Flooring Glossary

Letting flooring material adjust to your home’s temperature and humidity before installation. We leave hardwood 3–7 days, LVP 48 hours. Skipping this step causes gaps and buckling.

Glue used to bond flooring to the subfloor. Used for glue-down LVP, engineered hardwood, and some tile installations. Different adhesives cure at different rates.

Cement-based board installed over the subfloor as a base for tile. Prevents cracking from subfloor movement. We use Hardie or Ditra depending on the application.

Trim molding installed where the wall meets the floor. Covers the expansion gap and gives a finished look. We remove and reinstall (or replace) baseboards on every job.

A slight angle cut into the edges of planks. Creates a visible V-groove between boards. Hides minor height differences between planks and adds a traditional look.

When flooring lifts off the subfloor and creates bumps. Usually caused by moisture underneath or not leaving expansion gaps. One of the most common installation failures we fix.

Foam or rubber cushion installed underneath carpet. Affects comfort, insulation, and carpet lifespan. Cheap pad under expensive carpet is a waste of money.

A tongue-and-groove system that snaps planks together without glue or nails. Used on most LVP and laminate flooring. Makes installation faster and the floor easier to replace later.

A solid concrete floor, common in basements and newer construction. Must be tested for moisture before any flooring goes over it. We use ASTM F2170 in-situ probes.

When hardwood plank edges curl upward, forming a concave shape. Caused by more moisture on the bottom of the board than the top. Common in PA and NJ basements.

Carpet with padding built into the backing. Eliminates the need for separate carpet pad. Common in commercial installations.

A brand-name uncoupling membrane by Schluter, used under tile. Prevents cracks by letting the tile and subfloor move independently. Our go-to for tile over plywood or concrete.

Real wood top layer bonded to a plywood or HDF core. More dimensionally stable than solid hardwood, making it better for basements and over radiant heat.

A space (usually ¼ to ½ inch) left around the perimeter of floating floors. Allows the floor to expand and contract with humidity changes. Covered by baseboards.

Electrostatic discharge flooring for server rooms and data centers. Prevents static buildup that can damage sensitive electronics. Requires grounding and specialized panels.

Any floor that sits on top of the subfloor without being glued or nailed down. Held in place by its own weight and interlocking edges. Most LVP, laminate, and some engineered hardwood are floating.

Wide-plank European white oak, typically 7–9 inches wide with wire-brushed or hand-scraped texture. The most popular hardwood style we install in 2026.

Installation method where flooring is adhered directly to the subfloor with adhesive. Creates the most solid feel underfoot. Required for some commercial and high-traffic applications.

Cement-based or epoxy filler used between tiles. Comes in sanded (for joints over ⅛ inch) and unsanded varieties. Epoxy grout costs more but resists staining.

Flooring made from solid or engineered real wood. Solid hardwood is ¾-inch thick milled from a single piece. The premium choice for home value.

Dense wood-fiber core used in laminate and some engineered hardwood. Provides stability and impact resistance but cannot handle standing water.

A V-shaped pattern where rectangular planks are laid at 45-degree angles. Creates a classic, high-end look. Takes about 30% more labor and material than standard straight-lay.

ASTM F2170 test where probes are drilled into concrete to measure internal relative humidity. The industry standard for determining if concrete is dry enough for flooring. We do this on every concrete slab job.

A rating that measures how resistant a wood species is to denting. Higher is harder — white oak scores 1,360, red oak 1,290, Brazilian cherry 2,350. Helpful for choosing hardwood in high-traffic areas.

Synthetic flooring with a photographic image layer over an HDF core. Looks like wood or stone but is not real. More affordable than hardwood or LVP, but cannot be refinished.

Self-leveling cementitious product poured over uneven subfloors. Creates a flat surface for flooring installation. Most jobs need at least some leveling work.

Synthetic plank flooring with a vinyl wear layer, printed design layer, and rigid core. Waterproof, durable, and the most popular flooring we install.

Same material as LVP but in tile shapes instead of planks. Used to mimic stone or ceramic tile. Popular in bathrooms and kitchens.

Plastic sheeting or membrane installed between the subfloor and flooring to block moisture vapor. Essential over concrete slabs and in basements. We use 6-mil poly or specialized membranes.

Trim pieces that cover transitions between flooring and walls, stairs, or other flooring types. Includes baseboards, quarter round, T-moldings, and stair nosing.

Installation method where hardwood planks are nailed (or stapled) through the tongue into the subfloor. The traditional method for solid hardwood over plywood subfloors.

National Wood Flooring Association. The industry’s main certification body. Our installers are NWFA-certified, which means we follow standardized installation and finishing protocols.

Engineered wood panel used as subflooring. Made from compressed wood strands. Less expensive than plywood but more susceptible to moisture damage.

Adjustable support post used in raised access floor systems. Holds floor panels above the structural slab to create a plenum for cables and airflow.

Wood panel subflooring, typically ¾-inch thick, installed over floor joists. The preferred subfloor for nail-down hardwood installation.

Ceramic tile fired at higher temperatures, making it denser and more water-resistant than standard ceramic. Our recommendation for any wet or high-traffic area.

Small, rounded trim molding installed at the base of baseboards to cover expansion gaps. An alternative to removing and reinstalling baseboards. Faster but less clean-looking.

Heating system installed under the floor. Compatible with tile, engineered hardwood, and LVP, but NOT solid hardwood. Requires specific installation methods and adhesives.

A system of removable panels on adjustable pedestals, creating space beneath the floor for cables, wiring, and HVAC. Used in data centers, offices, and commercial buildings.

Sanding down existing hardwood to bare wood and applying new stain and finish coats. Solid hardwood can be refinished 3–5 times over its lifetime.

A type of rigid-core LVP with a limestone-based core. Harder and more dent-resistant than WPC. Our recommended LVP core type for most residential installations.

A maintenance refinishing process that lightly abrades the existing finish and applies a new coat of polyurethane without sanding to bare wood. Costs $1.50–$3/sqft.

Thin, flexible molding similar to quarter round but with a flatter profile. Used to cover expansion gaps where baseboards meet the floor.

The structural surface underneath your finished flooring. Usually plywood or OSB over joists, or a concrete slab. Its condition determines what flooring can be installed and how.

A T-shaped transition strip used where two floating floors meet at the same height. Common in doorways between rooms with different flooring materials.

An interlocking edge profile where one plank has a protruding tongue that fits into the groove of the adjacent plank. The standard connection method for hardwood and laminate.

A thin layer of material (foam, cork, or rubber) installed between the subfloor and floating flooring. Provides sound dampening, minor leveling, and moisture protection.

The open space between a raised access floor and the structural slab below. Used for routing cables, ductwork, and conditioned air distribution.

See LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank). Sometimes used to describe lower-end sheet vinyl cut into plank shapes, which is a different and cheaper product than rigid-core LVP.

A countertop or stair treatment where the same flooring material continues down the vertical face. Creates a seamless modern look on stair treads.

The top protective surface of LVP or laminate flooring, measured in mils. Residential: 12–20 mil. Commercial: 20–28 mil. Thicker wear layer = longer lifespan.

A type of rigid-core LVP with a foamed wood-plastic core. Softer underfoot and quieter than SPC, but slightly less dent-resistant.