Hardwood Floor Installation in Riverdale, GA

Most solid hardwood sold for floors is three-quarters of an inch thick, but that is not the only option. Solid boards also come in thinner profiles, commonly around half an inch and five-sixteenths of an inch. For hardwood floor installation in Riverdale, the thickness you choose affects how the new floor lines up with tile, carpet and stairs, how it is fastened and how many times it can be sanded later.

This page explains those tradeoffs so the choice is made on purpose rather than by default.

Why thickness comes up at all

Height is usually the reason. A three-quarter-inch floor plus underlayment may stand taller than the vinyl, laminate or carpet it replaces, and that difference shows at every doorway, at the kitchen tile, at an exterior threshold and at the top of the stairs. A thinner solid board can bring the new surface closer to the height of the floors around it, which can mean simpler transitions and less door trimming.

What a thinner board gives up

Solid flooring can be sanded because there is wood above the tongue and groove. On a standard board, that layer allows several full refinishings over the life of the floor. A thinner board has less wood above the tongue, so it permits fewer sandings before the joints start to show. If you expect to refinish the floor many times, the standard thickness keeps more options open.

Thinner boards are also less stiff. They follow small humps and dips in the subfloor more closely and can feel less solid underfoot over an uneven base.

Fastening methods change with thickness

Three-quarter-inch boards are blind-nailed through the tongue with cleats or staples sized for that thickness. Half-inch boards take shorter fasteners, often at closer spacing. Five-sixteenths strip flooring is frequently glued down or face-nailed with small brads, depending on the manufacturer. Whatever the thickness, the manufacturer’s instructions list the fastener type, length and spacing, and those instructions are what we install to.

Subfloor flatness for each option

Because thinner boards bend more readily, they need a flatter base to look and feel right. We check the subfloor with a straightedge, fasten panels that move and correct high and low spots before any thickness goes down. Glue-down installations also need a clean, sound surface for the adhesive to bond to, which can mean extra preparation once the old flooring is removed.

Adjoining floors and transition profiles

Once the thickness is settled, every edge gets measured again. Where the new floor and its neighbor end up at about the same height, a flush threshold or a T-molding is enough. A remaining difference calls for a reducer, and an end cap finishes the wood against a hearth or a sliding door track. Moldings are made in profiles matched to specific board thicknesses, so they are ordered together with the floor rather than picked afterward.

Stairs and expansion space

Stair nosings are also milled for particular floor thicknesses, so a thinner floor needs a nosing made to meet it at the top step rather than one intended for standard boards. Expansion space at walls, door frames and other fixed points is needed for every thickness, since solid wood moves with seasonal humidity however thick it is. Baseboard or shoe molding then covers the gap.

Protection, the written scope and the city office

After installation, the floor is covered while trim and transitions are fitted. The estimate should name the product and its thickness, the fastening method, any adhesive, subfloor preparation, transitions sized to each edge, trim, protection and cleanup, along with what is excluded. Rooms on a concrete slab are a different case altogether, and our engineered hardwood page for Riverdale covers products designed for them.

Riverdale sits in Clayton County. Should the work grow to include structural, plumbing or electrical changes, the City of Riverdale Building and Permitting Division can confirm whether a permit is needed.

Frequently asked questions about board thickness

Is thinner solid hardwood the same as engineered hardwood?

No. A thin solid board is one piece of wood all the way through, just less of it. Engineered flooring has a hardwood top layer bonded to a core of plywood or other material, which makes it more stable and suitable for some slab installations. Thin solid boards still expand and contract like any solid wood and are generally meant for wood subfloors.

How many times can a thinner solid floor be refinished?

Fewer times than a standard three-quarter-inch floor, because there is less wood above the tongue to sand away. The exact number depends on the product, how flat the floor is and how much each sanding removes. Screening and recoating, which only abrades the finish, can stretch the time between full sandings on a floor of any thickness.

Will half-inch hardwood solve a height problem in my Riverdale house?

It can help, depending on the size of the difference. Choosing half-inch boards instead of three-quarter-inch ones lowers the floor by a quarter inch. If the gap to tile or a threshold is larger than that, a transition molding or a subfloor adjustment is still needed. We measure each edge before recommending a thickness.

Ask about the right thickness

If floor heights are on your mind, call 404-409-4448 and tell us what the new floor will meet in each room. We can visit your Riverdale home to measure every edge, check the subfloor and prepare a written estimate for the thickness that fits.