While choosing the right type of flooring for a house, one should consider one’s lifestyle, the size and shape of the rooms, the age and health of family members, the budget, the durability of the flooring, and maintenance requirements. Flooring services employ certified and licensed contractors or hire independent contractors to guide customers in choosing the right flooring and installing, removing, and repairing any type of flooring. Here are a few things to know about flooring services:

Types of flooring services
Flooring contractors are specialists with adequate training and certification in various flooring-related jobs. Companies either provide exclusive flooring-related services or offer them as part of home improvement services. Here are the main types of flooring services offered by independent contractors and businesses:

1. Consultation
Flooring service contractors advise potential customers on choosing suitable flooring material, guide them about cost, provide estimates, and recommend the best place to purchase the right flooring material. Some companies use advanced augmented reality software and graphics to help customers visualize how their home will look with each type of flooring. They use their experience to suggest the right material, color, and texture that is durable, easy to maintain, and cost-effective. A flooring service may install and repair one or more materials, including tile, hardwood, engineered wood, stone, carpet, laminate, concrete, bamboo, and cork.

2. Installation of new flooring
Once a client decides on the type of flooring and the design, they either order the tiles directly from a supplier or receive the tiles that customers order themselves and check for the quality of the tiles. Some services also prepare the subfloor for installation and install the new flooring within the agreed-upon time. They also advise the clients on how to care for and maintain the flooring to reduce damage caused by wear and tear.

3. Overhauling, repairs, and relaying
Sometimes, flooring may not be broken, but gaps could form or tiles could dislodge due to faulty laying. Flooring services can remove and relay such tiles. Cracks and grout formation are common due to wear and tear. A plumbing leak could lead to mold formation, and flooring services may hire a mold removal service to remove the mold before relaying the tiles.

4. Maintenance and cleaning
Hardwood, vinyl, tiles, linoleum, carpet, laminate, and stone are the most commonly used flooring materials. They may lose color and shine despite regular, frequent mopping and scrubbing. Flooring services inspect, scrub, and use powerful machines with hot water to extract dirt from the flooring and air-dry it, making it clean again.

Average cost of flooring installation services
The flooring installation cost depends on the type of flooring, the property’s size and location, and the flooring service charges.

The main types of flooring and their average installation costs are as follows:

• Tile flooring costs between $6 and $20.
• Hardwood flooring costs between $6 and $22.
• Engineered wood flooring costs between $4 and $16.
• Stone flooring costs between $6 and $20.
• Carpet flooring costs between $3.50 and $11.
• Laminate flooring costs between $3 and $10.
• Concrete flooring costs between $2 and $8.

The labor cost and the property’s location contribute significantly to tile installation costs.

Average cost of floor replacement and repairs
Repairs may happen to a floor joist, subfloor, or floor covering. The average cost of repairs for each of these is as follows:

• The average cost of floor joist repairs is between $1000 and $1,000.
• The average cost of plywood or oriented-strand board subflooring is between $500 and $700.
• The average cost of floor covering repair depends on the type of material used. For example, repairing carpet flooring costs between $130 and $200, and hardwood floors cost around $400 to $2500.

Tips to look for top flooring service companies
Here are some tips one should follow when looking for top flooring services or brands:

• Asking for referrals is one of the most trusted methods of getting the right flooring service. One can ask those who have recently built or renovated a house for recommendations.
• One can also search online and visit the professional media pages and websites of such flooring services to read their clients’ and customers’ reviews, comments, and complaints.
• Ask for an inspection and estimate that will help compare multiple service providers. Avoid those services that are not keen on inspection or providing an estimate of cost or estimated completion time.
• Always review and compare the cost of materials to ensure they do not overcharge for material and labor.
• Look for companies that can start working on short notice and have a good history of completing their projects within the stipulated time.
• Verify if the company has the required licenses and the technicians have the required insurance and certifications to carry out complex flooring jobs.
• Ask for verified photographs of their work if they do not have an updated gallery on their website.
• Some large flooring services provide 3-D images of the house’s appearance after completion. Make use of these services that can help in better decision-making.
• Insist that the flooring service guarantees replacement or repairs in case of a faulty installation or problem with the civil work.