Hardwood Floor Installation in McDonough, GA

Swapping ceramic or porcelain tile for solid hardwood is one of the messier flooring changes a McDonough household can make, and it rewards careful planning. Tile comes up in pieces, it often brings a layer of backer board and mortar with it, and the floor left behind rarely sits at the height the new wood needs.

Here is how a tile-to-wood project is usually handled, from demolition through the last transition strip.

What comes up along with the tile

Tile over a wood subfloor is commonly set in thin-set mortar on cement backer board, which is itself screwed down and often bedded in mortar too. Removing it means breaking the tile, prying up the board and scraping away what remains. Some tile was set straight onto the plywood, and then the hardened mortar has to be scraped or ground off the subfloor surface.

It is loud, dusty work. We seal doorways with plastic, cover vents, protect the path to the door and carry debris out as we go. If the tile turns out to sit on a concrete slab, solid boards are not suited to that room, and engineered hardwood for McDonough homes becomes the realistic route.

Checking the subfloor after demolition

Prying up backer board can split plywood, pull fasteners loose and leave gouges. Once the room is bare, we screw down any panel that moves, cut out sections that are cracked or water-stained and soft, and check flatness with a straightedge. A nailed floor needs sound wood to fasten into and a surface flat enough that the boards do not bridge dips.

Tile can also hide old leaks. Dark stains or soft areas near a dishwasher, an ice maker line or an exterior door get a moisture reading, and the cause is dealt with before any new wood is brought in.

Matching the height of the floors that stay

Tile, mortar and backer board together are often thicker than three-quarter-inch hardwood with its underlayment, so the new floor may end up a little lower than the old surface. That matters wherever the wood meets something that is staying: a bathroom floor, a fireplace hearth, an exterior door threshold or the bottom of a staircase.

We measure each of those spots before anything is ordered. Small differences can be handled by building up the subfloor or by choosing a molding sized to the gap. Larger ones may call for a plywood layer under the new floor so it lands at the right height.

Choosing transition profiles

Where the wood meets remaining tile at about the same level, a flush threshold or a T-molding covers the joint and the expansion space. A reducer slopes down to a lower surface, and an end cap finishes the wood against a hearth or a sliding door track. Ordering moldings in the same species and finish as the boards keeps them from standing out.

In a doorway, the joint usually sits under the middle of the closed door, so neither room sees the strip once the door is shut.

Stairs, expansion space and protecting the finish

Tiled entries often run into a staircase. The last row of wood lines up with the stair nosing, and if the floor height has changed, the nosing may need replacing to match. Along walls and at fixed objects such as a kitchen island, the boards stop short to leave room for seasonal movement, and baseboard or shoe molding hides the gap.

Once the boards are down, the floor is covered with a breathable protection sheet while trim and transitions are fitted. Tape goes on the sheet rather than on the finish, where it could pull up the coating. If the tile removal is part of a larger kitchen or entry update, our remodeling services in McDonough cover the wider work.

What the estimate should cover

Tile removal carries more unknowns than pulling carpet, and the written scope should say how they are handled. Look for tile and backer board removal, disposal, the assumed amount of subfloor repair, any leveling or added plywood, underlayment, flooring with a waste allowance, each transition, trim and cleanup. Repairs beyond that assumption should be priced and approved before they are done.

McDonough is in Henry County. Should your plans expand into structural, plumbing or electrical changes, the City of McDonough Building & Inspection Division can tell you whether a permit applies to that work.

Questions about replacing tile with hardwood

Can solid hardwood be installed right over existing tile?

Not as a nailed floor. Nails cannot pass through tile and hold the boards firmly, and the added height would cause trouble at every door and transition. The tile, and usually its backer board, comes up first, which also lets us inspect the subfloor underneath. Over a concrete slab, engineered flooring installed by a different method is the usual alternative.

How dusty is tile removal inside a McDonough home?

Fairly dusty. Breaking tile and scraping mortar releases fine grit, so we seal the work area with plastic sheeting, cover return vents, protect nearby floors and clean up as demolition goes. Switching off the HVAC fan during the noisiest stretch keeps dust from traveling through the ducts. Even with containment, expect a little cleanup in adjoining rooms.

Will the new wood sit lower than the old tile did?

Often a little, because tile with its mortar and backer board can be thicker than the wood and its underlayment. We measure the difference at every edge before ordering. Depending on its size, it is closed with subfloor build-up, an added plywood layer or a transition molding made for an uneven joint, so nobody catches a toe on the change.

Plan your switch from tile

Ready to trade tile for wood underfoot? Call 404-409-4448, tell us which tiled rooms you want to convert and what they border, and we will set up a visit to your McDonough home to measure floor heights, look at the subfloor where we can and write up an estimate.