrance.
City Centre condos
High-rises and condos have gone up around Scarborough City Centre since the late 20th century. Expect a concrete slab and a board approval process.
Flooring considerations in Scarborough
Basement units
Backsplits make a separate basement entrance easy, and many lower levels are rented. A basement floor needs to handle moisture and heavy use, so rigid vinyl or tile on a tested slab is often the right call.
Topped-up bungalows
When a second storey goes on, the new floor upstairs should look like it belongs with the original main floor. We match species, width and stain.
Original oak that only needs sanding
If an older bungalow has carpet on the main floor, lift a corner. Hardwood underneath is worth assessing for refinishing before anything is replaced.
Condo logistics near the City Centre
Board approval, acoustic underlay and elevator booking come first. We prepare the paperwork so the start date holds.
Popular services in Scarborough
Vinyl plank
Luxury vinyl plank and SPC rigid core, clicked together or glued down, for basements, kitchens, rentals and homes with pets and kids.
Staircases
Refinished, capped or rebuilt stairs that match the floors at the top and bottom, priced per step so you can see the total before we start.
Laminate
A hard-wearing, wood-look floor at a lower price, laid over the right underlay with expansion gaps and transitions done properly.
Condo and commercial
Flooring for condo suites, offices, shops and rental units, with board paperwork, acoustic underlay and building logistics handled before the first box arrives.
Flooring in Scarborough: common questions
What flooring is best for a Scarborough basement apartment?
For a rented lower level we usually suggest rigid core vinyl plank or tile: both cope with moisture and heavy use. We check the slab for moisture and flatness first, and price any levelling as a separate line.
We added a second storey to our bungalow. Can the new floors match downstairs?
Usually, yes. We sample the existing floor to identify the species and board width, then stain the new boards on site so the two floors read as one house. Sometimes refinishing the original main floor at the same time gives the closest match.
Do you refinish stairs in Scarborough backsplits?
Yes. Split-level homes have several short flights, and we can refinish, cap or replace treads so they match the floors on each level.
Is laminate a good choice for a Scarborough rental?
It can be, on main and upper floors. Good laminate resists scratches and costs less than hardwood. We would steer you to vinyl plank instead for basements and kitchens where water is a risk.
Get a flooring quote in Scarborough
We reply within one business day [CONFIRM] to book a free in-home measure. Your quote is written and itemized: materials, labour, prep, removal and disposal, so there are no surprises later.
- No obligation and no pressure
- Photos help: you can send them after we reply
- We never share your details
Get a written, itemized quote
Tell us about your floors. We will book a visit, measure, and send a quote that lists every cost up front.