Finished basement with a wood feature wall, new staircase and built-in shelving

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Flooring and hardwood installation in Ottawa

The floor is the one surface in the house that gets used every hour of every day.

Liability insurance and WSIB coverage
5-year warranty on construction
2-year warranty on painting
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Flooring and hardwood

Ottawa is hard on wood floors

The floor is the one surface in the house that gets used every hour of every day. Carleton Prime installs flooring, including hardwood, on its own or as part of a bigger renovation.

Wood moves with the air around it. In January the furnace runs for months and the air inside gets very dry, so boards shrink and gaps open between them. In July the humidity comes back, the boards swell, and a floor installed too tight can cup or lift.

That is why hardwood is left in the house to settle before it goes down, and why keeping indoor humidity steady does more for a wood floor than almost anything else. We will tell you what to expect in each season before you pick a product.

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Finished basement rec room with laminate flooring and pot lights

Floor-to-ceiling fireplace feature wall with a linear fireplace

“Indiana and his crew renovated a bathroom for me and the process was seamless, respectful and completed with extreme care and quality. I consider Carleton Prime the best construction company in Ottawa. I will use them for all future projects. Very pleased, would highly recommend.”

Wesley Ford · Bathroom renovation · Google review

The part under the floor

A new floor is only as good as what it sits on. Before anything goes down, we look at:

Whether the subfloor is flat, because dips and humps show through thin floors
Squeaks, which are much easier to fix now than after the new floor is in
Moisture in concrete, which matters for every basement floor
The underlayment the floor needs, for sound, comfort or moisture

Finished at the edges

The details that make a floor look finished are at the edges: baseboards, transitions between rooms, and stair nosings. Because Carleton Prime also paints, those edges are finished as part of the same job instead of being left for later.

Whole job or one part

Just the flooring and hardwood, or the whole project

You can hire Carleton Prime for flooring and hardwood on their own, or as part of a renovation or new build we run from start to finish. Builders, general contractors, architects, designers and engineers also bring us in for flooring and hardwood as a subcontractor: we work from your drawings and specifications, carry liability insurance and WSIB coverage, and hand over cleanly to the next trade.

Subcontractor services Book a free consultation

Frequently asked questions

Can hardwood go in a basement?

Solid hardwood is usually a poor fit below grade, because basements are damper than the rest of the house. Other floors handle basements better, as long as the concrete is dry and properly prepared first.

Do we need to move out while the floors are done?

Usually not. Flooring is normally done one room or one area at a time, and we plan the order with you so the house stays usable.

Why do my hardwood floors get gaps in winter?

Dry winter air makes the boards shrink. Some seasonal movement is normal. Large gaps usually mean the indoor air is very dry, or the wood was not given time to settle before it was installed.