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Flooring Contractor in Scarborough
Laminate and vinyl plank flooring installed as part of basement finishing and full renovation projects, with proper subfloor prep for a level, lasting result.
Flooring pairs naturally with our drywall and tiling work for a fully finished room in one visit, most often as part of a basement finishing project, where a level, moisture-appropriate subfloor and a clean laminate or vinyl plank installation complete the space alongside the drywall and paint.
Subfloor prep matters more than the flooring material itself. An uneven or damp subfloor will telegraph through even a premium plank, so we check and correct the base before any flooring goes down.
Every flooring quote is free and included as part of the overall project estimate when it's paired with basement finishing or a larger renovation.
Below grade the answer is usually vinyl plank rather than laminate, which is why it comes up on nearly every Pickering and Ajax basement we finish.
What’s Included in Our Flooring Service
- LaminateClick-lock laminate in a range of thicknesses and wear ratings.
- Vinyl plankLuxury vinyl plank, a common choice for basements because of how it handles moisture.
- Subfloor assessmentThe subfloor checked for level, movement, and moisture before anything is ordered.
- Levelling and prepHigh spots ground down and low spots filled, so the finished floor doesn't flex or gap.
- UnderlayUnderlay matched to the product and the space, including vapour barrier where the slab calls for it.
- Transitions and trimThresholds, reducers, quarter round, and baseboard reinstallation for a finished edge.
How We Install Laminate and Vinyl Plank
- Assess the subfloorLevel, moisture, and movement all get checked first. Every recurring flooring problem, gapping, peaking, hollow spots, traces back to this step being skipped.
- Let the material acclimatizeBoxes sit in the room they'll be installed in before installation, so the planks reach the room's temperature and humidity before they're locked together.
- Level and prepThe subfloor is corrected and cleaned, and underlay laid out with the vapour barrier the slab or subfloor requires.
- Install and trim outPlanks laid with staggered end joints and the correct expansion gap at every wall, then transitions and trim fitted to finish the edges.
Laminate vs Vinyl
Laminate or Vinyl Plank: Which One for Your Space?
These two get compared constantly and they are not interchangeable. The deciding factor is almost always moisture, which is why the answer is usually different upstairs than it is in a basement.
- Laminate
- A dense fibreboard core with a printed wear layer. Hard-wearing, often warmer and firmer underfoot. The core is wood-based, so standing water and persistent damp are its weakness.
- Vinyl plank
- Fully synthetic through the whole plank. It handles moisture, which is why it is the usual recommendation for basements, laundry rooms, and anywhere below grade or near an entry.
- Wear layer
- The number that actually predicts how a floor ages. A thicker wear layer resists scratching from pets, grit and furniture far better than the plank's overall thickness does.
- Subfloor flatness
- The step people skip. Both products float over the subfloor, so any dip or hump underneath becomes flex, gapping or a hollow sound later. Correcting it first is cheaper than lifting a finished floor.
- Expansion gap
- Both expand and contract with temperature and humidity, so both need a gap at every wall, hidden behind baseboard or quarter round. Floors installed tight to the wall are the ones that peak and buckle.
We install laminate and vinyl plank most often as part of a basement finishing or full renovation, where the subfloor is already open to inspect and correct before anything goes down.
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Flooring FAQs
Vinyl plank, in almost every case. It is synthetic the whole way through so it tolerates the humidity and occasional moisture of below-grade space, while laminate has a wood-based core that swells if it gets wet.
Yes, and it is the step most often skipped. Both laminate and vinyl plank float over the subfloor, so any dip or hump underneath turns into flex, gapping or a hollow sound later. Correcting it first costs far less than lifting a finished floor.
Yes, which is the normal situation in a basement. The slab needs checking for flatness and moisture, and the right underlay or vapour barrier goes down first, matched to what the slab is doing.
Usually. Both products need an expansion gap at every wall, and hiding that gap behind baseboard or quarter round is the cleanest result. Floors installed tight to the wall are the ones that peak and buckle later.
Most of our flooring goes in as part of a basement finishing or full renovation, where the subfloor is already open to inspect and correct. We do take flooring on its own, and it is worth asking when you call so we can look at the subfloor properly.