Engineered Hardwood Flooring in Cary, NC
We supply and lay engineered hardwood, a real wood top on a stack of glued wood plies, for Cary homeowners.
- Quotes in writing
- 10 areas covered
Cary Hardwood Flooring lays engineered hardwood floors in Cary homes. We start every job by looking at what sits under your current floor, then we help you choose boards that suit each room.
Why a layered board holds its shape better
The Forest Products Laboratory, part of the U.S. Forest Service, says the moisture left in wood tends to settle at the same level as the humidity of the air around it.
A Forest Products Laboratory study says engineered flooring is more stable in size than solid strip flooring, because its thin plies are glued with their grain crossing. That crossing cuts down on swelling and shrinking in width when the moisture changes.
Inside an engineered plank
The study describes engineered wood flooring as several sheets of solid wood, called veneer, glued together under heat, pressure or both. It says you can buy boards with two, three, five, seven or nine sheets, though three and five are the ones most often sold.
On the boards we fit, the top sheet you see and walk on is real hardwood.
Before the first board goes down
We use a moisture meter on the new boards and on the subfloor, the base layer the boards sit on. We hold off on the install until both readings fall where the board maker's instructions say they should.
We also check the subfloor is flat and firm. If we find dips or loose spots, we fix them before the new boards go in.
Glue, nails or a floating floor
There are three ways we can hold an engineered floor in place, and the subfloor usually decides which one we use:
- Glue-down: we spread adhesive on the subfloor and set each board into it.
- Nail-down: we fasten the boards to a wood subfloor with flooring nails or staples.
- Floating: we lock the boards to one another over a thin pad, with nothing fixing them to the subfloor.
We also lay engineered boards on hardwood stairs, and in rooms where we pull up carpet and put down hardwood in its place.
The TSCA Title VI stamp
According to the EPA, composite wood products are made by gluing strands, particles, fibers, veneers or boards of wood together, and flooring is one of the common places they turn up. The EPA says the resins in those glues use formaldehyde, a strong-smelling chemical that can irritate the skin, eyes, nose and throat.
The EPA adds that regulated composite wood products, and finished goods made with them, that were made in or brought into the U.S. after March 22, 2019 must be labeled TSCA Title VI compliant. TSCA Title VI is the federal rule that limits formaldehyde from these products. We'll find that stamp on the carton with you before any board is opened.
Your written quote
We measure your rooms first and then give you a written price. We base it on the square footage, the number of doorways and corners to cut around, the boards you choose, pulling up the old floor, any subfloor fixes and which install method suits your house.
Whoever you hire, make sure the quote spells out:
- The brand, species, plank width and thickness of the real wood top layer.
- Glue-down, nail-down or floating, plus what goes under the boards.
- How and when moisture will be measured.
- Who fixes an uneven subfloor and what that costs.
- Whether moving furniture and removing the old floor are covered.
- What trim or transition strip joins the new floor to tile or carpet at each doorway.
Questions about engineered hardwood flooring in Cary
Does the Town of Cary require a permit for new engineered floors?
Usually not. The Town of Cary lists replacing floor and wall coverings among the jobs that don't need a building permit. If you are unsure, the town says to call its Inspections and Permits Department on 311 inside town limits or (919) 469-4000.
Can I take my old flooring to the Cary convenience center?
The Town of Cary says waste from private contractors is not allowed at its Citizen's Convenience Center. The town also says that starting January 1, 2027, that center will only take food and yard waste, so ask us how the old floor will be removed when we quote.
Could I sand an engineered floor down the road?
We check how thick the real wood top is on the boards you like, and we tell you before you buy whether a later hardwood floor refinishing job would be possible.
How do you keep sawdust out of the rest of the house?
OSHA, the federal workplace safety agency, says wood dust becomes a possible health problem when sanding and cutting put wood particles into the air. We seal off the room we're in and set up our saw as far from your living space as we can.
Will you lay boards I bought somewhere else?
We can, once we've looked them over. We check their moisture, the TSCA Title VI stamp and whether you have enough extra boards to cover cuts.
Is engineered or solid wood better for my home?
We lay both, and we'll walk through the choice room by room. Our solid hardwood flooring page covers boards cut from a single piece of wood.
Do you lay engineered floors outside Cary?
Besides Cary, we work in Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Knightdale.
Ask for an engineered hardwood quote
Call us or fill in the quote form with your ZIP code and the rooms you have in mind. We'll come out to measure, talk through boards and install methods, and send you a written quote. You can see the rest of our flooring work on the Cary Hardwood Flooring home page.
Ready to talk about your hardwood flooring job?
Call us or send the quote form with your ZIP code and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.