Glue-down
The plank is bonded to the subfloor. This is the usual method on concrete.
(01) — Installation
Hardwood Flooring Installation Toronto
The installation method follows the subfloor. Concrete is glue-down, or floating when the building asks for underlay. A wood subfloor can be nail-down. The order of the work stays the same.
(02) — The process
Six steps. The floor is the last one.
We reply within one business day. What happens after that depends on the building, the subfloor, and whether a stain is being matched.
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We write down the rooms, how we get in, what the subfloor is, and the building’s rules. The method is named after that, not before.
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We log a reading before any glue or nail. Glue-down waits until the test is clear.
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The boards sit in the space, with heat and air conditioning at the settings you live with, toward 35–55% humidity.
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The floor is made flat enough for the method. Taking up an old floor, levelling, and an acoustic pad are their own lines when the quote includes them.
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Glue-down, floating, or nail-down. If the layout is herringbone or chevron, the direction is set before the first board is fastened.
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Transitions, a clean floor, and a written 5-year workmanship warranty.
(03) — Methods
One oak. Three ways down.
Floating
The floor locks together over underlay and is not fastened to the slab. Condo buildings ask for this when they want an acoustic layer.
Nail-down
The plank is fastened into a plywood subfloor. This is the usual method in a house.
Herringbone and chevron are laid out before they are fastened. The method and the grade letter both belong in the specification.
(04) — Where
A condo slab and a house floor are not the same job.
Condo
Engineered oak can be glued to concrete or floated over acoustic underlay. We handle the board package, the elevator, and hallway protection. A certificate of insurance is issued on request within 24 hours.
House
Nail-down belongs on plywood. Stairs and transitions are in the same scope when the quote lists them.
(05) — The quote
Supply is one line. Labour is another.
- Supply
- From $4 CAD per sq ft, when we supply the oak
- Floating
- $2–$3 per sq ft, planning guidance
- Glue-down, glue-assist, or nail-down
- $2.50–$4 per sq ft, planning guidance
- Herringbone or chevron
- $4.50–$5.50 per sq ft, planning guidance
- Also itemised
- Removal, levelling, stairs, acoustic underlay, when the job needs them
These bands are not a rate card. Every quote is written for the subfloor in front of us. The full table is on the cost guide.
(06) — Installation only
The oak can already be yours.
If it is hardwood, we can install it. Send the brand, the type, the square feet, and a photo of the box label. We look at the product and the subfloor before we name a method. Laminate and vinyl are not on this list.
(07) — Start your project
Tell us about your space.
What do you need?
Supply and install. Our oak, then our crew: measure, moisture, method, and a written 5-year workmanship warranty.
- Reply within 1 business day
- Stain match included when you order
- Itemised, no-obligation quote
- Insured crews, 5-year workmanship warranty
The quote request is in.
We reply within one business day. If the job includes install, the reply separates supply from the method and the subfloor. If you want samples, we send them on the real oak. If a site measure is needed, we book it from that reply.
If you chose a colour photo, email the file to tymur@floorstoronto.ca with your name so the match can start. The form stores the file name, not the picture.
How much does hardwood floor installation cost in Toronto?
Supply of Floors Toronto engineered oak starts at $4 CAD per square foot. Installation is quoted by method and subfloor, not folded into that figure. Published planning bands, which are guidance and not a rate card, are floating $2–$3, glue-down, glue-assist, or nail-down $2.50–$4, and herringbone or chevron $4.50–$5.50 per square foot.
How long does hardwood installation take?
We reply within one business day. A stain match, when you order, often takes 1–3 weeks to approve. A condo board, when the building requires it, often takes 2–6 weeks. Acclimation is several days. Install days scale with the area and the pattern. Glue-down then needs several days to cure.
Can engineered hardwood be installed over concrete in a condo?
Yes. It is glued to the concrete, or floated over acoustic underlay when the building requires it. Solid hardwood cannot go on concrete.
Do I need to move out during installation?
Often the rest of the home stays in use. The rooms being floored are out of use while we work, and for several days after a glue-down while the adhesive cures. Building work hours can narrow the days. The quote says which.
What is the difference between glue-down, floating, and nail-down installation?
Glue-down bonds the plank to the subfloor and is the usual method on concrete. Floating locks the floor together over underlay and does not fasten it to the slab. Nail-down fastens the plank into plywood and is the usual method in a house.
Does Floors Toronto install hardwood it didn’t supply?
Yes, when the product is hardwood. We inspect it and the subfloor before we commit to a method. Laminate and vinyl are not on the list. Our 5-year workmanship warranty covers the installation we do. The manufacturer’s warranty stays with the manufacturer.
Is installation included with a Floors Toronto flooring order?
No. Supply and installation are separate lines on one quote. Supply + install includes both. Installation only is the quote when the oak is already yours.
(09) — Next
Keep reading.
- 01Stairs
Treads, risers, and the transitions between finishes.
- 02Moisture and prep
Readings and flatness before a plank is fastened.
- 03Removal
The old floor, itemised, when the quote includes it.
- 04Acclimation
Boards in the space before they are installed.
- 05Cost guide
The full planning table, not a rate card.
- 06Projects
Finished rooms across Toronto and the GTA.
Updated 23 October 2026