Florida flooring is something of a delicate proposition, due to the humid climate. Homeowners may wish to hire a contractor, both to help choose the best floor and to perform the installation. Whether hiring a contractor or taking the matter into your own hands, it is important to be informed about how flooring works in your state.
There are many Florida flooring contractors available for work by both commercial and residential customers. If you need to find a flooring contractor in Florida use this map to get their address, phone number, and driving directions. Call to find out what their operating hours are and whether or not they deal with hardwood, vinyl, laminate, carpet, tile, concrete, or epoxy. These contractors may provide a variety of flooring services such as installation, refinishing, sanding, cleaning, and repairing.
Certified Contractor's Licenses are issued in Florida by the Department of Business & Professional Regulation. The state issues licenses for many specific categories as well as general ones; unfortunately, these do not include flooring. The state also issues contractor licenses in general categories such as "Building" and "Residential." To take the examination for one of these licenses, applicants must be 18 or older and already have some approved combination of training and experience.
Complaints about contractors can be filed with the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. The Department notes that there are limitations to its ability to defend individual homeowners in complaints against contractors. For example, it will not intervene in some disputes about price or quality of workmanship. In these situations, it suggests you hire a lawyer privately.
To protect yourself against disputes with a contractor, it is always a good idea to make sure that the terms of service and payment are laid out clearly in the contract established at the beginning of the work.
Florida has a humid climate that can cause some floors to buckle. Additionally, the concrete foundations that are common in Florida can cause extra moisture to accumulate. A standard 3/4"-inch hardwood floor is likely to have this problem, and homeowners in Florida usually choose other options. If hardwood is necessary, thinner wood will work better.
Engineered flooring is a popular alternative in Florida. Engineered floors have hardwood on top and plywood on the bottom. These floors look and feel almost the same as pure hardwood, but are more resistant to changes in temperature or humidity. Consumers can typically choose among a variety of thicknesses of the wood layer top.
Homeowners planning to put in their own floors may want to use a specially designed easy-to-install set of boards. Several different companies make floorboards that are designed to snap into each other. This feature makes it much easier to produce a well-fitting floor.
There are ways to preserve a good floor in Florida. Consistently using an air conditioning system HVAC during the summer is one way to keep humidity down.
Generally speaking, it is usually a good idea to put felt on the bottom of your furniture to avoid damaging the floor.
Florida is full of Cypress trees which are logged and used locally for flooring. Cypress wood is popular and durable. It is often used in combination with pine. Several different types of Cypress are available for use in floors. These trees are also well-protected by environmental regulations, and it seems that most of the logging that currently occurs is sustainable.