Hardwood floor installation in Toronto

Solid hardwood, nailed to a proper base

Solid hardwood is one piece of wood from top to bottom, usually three quarters of an inch thick. That thickness is the whole point. A solid floor can be sanded back to bare wood several times over the decades, so the floor you install now can be refinished for a new look long after the first finish wears.

It suits houses with a wood subfloor: detached and semi-detached homes, townhouses, and upper storeys of older houses where plywood or plank subfloor sits over joists. It is the wrong product for a concrete condo slab or a damp basement. In those spaces, engineered hardwood gives you a real wood surface on a more stable core.

Choosing the look

Choosing a solid floor usually comes down to three questions.

• Species. White oak leads for its grain and how well it takes stain. Red oak has a warmer, pinker tone. Maple is smooth and pale. Walnut is darker and softer, so it shows dents sooner.
• Width. Narrow strip suits many older homes. Wide plank reads as more modern, but wider solid boards move more as seasons change, so we plan fastening and acclimation around that.
• Pattern. Straight lay is the most economical. Herringbone and chevron need a careful layout line, more cuts and more waste, and they reward the extra effort in a front hall or dining room.

Brands and species we stock: [CONFIRM].

What happens under the boards

The finished floor is only as good as what it sits on. In many older Toronto houses, the old floor comes up to reveal a subfloor that dips, squeaks or has been patched over the years. This is the moment most flooring jobs go wrong on price, because a second quote appears for levelling.

We deal with it before you sign. At the measure we check the subfloor wherever it can be seen and record moisture readings. Your quote carries a named levelling allowance [CONFIRM amount] and the per sq ft rate if more is needed [CONFIRM rate]. If something hidden turns up once the old floor is out, we stop, send you photos and wait for your written OK before doing extra work.

Acclimation is checked with readings, not by counting days. Solid wood that goes down too wet or too dry will gap or cup later, and that problem belongs to the installer, not the homeowner.

On the day

• Floor protection on the paths and rooms we are not working in.
• Saw work kept outdoors or in the garage when the house allows it [CONFIRM].
• Site left broom clean and vacuumed at the end of each day.
• Same crew from start to finish [CONFIRM].

Workmanship is covered by a written warranty [CONFIRM length] on top of the manufacturer’s product warranty, and proof of insurance and WSIB coverage is available on request [CONFIRM].

Pricing in context

For a sense of the market, new solid hardwood supplied and installed sat around $10 to $18 per sq ft, judging by figures Toronto sources such as renohouse.ca and ecowoods.ca were publicly quoting when we checked in October 2026. Labour-only rates quoted for solid hardwood are lower, from about $2 to $6 per sq ft, because the wood is priced separately. These are other companies’ public figures, not our prices.

If the floor runs up to a staircase, our staircase page covers treads and nosing that match the new boards. Ready for a number on your own rooms? Book a free measure and you will get an itemized quote with the dates on it.