Flooring installation in Banner Elk, NC

A floor is only as flat as what is under it.

Judson checks the subfloor with a straightedge, then planes high spots and levels low ones.

Squeaks get screwed down before anything goes over them.

Hardwood is laid with an expansion gap along the walls so it can move.

Vinyl plank and laminate float, with the same gap.

Base trim and transitions cover those gaps in the finished room.

Tile needs a stiff, flat base or the grout cracks.

The layout is planned from the center of the room, so cuts at the edges look balanced.

Large-format tile needs an even flatter base than vinyl or wood.

Hardwood has to acclimate before it goes down.

The boards sit in the house for several days to match its moisture level.

Laid too soon, they can cup or open gaps once the heat comes on.

Heated winter air in a mountain house is dry, and wood gives up moisture fast.

Boards that shrink show up as gaps at the seams.

That is why the moisture level of the boards and the room both get checked first.

Second homes swing between cold and empty and warm and full, so floors need room to move.

In Banner Elk or Blowing Rock, luxury vinyl plank handles wet boots better than hardwood.

Judson matches the material to the room.