FLOORING INSTALLATION

A Beautiful Home Starts with it’s Floors!

Our Process
  • Meet at project site for Free Measurements
  • Provide an email with a list of materials needed & estimate for installation labor cost
  • You decide on the product you like and make your purchase
  • We can assist with delivery
  • House Prep
    • Hang plastic
    • Move large furniture
    • Remove old flooring
    • Floor leveling/prep
  • Installation of Floors
  • Installation of Trim
  • Clean up
  • Haul away

B&B Family Flooring installs all types of flooring with a special expertise in hard surfaces such as Hardwood, Tile, Vinyl Planks & Laminate. We focus on flawless installations and helping our customers to get the absolute best deal. You can shop anywhere or have us do the hunting for you. We offer a large varity of services to fit your needs and make your project quick and easy on you. Check out our process to see what to expect after contacting us.

Choosing the  perfect floor is a huge decision and we are here to help! Here is a quick guide on the most popular hard surface floors we install. We’ve provided some pros and cons and other things to consider when selecting the type of floor you’re interested in getting installed. If you have questions we don’t want you to hesitate contacing us.

Our Process
  • Meet at project site for Free Measurements
  • Provide an email with a list of materials needed & estimate for installation labor cost
  • You decide on the product you like and make your purchase
  • We can assist with delivery
  • House Prep
    • Hang plastic
    • Move large furniture
    • Remove old flooring
    • Floor leveling/prep
  • Installation of Floors
  • Installation of Trim
  • Clean up
  • Haul away
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We love getting the best deal and want to help you find them too.

HARDWOOD
TILE
VINYL PLANKS
Laminate

HARDWOOD FLOORS

A beautiful and high quality product that has many choices when selecting it as the flooring for your home.

Sub Floor

For hardwood flooring your subfloor makes a difference in the type of hardwood that can be installed.

For standard 3/4″ hardwood you will need a wooden subfloor. There are systems available to put this down onto a concrete slab or you could choose a floating system that has a padding under it, which is the best way to do hardwood on a slab.

Hardwood floors can be elegant or rustic and are always beautiful, warm & welcoming. They are a very durable but do take a bit of care to keep their beauty for years to come. Wood is sensitive to moisture so the homes mositure level needs to be maintained at a certain level and while a spill will not destroy them as long as it’s cleaned up fairly quickly, standing water will warp the boards requiring the floors to be repaired.

Every floor will start to wear out over time, one of the awesome parts about having a hardwood floor is that when the time comes they can be re-sanded & finished to bring them back to their former glory.

Sub Floor

For hardwood flooring your subfloor makes a difference in the type of hardwood that can be installed.

For standard 3/4″ hardwood you will need a wooden subfloor. There are systems available to put this down onto a concrete slab or you could choose a floating system that has a padding under it, which is the best way to do hardwood on a slab.

TRIM

Hardwood floors require a slight gap around the perimeter to allow them room to expand and contract which hardwood does throughout the year based on the mositure level.

Floor trim comes in 2 parts called base & shoe. These are required to give your floors a beautiful finish and keep those perimeter gaps from showing.

RAW HARDWOOD

requires on site sanding & finishing

PRE-FINISHED

finishing process completed at a factory

PROS

Being sanded and finished  on site makes it perfectly level (no beveled egdes) & sealed, which helps it to hold up better & longer.

Amazing custom designs are able to be done such as picture framing a room, adding in an inlay pattern, starbursting and more.

Perfect matching to staircases, trim & cabinetry available.

Option of plain, quarter or rift sawn, which is how the tree is cut… gives a different look to the grain.

Possibly easier to fix in the long run as the tree species will never be discontinued, but a prefinished material might be.

Can be sanded & refinished several times before needing to be replaced.

CONS

More expensive due to the amount of manual labor required for both installation and sanding, staining & finishing the floor.

Repaires aren’t usally a small project, they often times require re-sanding, staining &  finishing the entire floor not just the damaged area.

Installation can be messier due to dust from sanding & house generally needs to be empty for a few days during the finishing process.

PROS

Great quality & beautiful material available. High performace aluminum oxide urethane coatings are passed through ultraviolet lights to cure the urethane to the wood creating an extremely durable finish.

Less expensive and quicker installation. There’s no additional charge for the manual labor of the fnishing process. The floor is ready to be lived on immediately after installation.

Easily Repaired as long as the material is available. Replacing just a few planks can be done in an hour vs days of having to go through the refinishing process.

Can have trim installed to match and the large varity of colors available will allow you to find something that will go with your furniture & cabinetry.

CONS

The wood will have beveled edges and will not be sealed, while the wood has a tongue and groove system and is nailed together tightly it isn’t a solid impenetrable floor so liquids & dirt can seep throught the micro cracks to the subfloor.

Possibility of product being discontinued making repairs difficult.

PRE-FINISHED HARDWOOD

finishing process completed at a factory

PROS

Being sanded and finished  on site makes it perfectly level (no beveled egdes) & sealed, which helps it to hold up better & longer.

Amazing custom designs are able to be done such as picture framing a room, adding in an inlay pattern, starbursting and more.

Perfect matching to staircases, trim & cabinetry available.

Option of plain, quarter or rift sawn, which is how the tree is cut… gives a different look to the grain.

Possibly easier to fix in the long run as the tree species will never be discontinued, but a prefinished material might be.

Can be sanded & refinished several times before needing to be replaced.

CONS

The wood will have beveled edges and will not be sealed, while the wood has a tongue and groove system and is nailed together tightly it isn’t a solid impenetrable floor so liquids & dirt can seep throught the micro cracks to the subfloor.

Possibility of product being discontinued making repairs difficult.

SPECIES

Choosing the right species is important as each species has different characteristics, colors, and grain patterns.

HARDWOOD GRADE SYSTEM

Hardwood commonly follows a grade system when the planks are packaged together for hardwood floors. The different grades generally refer to the graining, knots & color variations allowed.

  • Clear Grade: This is the best grade of hardwood flooring because there are few color variations, board lengths are not widely varied, and there are little to no visible knots or pinholes.
  • Select and Better: This grade is slightly lower than the clear, still presenting uniform color and little to no knots and pinholes.
  • #1 Common: This grade presents with more color variation, shorter board length with greater length variation, and an increased chance of visible knots and pinholes.
  • #2 Common: Boards show natural character, with darker and lighter boards, shorter board length, with an increase in visible knots and pinholes.
  • Cabin Grade – Cabin grade is for those who are looking for a rough-hewn look in hardwood flooring; allowed checking, unfilled knot holes and worm holes, no splits, no loose knotholes.

Picking the perfect species of wood for your home is based on the look you’re trying to achieve. Take a glance at the graining and contrast of these woods, graining & presence of knots vary with each species based on the grade & cut of wood selected.

Click on any picture of the species for a little more information about it.

HARDWOOD GRADE SYSTEM

Hardwood commonly follows a grade system when the planks are packaged together for hardwood floors. The different grades generally refer to the graining, knots & color variations allowed.

  • Clear Grade: This is the best grade of hardwood flooring because there are few color variations, board lengths are not widely varied, and there are little to no visible knots or pinholes.
  • Select and Better: This grade is slightly lower than the clear, still presenting uniform color and little to no knots and pinholes.
  • #1 Common: This grade presents with more color variation, shorter board length with greater length variation, and an increased chance of visible knots and pinholes.
  • #2 Common: Boards show natural character, with darker and lighter boards, shorter board length, with an increase in visible knots and pinholes.
  • Cabin Grade – Cabin grade is for those who are looking for a rough-hewn look in hardwood flooring; allowed checking, unfilled knot holes and worm holes, no splits, no loose knotholes.
Plank Sizes & Lengths

The standard thickness for solid hardwood is 3/4″. For thin profile solid hardwood, 5/16″ is the standard.

Most bundles of hardwood come with a varity of lenghts generally ranging from 1′ to 6′ long,  but there are some engineered hardwoods that are bundled all being the same length.

Popular choices for the planks width are 2 1/4″, 3″ & 5″.

LOG CUTTING

Logs are cut several differnt ways when they are made into hardwood flooring planks. The graining on a plank will look differnt based on the direction the log was cut.

  • Plain Sawn

  • Quarter Sawn

  • Rift Sawn

LOG CUTTING

Logs are cut several differnt ways when they are made into hardwood flooring planks. The graining on a plank will look differnt based on the direction the log was cut.

  • Plain Sawn

  • Quarter Sawn

  • Rift Sawn

RED OAK

WHITE OAK

MAPLE

AMERICAN CHERRY

Red Oak is one of the most popular species for hardwood flooring, it is known for having fairly heavy graining & moderate color variations. Coloring of Red Oak ranges from light creamy reddish pinks to shades of brown.
White Oak is another very popular species for hardwood flooring, it is similar to Red Oak, but has a more moderate graining. Coloring of White Oak ranges from golds to browns with gray undertones. Because of it's harder grain White Oak flooring takes stain colors very evenly and accepts more variations of staing without introducing the hints of red you would find in a Red Oak.
Maple is a very pale, creamy white color with slight shade differences from board to board. Depending on the grade chosen, Maple flooring can contain minimal to a lot of brownish/black mineral streaks, Clear grade maple has the least of this streaking. Grain will range from uniformly straight lines to curly patterns. Some cuts of Maple flooring will contain graining called "birdseye." because of it's resemblence totiny eyes
American Cherry has thick graceful graining and its marvilous natural color variation from board to board which darkens with age to a deep reddish brown. Because of the unique graining and coloring of American Cherry flooring, many homeowners like to have the wider 5" planks to show the natural beauty of American Cherry, but not make it look too busy.

BIRCH

WALNUT

HICKORY

PINE

Birch like Oak comes in two varieties, Yello or Red. The graining of both is generally fine with uniform curls and some boards may appear to be almost clear. Yellow Birch has a creamy white color with some yellow undertones while the Red Birch is more golden brown with red undertones.
Walnut has a very rich chocoalte brown color with some variations of lighter browns and tans. It's graining is a fine straight grain with moderate variations.This floor has a very warm natural feel to it.
Hickory has an amazingly large color variation & unusual graining. The color ranges from creamy whites to medium browns with the occasional dark brown mixed in. This is another one that is more popular in the 5" plank to prevent the floor from looking too busy.
Pine is known for small, medium & large knots and pitch spots. Pine flooring fits well in country settings and is often offered as a "reclaimed floor" and in wider than usual board sizes. It's coloring is generally golden with a tan graining.

ASH

BEECH

AMENDOIM

BRAZILIAN CHERRY

Ash has a color variation from pale white to light/medium brown. It is much like white oak in its ability to absorb pigment without changing the color of the stain but has a bit more exciting graining that can appear straight or wavy.
Beech features a tight and straight grain for the most part with moderate color variation from board to board. Beech heartwood is a warm brown color with red undertones
Amendoim, aslo known as Brazilian Oak, is an exotic wood species with a beautiful golden/reddish brown tone ranging from light to medium in color, Amendoim is distinctive because of its almost holographic appearance. Generally grain patterns for Amendoim appear very light and blend into the wood's warm back drop. The color of Amendoim will become richer and darken with exposure to light
Brazilian Cherry is another exotic wood known for its extreme color variation which include red & brown tones. The coloring of Brazilian Cherry also gets richer and darkens with exposure to light to create a beautiful work of art in your home

SANTOS MAHOGANY

TIGERWOOD

BAMBOO

BRAZILIAN TEAK

Santos Mahogany is the 2nd most popular choice of exotic hardwood flooring (after Brazilian Cherry). Like Brazilian Cherry, there is quite a bit of color variation showing in this species of wood but it's a bit more toned down. Color variation ranges from medium browns & oranges with a hint of dark brown. Graining is wavy and incorporates an open pattern.
Tigerwood has a dark thick striping on a pale gold or medium brown background. This exotic hardwood is another one that is popular in the wider planks due to it's intense graining. Like other exotic hardwoods the color of this wood will get richer with exposure to light
Bamboo is very much like wood, but it’s not wood, technically. It’s a tree-like grass that grows extremely fast and the flooring made from it is comparatively as hard as any hardwood. The graining is very think straight lines and being an engineered product it is available in many colors but there is little variation from board to board.
Brazilian Teak is a more mild exotic hardwood with minimal graining. Initial color range includes tan to medium brown tones with limited reddish highlights. Over time, with exposure to light, this color variation with Brazilian Teak evens out a bit and the floor will become more uniform to a medium brown color

STAIN & FINISH

Wood absorbs pigment allowing for a massive range of colors & hues

SANDING

Eventually every floor begins to wear out but one of the amazing parts of hardwood floors is the ability to have them sanded & finished to restore them to their former glory.

The color of your floor will depend on the species you have chosen in addition to the stain & finish you choose. Some woods accept stain excetionally well and some have a very vibrant color of their own and just need to be finished.

 

SANDING

Eventually every floor begins to wear out but one of the amazing parts of hardwood floors is the ability to have them sanded & finished to restore them to their former glory.

FINISHING

Finishing, also known as sealing or coating is the process of applying a blend of synthetic resins. This adds a layer of protection to hardwood floors and is offered in a high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin and matte.

Pre-finished floors have several layers applied at a factory that are dried under ultra violet lights giving them a much a harder finish.

On site finished flooring seals the cracks between the planks giving it a stronger protection from anything seeping through and damaging a subfloor.

TILE FLOORS

Bring beauty and elegance to any room of your home with tile floors

Sub Floor

Tile can be laid directly onto a concrete sab. For wooden subfloors you’ll want to have an underlayment installed. There are a number of options & sizes and exactly which one is right will depend on your homes layout.

 

Tile floors are a fantastic option for any room in your home. They are especailly desirable for rooms with lots of moisture, like bathrooms, rooms with higher chance of spills, like kitchens as well as entrance ways into the home, laundry rooms & three season rooms.

Tiles are a very strong durable product but they can be cracked or broken if hit hard enough. A broken tile can be fairly easily replaced so save any left over tiles from your installation in a safe place just in case.

Sub Floor

Tile can be laid directly onto a concrete sab. For wooden subfloors you’ll want to have an underlayment installed. There are a number of options & sizes and exactly which one is right will depend on your homes layout.

 

TRIM

Floor trim comes in 2 parts called base & shoe. These are required to give your floors a beautiful finish and keep any perimeter gaps from showing.

SPECIES

From natural stone to beautifully made ceramic

Natural Stone

Natural stone has proven itself for centuries to be an attractive, amazingly durable flooring material. It’s quarried and sliced into thin tiles from great slabs of granite, slate, marble, limestone and travertine.

Today, natural stone tiles are available in a wide array of colors, patterns, sizes, textures and finishes. And they can be installed in virtually any room on floors, walls and ceilings. Most natural-stone tile lines also include accent pieces carved from stone, such as bull-nose edging, chair rail, medallions and rope moldings.

Tile is availbe in a large range of beautiful stone species, each with their own spectacular natural graining, as well as crafted ceramics & porcelains that can look like stone, wood and much more.

Natural Stone

Natural stone has proven itself for centuries to be an attractive, amazingly durable flooring material. It’s quarried and sliced into thin tiles from great slabs of granite, slate, marble, limestone and travertine.

Today, natural stone tiles are available in a wide array of colors, patterns, sizes, textures and finishes. And they can be installed in virtually any room on floors, walls and ceilings. Most natural-stone tile lines also include accent pieces carved from stone, such as bull-nose edging, chair rail, medallions and rope moldings.

Ceramic

Ceramic & Porcelain tiles are produced to exacting standards in controlled manufacturing plants, ensuring quality, consistency and uniform sizing, while virtually eliminating defects. And unlike many types of stone, porcelain tiles can be installed indoors or out.

These tiles come in every imaginable color, pattern and texture, including many that are nearly identical to the natural stone they imitate.

TRAVERTINE

CERAMIC

PORCELAIN

GRANITE

Travertine is a form of limestone, it often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and some rusty varieties
Ceramic tiles are made from clay which are shaped and dried then fired in a kiln at very hot temperatures, they are available in many shapes, sizes, textures and appearances.
Porcelain tile is A form of ceramic tile that are composed of fine porcelain clays and fired at much higher temperatures than regular ceramic tiles. This process makes porcelain tile more dense, less porous, much harder and less prone to moisture and stain absorption than ceramic tiles
Granite is born from molten magma, a very durable and functional stone. Granite's crystalline structure is resistant to abrasions, staining and discoloration and is an excellent choice for high traffic areas where class and style are desired

SLATE

MARBLE

Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock and can be found in many shades of grey, from pale to dark, and may also be purple, green or cyan.
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals. This stone is among the most elegant and luxurious of stones. Marble's beauty will last for generations and is versatile enough for use throughout the home
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock and can be found in many shades of grey, from pale to dark, and may also be purple, green or cyan.
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals. This stone is among the most elegant and luxurious of stones. Marble's beauty will last for generations and is versatile enough for use throughout the home

GROUT

Will your grout blend the colors of your tiles or will you have it pop out?

Color

Grout comes in so many colors now it may be hard to choose! The majority of people choose a color that matches their tile, a few shades lighter or darker but sometimes people like to pick something that will stick out. It’s a personal prefference

Grout fills the space between tiles and comes in a massive variety of colors. There are two types of grout, cement based or epoxy. Cement based which is most commonly used for residental purposes is a mixture of portland cement and powdered pigments. Epoxy which is typically used in more harsh environments where it will be exposed to greases and acids is a made of resins and hardeners.

Both come in a sanded and unsanded varity. Sanded is recommended for flooring as the sand helps more strongly bind the portland together and holds up better under pressure. Marble does have a higher chance of scratching with sanded grout so a buffing process is recommended for marble floors after grouting.

Future Home of Local Sales!

We install any brand from any store! We’re working on getting local ads set up for this space.

We love getting the best deal and want to help you find them too.

LUXURY VINYL PLANKS

Simulate just about any look with this waterproof product.

Sub Floor

Vinyl Planks can be laid directly onto a concrete slabs or wooden subfloors.

The subfloor does need to be fairly level and free of debris. A leveling compound may be required for patching divots.

You may want to have a vapor barrier or padding underlayment, many manufactures recommend you buy theirs but not many require it.

 

Vinyl planks are a fantastic flooring option for any room in the home just like tile. Since they are waterproof they are also ideal for wet areas like bathrooms, laundry rooms & kitchens. They are also perfect for pet friendly homes and homes with small children that may have more spills.

There is a great selection available with planks that resemble wood or stone. The price is outstanding and so is the warranty, which is typically 15 years or more, making this a very popular option for many homes.

 

Sub Floor

Vinyl Planks can be laid directly onto a concrete slabs or wooden subfloors.

The subfloor does need to be fairly level and free of debris. A leveling compound may be required for patching divots.

You may want to have a vapor barrier or padding underlayment, many manufactures recommend you buy theirs but not many require it.

 

TRIM

Floor trim comes in 2 parts called base & shoe. These are required to give your floors a beautiful finish and keep any perimeter gaps from showing.

VINYL SPECIES

OK Ok you got us… vinyl is man made but lets talk about the kinds available!

Amazing Prices

One of the greatest parts about having vinyl planks installed is the price. It is one of the least expensive in material and installation cost.

There is a lot of  high quality product  with a great warranty & it’s generally water proof.

Please keep in mind with all products that there is good, better & best and there is cheap … The better quality product the longer you will be happy with it.

There are several differnt types of Vinyl and we install them all. The vinyl planks are the latest and greatest on the market and have been extremely popular. Sheet vinyl and square vinyl tiles are also available.

The vinyl planks have a couple different systems for locking them together. Through experience we’ve found that the click together system is the most solid & least likely to ever have any issues.

 

 

Future Home of Local Sales!

We install any brand from any store! We’re working on getting local ads set up for this space.

We love getting the best deal and want to help you find them too.

LAMINATE

also called floating wood tile is a multi-layer synthetic flooring

Sub Floor

Laminate can be layed directly onto a wooden subfloor but a vapor barrier & cork bottom is recommended by many manufacturers

Laminate can be placed on a concrete slab under certain circumstances. A vapor barrier will be required and the moisture level needs to be under 4%

Laminate is not recommended for basements or areas with potential flooding

 

There are many benefits to choosing a laminate floor over other types of flooring. Laminate flooring is quite versatile and durable. Due to laminate flooring being a printed strip of vinyl over a composite board many textures and styles of flooring can be replicated. Recently laminate floors have seen success in simulating stone and tile patterns as well as wood.

Cleaning laminate floors is easy and comparable to cleaning other hard surfaces such as hardwood floors. It is generally not recommended to mop laminate floors as this has been shown to cause damage by soaking into the composite portion which allows warping over time. Most manufacturers suggest using dry methods such as brooms to clean with occasional wet cleaning with more specialized mop-type products that do not leave excessive water on the flooring.

TRIM

Floor trim comes in 2 parts called base & shoe. These are required to give your floors a beautiful finish and keep any perimeter gaps from showing.

LAMINATE SPECIES

Ohh you got us again! We just wanted to talk more about this great flooring option

Amazing Prices

One of the greatest parts about having vinyl planks installed is the price. It is one of the least expensive in material and installation cost.

There is a lot of  high quality product  with a great warranty & it’s generally water proof.

Please keep in mind with all products that there is good, better & best and there is cheap … The better quality product the longer you will be happy with it.

Laminate is an absolutely beautiful flooring option that offers the look of hardwood flooring without the cost or the maintenance issues.

This product is water resistant but not water proof. Some manufacutrers are saying that they can withstand up to 25 hours of standing water. Not something we suggest!

Future Home of Local Sales!

We install any brand from any store! We’re working on getting local ads set up for this space. 

We love getting the best deal and want to help you find them too.

CONTACT US

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Contact

B&B Family Flooring

Lake Villa, IL

847-693-9548

Hours

Mon - Fri 9 AM - 7 PM

Sat & Sun by appointment