Hello all,

Let me start out by saying thanks for taking the time to contribute to such a great site. I've learned so much from reading these forums. Okay, on to the question.

I want to install wood flooring in the bedroom of my 1-story Houston home. I'd prefer to simply pay to have it done by a good pro, but I haven't been able to find any yet. So the first question is:

Are there any recommended installers in Houston? Perry, do you do work in Houston or know of anyone who does? I've gone to the NWFA website but can't seem to find a "recommended installers" page. I've of course read all the information on this site regarding choosing an installer, but I'm sure there must be someone on here that is in the Houston area.


If I can't find an installer, I'll do it myself . The subfloor is concrete and I am planning on using a glueless floating engineered wood over some sort of vapor barrier / padding.

I have a couple of questions I was hoping you all might be able to answer.

1) What is the best underlayment to use? I have read alot about quietwalk but there are a lot of different options. I just want something that will feel good underfoot without a hollow clicky sound to it, and the best moisture barrier/removal system. Houston is very humid and the swings are bad from winter to summer.

2) Can I install some sort of border with a floating install? I've seen pictures of great borders on this site and I'd love to spice up the look of the flooring by using a border, but don't think it can be done with a glueless floating install.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Russell

Nope, I'm not hungry enough to travel, for work. Travel and lodging would put a hit in your budget.

I've never done a border in a floating install, only gluedown and nail down.

Yeah,

I didn't figure you traveled all the way out to Houston I was hoping though I'm sure there's a lot of work in Austin. Do you happen to have any friends or know anyone that does work out this way?



I thought that might be the case. If I want a border I'll probably have to do a glue down and if I can't find a good installer I probably won't tackle a glue down on my first attempt.

Russell

I finally found the search page on nwfa.org's website and there are no certified installers in the southwest. Not a single one in TX, OK, or LA. The only certified anything I could find near Houston is a certified Sander/Finisher and a couple certified inspectors.

I guess I was under the impression that there would be a lot of certified installers. There were a few certified inspectors but that's it.

Is becoming a certified installer just a big PITA? Would a certified inspector probably be a good installer as well?

Thanks and sorry for all the questions. I never thought it would be this hard to find someone competent to give business to.

Russell

Being certifed is actually a new thing. It has only come around, since all the consumer complaints, about shoddy craftsmanship, and down right uneducated installers that wing it, or cut important corner, for the sake of slapping it in as fast as possible, usually because someone else, without a clue has bid their labor at bottom dollar, to make the sale on low price. You won't get a certified installer, at a low price.

Gotcha!

As with most important things in life, if I don't do it myself, I pay accordingly to have it done right. I think I'll contact one of the certified testers and see if they have a recommended installer.

Russell

There is nothing particularly challenging about bordering floating floors. I can walk you through it.

Except if it is a "click" system. Still can be done but what a pain. Only border work I'd do is for a normal T&G glued up floater, like the old Wilsonart Classic

I was planning on using a click system to avoid the use of glue. I figured I'd try to do the easiest type of floor first and then work my way up from there. We've got 4 rooms that we'd like to put hardwood flooring in and the master bedroom is the most hidden of the 4 ( a perfect place to start).

I also contacted a local nwfa certified inspector who also does installs. He said that 85% of their work is solid hardwood which I found surprising since almost all homes in the area are concrete slabs. As for engineered, he said they use Owen's engineered flooring (http://www.owensflooring.com/plankfloor/index.html) and gave me a ballpark quote of $10-$12/ft including flooring, to install, sand, and finish. The Owens looks like pretty good stuff. I need to do some research here to see what people think of it.

Anyhow, at $10-$12/ft to install I think I might just hire it out. It was going to cost me almost $10/ft to install the Kahrs glueless click that I wanted and then the hassle of adding the border.

Anyhow, he's coming out this week or next week to do a calcium chloride test on the slab in a few places. We'll see how it goes.

Russell

*Ken, I believe you sell the Owens product. If not, I'd be more than happy to remove the link and mention of the product.