Hardwood and Engineered Hardwood Floor Installation in Georgia

Wood floors come in two main forms, and they are installed differently. Solid hardwood is milled from a single piece of wood and is nailed to a wood subfloor. Engineered hardwood has a real wood top layer glued to a plywood or fiberboard core, which lets it go in some places solid wood should not. This page explains both for homeowners across metro Atlanta, along with repairs to existing floors, and links to our pages for each city.

Solid hardwood: nail-down floors over a wood subfloor

Solid strip and plank flooring, most often oak, maple or hickory, is blind-nailed through the tongue into a plywood or OSB subfloor. Boards usually run perpendicular to the floor joists for stiffness, and a gap is left at every wall so the wood can expand in humid months. Baseboard or shoe molding covers that gap.

You choose between unfinished boards that are sanded, stained and coated on site, which gives a smooth, sealed surface and any color you want, and prefinished boards that arrive coated and can be walked on soon after installation. Wider boards show seasonal movement more than narrow strips, which is worth knowing before you settle on a width. Solid hardwood is generally not installed directly on concrete or in basements.

Engineered hardwood: veneer, core and install methods

An engineered plank’s top layer, or veneer, is the wood you see and walk on. Its thickness decides whether the floor can be sanded and refinished later: a thick veneer can be sanded, a thin one can only be recoated. The cross-layered core makes the plank more stable than solid wood when humidity changes.

Depending on the product, engineered flooring can be glued down, floated over an underlayment or stapled to a wood subfloor. Many products are approved for concrete slabs and basements, which makes engineered wood the usual choice when you want real wood below grade. The manufacturer’s instructions set the approved methods, the moisture limits and the underlayment, so the product is chosen with the subfloor in mind.

Moisture, acclimation and subfloor checks

For either type, the subfloor is checked for flatness, squeaks and soft spots before installation. Wood subfloors are tested with a moisture meter, and the reading is compared with the flooring; concrete is tested as the flooring maker specifies. Most products need time in the home with the heating or air conditioning running so they adjust to indoor conditions, and the manufacturer states how long and in what conditions.

Order of work and repairs

Old flooring and baseboards come out, the subfloor is repaired and flattened, an underlayment goes down where required, and boards are laid from a straight reference line. Doors may need trimming, and transitions are fitted where wood meets tile or carpet. Site-finished floors are then sanded and coated.

For existing floors, repairs include replacing damaged or water-stained boards, refastening loose ones and weaving new boards into an opening where a wall was removed. Matching species, width and color is easiest when the whole room is refinished afterward; our floor sanding and refinishing page covers that step.

The written estimate and permits

A clear estimate names the flooring product and type, square footage and extra for cuts, removal of old flooring, subfloor repair, underlayment, the installation method, stairs, transitions, trim and, for unfinished wood, the stain and finish. Changes are written up before they are made. If the flooring project also includes structural, plumbing or electrical changes, ask your city or county building department whether those need a permit.

Hardwood floor installation by city

Each page in this list covers solid hardwood installation and repair in one city.

Engineered hardwood installation by city

These pages focus on engineered planks, including installation over concrete and in basements.

Frequently asked questions about wood floor installation

Should I choose solid or engineered hardwood?

It depends mostly on where the floor goes. Over a wood subfloor on a main or upper level, both work, and solid wood can be sanded more times over its life. Over a concrete slab or in a basement, engineered hardwood approved for that use is the usual choice. Engineered planks also move less when humidity changes, which helps with wide boards.

Why does new wood flooring need to acclimate before installation?

Wood gains and loses moisture with the air around it. Boards that go down before adjusting to the home’s normal temperature and humidity can shrink and open gaps, or swell and push against each other. The flooring maker sets the acclimation steps for its product, usually with the home’s heating or air conditioning running, and moisture readings confirm when the wood and subfloor are ready.

Can damaged boards be replaced without redoing the whole floor?

Usually, yes. Damaged boards are cut out and new ones of the same species and width are fitted in, with the tongue trimmed as needed. The repair blends best if the area, or the whole room, is then sanded and refinished, because new wood and old finish rarely match exactly. With prefinished floors, finding the same product can be the limiting factor.

Talk to us about your floors

Call 404-409-4448 to describe the rooms, the current subfloor and the look you want. We can arrange a visit to check moisture and flatness and prepare a written estimate for solid or engineered hardwood.