Serving Riverdale Victorian and Edwardian homes Written quotes

Flooring Contractors in Riverdale, Toronto

Toronto Flooring Contractors provides flooring installation, hardwood refinishing, board repair and stair work to homeowners across Riverdale.

Riverdale streets are lined with Victorian and Edwardian houses, and the floor inside is often as old as the brick outside. Most jobs here start with saving that wood.

Original hardwood sanded and refinished

Worn boards woven out and matched

Stairs and landings finished to match

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2008 Riverdale HCD designated

224 Properties inside the Riverdale HCD

$4.50-$8 Refinishing per sq ft, before 13% HST

Riverdale housing

Bay-and-gable floors in Riverdale's heritage streets

Riverdale’s heritage core is the Riverdale Heritage Conservation District, designated in 2008. It covers 224 properties on First Avenue, Tiverton Avenue and West Avenue, built from the late 1880s to the First World War in bay-and-gable, Second Empire and Edwardian Classicism styles. Heritage rules deal with exteriors, but owners of these houses usually want the floors to fit the period. That means sanding and refinishing the existing boards, weaving in replacement boards of the same species and width, and only covering wood where it cannot be saved.

Before sanding a Riverdale floor: wood depth, joists and old tile

Wear layer above the tongue

Boards sanded several times may have little wood left. We measure before we promise a full refinish.

Joist and subfloor movement

Settled joists show up as dips and squeaks. Levelling and subfloor prep run $1 to $4 per sq ft, before 13% HST.

Old tile in kitchens and basements

Vinyl and asphalt floor tile is on Ontario's list of suspect asbestos materials, so we recommend a lab test before removal.

Seasonal gaps

Why old floors in Riverdale open gaps in winter

Gaps that open between boards in winter and close in summer are usually a humidity problem, not a failed floor. Furnace heat dries the air in Riverdale’s Victorian and Edwardian houses, and wood floors perform within 30 to 50% relative humidity, the same range Health Canada recommends for indoor air. Before we fill gaps or refinish a floor in a house near Pape, Donlands or Greenwood station, we measure the moisture in the boards and the room. Where seasonal movement is the cause, a humidifier does more than filler. New boards are acclimated in the house before they go down.

Riverdale flooring services that suit the house

Refinishing

Sand, stain and finish original hardwood from $4.50 to $8 per sq ft, before 13% HST.

Board replacement

Burnt, split or water-stained boards replaced at $150 to $350 per board.

Stair refinishing

Treads, risers and nosing refinished from $100 to $200 per step.

Keeping period character in Riverdale floors during a refinish

Riverdale houses from the late 1880s to the First World War have details a quick sanding job can lose.

Sand the bay with the room

The floor in a front bay often fades faster in the sun. We sand it with the rest of the room so the colour evens out.

Scrape corners by hand

Bay angles and tight corners are finished with a hand scraper where an edger cannot reach cleanly.

Seal off plaster and trim

Plastic sheeting closes off stairs and rooms not being sanded, so dust stays off plaster walls and old trim.

Keep the wood thresholds

Original wood thresholds between rooms are refinished with the floor rather than replaced with metal strips.

Riverdale homeowners: see what our Toronto clients say

Our old floors were uneven and badly worn, but the crew completely transformed them. We're very impressed with the quality and would gladly recommend them.

Reliable and professional Toronto flooring contractors. They answered all our questions, respected our home, and delivered exactly what they promised.

Riverdale homeowners ask about heritage rules and refinishing

Does the Riverdale Heritage Conservation District control interior flooring?

The district plan focuses on exteriors, so interior floor finishes generally fall outside it. If your Riverdale house has an individual designation, confirm with the City of Toronto through its <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/heritage-preservation/heritage-conservation-districts-planning-studies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heritage conservation district page</a>.

Can you match new boards to an old Riverdale floor?

Usually, yes. We match species, width and thickness, weave the new boards into the old ones, then sand and finish the whole room so the colour evens out.

Do Riverdale stairs get refinished with the floors?

They can. Doing the stairs in the same visit keeps the stain and sheen consistent. Refinishing runs $100 to $200 per step, and new treads and risers run $185 to $350 per step, before 13% HST.

How long does a Riverdale main-floor refinish take?

Most main floors take a few days: sanding, stain, then coats of finish with drying time between. Your written quote sets out the schedule for your rooms.