Hardwood Floor Installation in Dunwoody, GA

Most families stay in the house while their new floors go in, so a hardwood floor installation in Dunwoody has to be planned around daily life as well as around the subfloor. Which rooms are out of use, where the boards will acclimate, and how people and pets get from the bedroom to the kitchen are all part of the plan.

This page looks at living with the work, the technical points that shape solid hardwood installation, and what a proposal should settle before work begins.

Living at home while the floor goes in

We usually discuss two approaches. Doing all the rooms at once is the most efficient, but it takes more of the house out of use at the same time. Working in phases keeps part of the home open, though each phase repeats some setup, protection and cleanup.

Either way, the path from the entry to the work area is covered, and doors to finished rooms are kept closed or sealed against dust. The boards also need space to acclimate for a period before installation, typically stacked in or near the rooms where they will be installed.

Moving furniture and contents

Someone has to empty the rooms, and the proposal should say who. Large furniture can often be moved by the crew, but fragile items, electronics, cabinet contents and anything valuable are best handled by the homeowner. If the new floor runs into closets, those need to be cleared too. Refrigerators, ranges and washers that sit on the new floor need to be disconnected and moved with care.

Why prefinished boards suit an occupied house

Prefinished flooring avoids on-site sanding and the odor of finish coats, so rooms can return to use soon after installation. Site-finished flooring gives a seamless, smooth surface and a custom color, but the house, or at least that area, typically needs to be cleared while sanding happens and each coat cures.

Board direction and the transition profiles at each doorway are confirmed at the same time as the finish choice, so the right moldings can be ordered or stained to match.

Stairs, transitions and expansion space

The edges of the floor often take the most care. A landing nosing has to align with the rows of boards and match the stair parts that stay, while each doorway needs a profile suited to the floor beyond it. Expansion space is left along every wall and fixed object and covered by trim.

In an occupied house, each finished room is covered as soon as it is done, because family traffic and pets start crossing it right away.

Checks on the first visit

On the first visit we measure the rooms, check the subfloor for humps and dips wherever it can be reached, test each door that will swing over the new floor and measure the floors it will meet. We also talk about the baseboards: depending on their condition and the moisture readings near exterior walls, they can be reinstalled, supplemented with shoe molding or replaced.

If you plan to phase the work, this is also when we agree where each phase stops and which room the boards will acclimate in.

What the proposal should settle

For a household living at home, the proposal should cover the practical side as well as the floor: which rooms are out of use and in what order, who moves furniture and appliances, and who will be home to accept the flooring delivery. It should also separate the included work from allowances and from anything that would need a change order. For an existing Dunwoody floor that only needs a new surface, our sanding and refinishing service is another route.

Dunwoody is in DeKalb County, and permits in the city are handled by the Permits & Inspections section of Community Development. Should the project grow beyond the floor into structural, plumbing or electrical work, check with that office about whether a permit is needed.

Questions about living through the installation

Can we stay in the house during hardwood installation?

Usually, yes, especially with prefinished boards, since there is no sanding or finish odor. You will lose use of the rooms being worked on, and there will be noise from saws and nailers during working hours. If the floor is site-finished, plan to stay elsewhere or keep away from that part of the house while sanding and coating take place.

Do we need to empty the rooms ourselves?

It depends on what the proposal says, which is why it should be written down. Crews can often move large furniture, but homeowners usually pack fragile items, electronics, closet contents and anything valuable. Appliances that sit on the new floor need disconnecting, so plan for that too. Clearing rooms before the start date keeps the schedule on track.

Should closets get the same hardwood as the bedroom?

Most homeowners carry the floor into the closets for a continuous look and to avoid a transition in a narrow doorway. It adds some cutting and material, so it should be decided before ordering. Leaving closets carpeted is possible, but it means a transition strip at each closet door.

Plan around your household

Call 404-409-4448 to describe the rooms you want in solid wood and how your household uses them. We can arrange a visit to your Dunwoody home to measure, talk through phasing and send you a written estimate.