Hardwood Flooring Vancouver

Hardwood is the most common flooring choice in Vancouver living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and hallways. We carry over 800 hardwood products in our showroom — solid and engineered, in oak, maple, hickory, walnut, ash, and exotic species, in a wide range of plank widths, finishes, and stain colours.

For most Vancouver homes, the right call is engineered hardwood, not solid. We will explain why on the page below.

Engineered vs. solid hardwood in Vancouver

Solid hardwood is one continuous piece of wood. Engineered hardwood is a real-wood top layer (3–6mm typically) bonded to a stable plywood or HDF core. Both look identical when installed.

For Vancouver homes, engineered hardwood is the right pick in most cases:

• Coastal humidity — Vancouver winters bring 80%+ humidity, summers drop to 60%. That 20-point swing causes solid hardwood to expand and contract enough to cup and gap. Engineered's stable core resists this.
• Concrete subfloors — solid hardwood cannot be installed over concrete in Vancouver homes (basements, condos with concrete slab). Engineered hardwood can be glued or floated with a vapour barrier.
• Condo strata requirements — engineered hardwood is easier to install over IIC-rated acoustic underlayment than solid (which often requires nail-down).
• Refinishing — solid hardwood can be refinished 4–7 times over its life. Engineered with a 4–6mm wear layer can be refinished 1–3 times — enough for most homeowners.

We still install solid hardwood for clients with heritage Kitsilano or Shaughnessy homes who want period-accurate floors and accept the seasonal movement.

Hardwood species we install

• White Oak — most popular in Vancouver homes today. Hard, scratch-resistant, takes stain beautifully, works in modern and traditional spaces.
• Red Oak — traditional Vancouver choice, slightly warmer tone, very durable.
• Maple — hardest of the common species, pale and clean, great in modern condos.
• Hickory — extreme hardness and dramatic grain, popular for character homes.
• Walnut — premium dark wood with rich grain, softer than oak.
• Ash — pale, grainy, on-trend in modern Vancouver homes.
• Engineered exotics — Brazilian cherry, teak, acacia, and others available through our showroom.

Pre-finished vs. site-finished hardwood

• Pre-finished (factory-finished) — most popular in Vancouver. Sealed at the factory with multiple layers of aluminum-oxide wear layer. Faster install (no on-site sanding/sealing), tougher finish, ready to walk on immediately.
• Site-finished (unfinished) — sanded and finished on site. Allows custom stain colours, fully flush board edges (no micro-bevels), and matches existing original floors in heritage homes. Slower (3–5 extra days for cure), more disruption.

What our hardwood installation includes

• Subfloor inspection, moisture testing, and prep
• On-site acclimatization (5–7 days for hardwood)
• Acoustic underlayment for condos (IIC 65+ where required)
• Glue-down, nail-down, or floating installation method based on product and subfloor
• Baseboard installation and transitions
• Final clean and walkthrough
• Written labour warranty + manufacturer warranty