Over a subfloor somebody actually checked

We check what is underneath first. That means reading the subfloor for flatness and soft spots, testing for moisture where the slab or crawlspace warrants it, and looking at what is causing any existing damage rather than covering it. Laying luxury vinyl plank over a slab that is wicking moisture produces a callback in a year, and the second installation costs more than the inspection would have.

The material choice follows the use, not the catalogue. For rentals and multifamily we usually land on LVP: it survives water, it can be replaced plank by plank, and it photographs well for a listing. Tile earns its place in wet areas and entries. Hardwood refinishing is often the better answer than replacement when the boards have life left. Carpet still makes sense in bedrooms and on stairs in some markets, and it is the fastest thing to swap between tenancies.

Transitions and edges are where installations look cheap. Thresholds between materials, undercut door casings rather than quarter-round jammed against them, expansion gaps at walls that are actually left, and stair nosings that are fastened properly — those details are scoped rather than left to the installer to improvise.

For portfolios there is a real argument for standardising on one product across units. It makes partial replacement possible, it lets you hold attic stock, and it means a damaged plank in one unit does not force a whole-room replacement. We will tell you what we are seeing across your properties and what standardising would actually save.

Every job comes back with photos of the prepared subfloor as well as the finished floor. The subfloor photo is the one that matters if there is ever a dispute about what was there before.