What to Expect with Hardwood Installation

Thank you for considering Pizazz Floors for your new hardwood floors.  We’d like to briefly walk you through the installation process, so you can know what to expect before, during, and after the work takes place in your home.

Installation

We begin by scheduling an installation date that will be most convenient for you.  If you have selected solid hardwood, we will typically bring the wood into your home to acclimate prior to your installation day.  This allows the wood to adapt to the humidity and temperature in its new environment. Before instllation begins, we ask that you please remove or cover all personal items and furnishings from the room(s).   We will move all of your larger furniture pieces; however, there is an additional fee for moving pianos, pool tables, and aquariums.   Please note that Pizazz does not assemble or disassemble electronics (TVs, computers, stereos, etc.).

Hardwood installation is typically completed in one day, but that time frame can vary depending on the intricacy and size of the job. Pizazz Floors works with only the most highly skilled  installation professionals, so you can be assured that your installation will be performed to the highest quality standards.

• Trim pieces (ex. shoe mold, reducers, thresholds, etc.) are installed after the hardwood floors are laid.  You have the option of either stain grade shoe mold or primed white shoe mold.  Stain grade shoe mold will be stained to match your floor color before installation (unless you are installing unfinished hardwood, in which case it will be stained on the second day of the finishing process). If you select primed white shoe mold, you will need to caulk and paint it. We also recommend that you paint your baseboards at this time.

• If you are having hardwood installed on a staircase, we will install risers if necessary, but risers and stair skirts will need to be painted.

**A paint quote can be provided upon the homeowner’s request for all floor and stair trim pieces.

If you have selected pre-finished wood, engineered wood, or laminate, after installation, we will move all of your larger furniture back in place, and you can return home and enjoy your beautiful new hardwood floors. If you are having unfinished wood installed and your floors will be finished on site, please click here to read about the finishing process.

Examining Your Floors

When examining your new floors for the first time, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Flooring inspectors recommend inspecting the floor from a standing position in normal lighting to identify irregularities.
• Please remember that hardwood flooring is a product of nature; therefore, variations in color, shading and graining are natural.  No two floor boards will be exactly the same. Hardwood samples can’t show all of the possible variation within a species, and as a result, samples may differ slightly from the flooring.
• As your floor ages, some color change may occur.   All hardwoods, especially exotics, darken or lighten with exposure to light. This is normal, but can be minimized by periodically moving rugs and furniture, and limiting your floor’s exposure to direct sunlight through window treatments.
• Cracks are also normal and will appear and disappear between the floor boards during seasons of high and low humidity.  As humidity increases, a floor will expand, and as humidity decreases, it will contract.  In general, anything less than the width of a dime is considered normal, and will correct itself as seasons change.

If you have any concerns about your new floor, please do not hesitate to contact your Pizazz design consultant.

You can be confident knowing that your design consultant will oversee your job from start to finish and stay in communication with you throughout the entire process.   We always welcome any feedback, and we will do everything we can to ensure that your new hardwood floors exceed your expectations.