Hours vary Portland (207) 544-3126
Woodhouse Builders LLC
Flooring Installation That Holds Up for Decades

Portland Local

Flooring Installation That Holds Up for Decades

Scotty Woodhouse installs hardwood, tile, and more, available 24/7 across Greater Cumberland County.

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Flooring Installation Done to Last

The average cost to lay new flooring is one of the most searched questions homeowners type before picking up the phone, and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on the material, the subfloor condition, and the square footage involved. What we can tell you is that a poor installation will fail regardless of how expensive the floor is. Gaps, cupping, hollow spots under tile, boards that squeak after six months. Those aren't material problems. They're installation problems. Woodhouse Builders handles flooring installation from prep to finish, and we don't cut corners on the subfloor work that nobody ever sees but everybody eventually feels.

Flooring scope and cost swing wide depending on what you're working with. A straightforward hardwood install in a clean, level room is a very different job from tearing out old carpet, finding a subfloor with moisture damage underneath, and laying tile in a bathroom with three angles and a floor drain. Material choice matters too, engineered hardwood, solid hardwood, porcelain tile, and luxury vinyl all have different acclimation requirements, fastening methods, and failure points if rushed. Cost drivers include square footage, room configuration, subfloor condition, material selection, and whether existing flooring needs to come out first. Every job is different, contact Woodhouse Builders LLC for an accurate estimate.

Flooring Materials We Install

Different floors fail for different reasons. We know the installation method each material actually requires.

01

Hardwood Flooring

Solid and engineered hardwood both require proper acclimation before installation, skipping that step is the reason so many floors cup or gap within the first year. We nail down solid hardwood to the subfloor properly and handle the expansion gaps at every wall and threshold.

02

Tile Flooring

Tile installation lives or dies on the substrate underneath it. A flex in the subfloor means cracked grout lines inside a year. We check deflection before we set a single tile, and we back-butter every piece on jobs where full adhesion matters.

03

Luxury Vinyl Plank

LVP is durable and forgiving of moisture, but it's not foolproof. A subfloor with humps or dips over an eighth of an inch will telegraph right through a floating floor. We flatten before we float, and we don't skip the transitions.

04

Laminate

Laminate expands and contracts with temperature changes, which means the expansion gap at the perimeter isn't optional. We install it correctly and handle the baseboard and shoe molding so the finished room looks intentional, not patched.

How It Works

From Subfloor to Final Finish

Three stages, done in order. Rushing any of them is how you end up calling another contractor two years later.

  1. 01

    Assess and Prep

    We start with the subfloor, checking for level, flex, moisture, and existing damage. Any of those conditions ignored at the start will show up in the finished floor. We don't skip this step.

  2. 02

    Install the Floor

    Material is acclimated to the room before it goes down. Fastening method, adhesive type, and layout pattern are chosen based on the specific floor and the specific room, not a one-size approach.

  3. 03

    Trim and Finish

    Baseboards, shoe molding, thresholds, and transitions are the details that separate a finished installation from one that looks like the crew left in a hurry. We handle all of it.

What to Know

Do Installers Remove Baseboards?

It depends on the floor type and the condition of the existing trim. For hardwood and laminate, baseboards typically come off so the flooring can run underneath and the trim covers the expansion gap cleanly. For tile work, we assess case by case. What we don't do is leave shoe molding gaps or floating trim pieces that pop off in six months. If your baseboards need to come off, we remove them carefully and reinstall them. If they're in bad shape to begin with, that's worth knowing before we start. We also handle painting and finish carpentry if you're doing a full room refresh at the same time. It's cleaner to sequence that work together than to do it in two separate trips. For homeowners doing kitchen remodeling or bathroom remodeling, flooring is almost always part of the scope. Coordinating the floor install inside a larger renovation saves time and avoids the common mistake of finishing the room and then trying to work around new cabinets or a toilet.
hardwood flooring work, professional service in Portland, ME

What Separates a Good Floor from a Failed One

  1. 01

    Subfloor Condition

    Soft spots, delamination, moisture damage, or too much deflection in the joists below, any of these will ruin the floor above it, regardless of material. We identify and address subfloor issues before installation starts.

  2. 02

    Acclimation

    Wood-based flooring needs time to adjust to the temperature and humidity of the room it's going into. Installing it straight off the truck is a shortcut that costs the homeowner a floor that moves, buckles, or gaps inside the first season.

  3. 03

    Expansion Gaps

    Wood and wood-based products move with humidity. The gap at the perimeter isn't a mistake. It's required. Installers who skip it produce floors that buckle in summer. We follow the manufacturer specs and cover the gap with trim that's actually attached to the wall, not to the floor.

Areas We Cover for Flooring Work

Woodhouse Builders installs flooring throughout Greater Cumberland County and the surrounding region. We work in older homes with uneven subfloors and in new construction alike.

Flooring Installation: Common Questions

What is the average cost to lay flooring?
Cost varies by material, subfloor condition, and square footage. Tile and hardwood cost more per square foot to install than vinyl or laminate, partly because they require more substrate prep and more precise technique. Subfloor repairs, furniture moving, and disposal of the old floor all affect the total. Every job is different, contact Woodhouse Builders LLC for an accurate estimate.
How much does it cost to floor a 1,000-square-foot space?
A clean, level subfloor in good condition in a simple layout costs less than the same square footage with damaged substrate, complex room angles, or a material that requires back-buttering. The range across materials and conditions is wide enough that a number without a site visit isn't useful. Every job is different, contact Woodhouse Builders LLC for an accurate estimate.
Do flooring installers remove baseboards?
For hardwood and floating floor systems, yes. The baseboard comes off so the floor can run underneath and the trim covers the expansion gap properly. For tile, it depends on the layout and the existing trim condition. We remove and reinstall baseboards carefully. If the trim is damaged or outdated, we can replace it as part of the job.
How long does wood flooring need to acclimate before installation?
Solid hardwood typically needs 3 to 7 days in the room where it'll be installed. Engineered hardwood generally requires less time, but the manufacturer spec matters. Skipping acclimation is the most common reason a new hardwood floor develops gaps in winter or cups in summer. We don't rush this step regardless of schedule pressure.
Can you install flooring over an existing floor?
Sometimes. Luxury vinyl plank can go over certain existing floors if the surface is flat enough and the transition heights work out. Tile over tile is generally a bad idea because of the added height and the adhesion risk. Hardwood over hardwood almost never works correctly. We assess what's down first and tell you straight whether overlay makes sense or whether the old floor needs to come out.
What happens if the subfloor has moisture damage?
The flooring goes on top of it and fails inside a year or two. We check moisture levels before installation, and if we find damage, we address it, sistering joists, replacing sections of subfloor, or treating for mold depending on what's there. Installing new flooring over a compromised subfloor and hoping for the best isn't a service we offer.

Ready to Replace Your Floors?

Call Scotty directly. We're available 24/7 and we'll give you a straight answer on what your project actually involves.

Call now (207) 544-3126 Call Scotty Now, (207) 544-3126

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