Forum Archive: Posts by: johnife

We’re going to be re-doing our kitchen early next year. I’m avoiding any water/gas/electricity relocations and plan on assembling the Ikea cabinets myself and probably installing the wall cabinets myself as well. I will need a contractor to remove the existing floor tile, install new tile (including sub-base) and install the base cabinets, countertop and undermount sink (time constraints). Of this contractor scope, I’m most concerned about the floor tiling. I want to use a contractor who has the fullest understanding of what is necessary to provide a solid and durable sub-base over a wood floor in a brownstone that will forestall any problems with settlement and cracking tiles. If anyone has recommendations based on personal experience and longevity of this particular aspect of the work, I’d much appreciate hearing them. Adverse experiences of floor tiling work by contractors are also welcome so that I know who to avoid. I’m not interested in recommendations based on tiles being installed over a concrete framed floor.

Many thanks,

John Ife

I just has a good experience with a wood flooring contractor that I would like to share. I used Brownstoner to search for contractor recommendations and came up with a short list of four names, one of which was listed as Carlos Flooring. I subsequently discovered they have a website at

http://www.intiinteriorfinish.com/about-us.php.

Our second floor landing was covered with a carpet that had been there since we moved in 12 years ago (yeah, we’re frugal!). Underneath the carpet was a board subfloor that was too rough to refinish. We wanted to make the floor match that of our 3rd floor hallway which is 8″ x 8″ oak parquet with a mahogany border. All the contractors except Carlos had a problem with the 8″ x 8″ size, saying it was non-standard in this day and age and quoting for 12″ x 12″ squares with a HUGE add alternate for 8″ squares. Carlos came in with a 8″ price that was below the base quote of any of the other bidders, custom-made the preferred-size squares and did a great job. With my wife and I both working, they were left in the house unsupervised and each day when we came home everything was tidied up and clean. The only minor niggle I had with what was overall a very positive experience was that they didn’t get back to me as quickly as I would have liked when I had questions. I highly recommend them. Oh, they also sanded and refinished our dining room floor, doing a great job on that too.

We are probably going to get some estimates soon for re-doing the flooring on our second floor landing which is currently covered with carpet. While the ground floor hallway is parquet, the second floor is pretty beat boards (narrow not wide). Is this typical in an 1800′s brownstone?

If we wanted to replicate the parquet that’s downstairs what’s the precedure; take up the boards and put in an subfloor of suitable thickness to get a final elevation match with adjoining rooms?

Finally, how do people deal with the time it takes for the finish to dry on a main throughfare like a second floor hallway? Can it be done in parallel halves or does one have to move out for a couple of days?