Our standard solid hardwood installation covers everything from tear-out to the final coat of finish, so you are not coordinating three different trades. Add-ons like stair work, custom stain matching, or subfloor replacement are quoted separately after we see the space.
We run a moisture meter across the subfloor and check flatness with a straightedge before any plank goes down. Low spots get leveled, high spots get sanded, and squeaky floors get screwed tight. This step prevents cupping and gaps later.
Your solid hardwood sits inside your home for 3 to 7 days so it adjusts to indoor humidity. We stack it with spacers so air moves around every plank. Skipping acclimation is how floors end up with gaps at seams after the first dry winter.
Planks are blind-nailed through the tongue with a flooring stapler and finish nailer. We leave a 3/4-inch expansion gap at every wall and cover it with baseboard or transition strips. This gives the floor room to move with Austin's humidity without buckling.
A drum sander and edge sander flatten the floor, and our dust containment system captures most of the fine dust at the source. We hand-scrape corners and buff between grits. You get a smooth, level surface ready for stain.
We apply your chosen stain, then 3 coats of polyurethane finish with a floor roller, sanding lightly between coats. You get a sample board first so there are no color surprises. The floor is walkable 24 hours after the final coat.
We walk the finished floor with you, point out anything worth noting, and leave written care instructions. You get guidance on humidity control, felt pads, and cleaning products that will not dull the finish. If something looks off, we fix it before we leave.
Solid hardwood installation Austin TX is the process of nailing 3/4-inch solid wood planks to a wood subfloor, then sanding and finishing them in place so the floor becomes one continuous surface. We start by checking subfloor flatness and moisture with a moisture meter, because solid wood moves with humidity. Planks get fastened with a flooring stapler or nail gun, seams staggered, and the whole floor sanded with a drum sander and edge sander before stain and polyurethane go down.
Austin homes deal with swings from humid spring to dry winter, and that is hard on solid wood. Older bungalows near Zilker and Hyde Park often have uneven subfloors that need leveling first. New builds in Circle C and Cedar Park usually need acclimation time before install. If you have been searching for solid wood flooring near me Austin and want a crew that plans for Texas humidity instead of ignoring it, we build that into every job.
Every solid hardwood job follows the same five stages, whether it is a 400 square foot bedroom in Westlake or 2,000 square feet across a Round Rock build. Here is the sequence and roughly how long each part takes.
Schedule
Call or book online — a real human picks up and confirms a 2-hour arrival window.
Diagnose
Licensed tech inspects on-site, then walks you through the cause and your options.
Fix
The job is completed to code and done right the first time — no shortcuts, no surprises.
Guarantee
Every job backed by a written workmanship warranty — and we stand behind it.
Moisture meter
Reads subfloor and plank moisture before install. We compare readings to the manufacturer's spec and wait or add a barrier if numbers are off.
Flooring stapler and nail gun
Blind-nails solid planks through the tongue at the correct angle and depth. We adjust air pressure per species so cleats seat without splitting the tongue.
Drum sander and edge sander
Flattens the installed floor and removes mill marks. The edge sander gets into corners and along walls where the drum cannot reach.
Buffer
Screens between finish coats and buffs the final coat to an even sheen. We use it with fine abrasives so the finish stays smooth, not scratched.
Dust containment system
Hooks to the sanders and pulls fine dust into a sealed unit. Keeps your cabinets, HVAC, and furniture from getting coated during sanding.
Floor roller
Applies polyurethane finish evenly across the floor without lap marks. We roll in the direction of the grain and keep a wet edge the whole run.
Pry bar and oscillating multi-tool
Pulls old flooring and cuts out damaged boards without chewing up the subfloor. The multi-tool gets into tight spots under door jambs and around cabinets.
NWFA installation standards
We follow National Wood Flooring Association guidelines for subfloor prep, fastener spacing, and expansion gaps. Those standards exist because floors that ignore them fail, and we build to them on every job.
Acclimation to indoor conditions
Planks sit inside your home for 3 to 7 days before install so they reach equilibrium with indoor humidity. We check moisture content again right before laying to confirm they are ready.
Blind-nail fastening
Fasteners go in through the tongue at a 45-degree angle so the nail head is hidden by the next plank. This leaves the face clean and keeps the floor tight without visible fasteners.
Bona and Duraseal finishing systems
We use Bona and Duraseal stains and finishes because they hold up to Texas heat and heavy foot traffic. Both systems are low-VOC and cure hard enough to resist everyday scratches.
01
What we do: We pull the old layers, inspect the original subfloor, and either refinish the existing oak or install new solid oak to match where boards are too far gone. We match species, width, and stain so the new and old blend.
→ A single continuous oak floor across the whole house, with the original character preserved and the worn sections replaced.
02
What we do: We tear out the carpet, prep the plywood subfloor, acclimate solid hickory planks, and nail them down across the living, dining, and hallway. Stain and 3 finish coats go on after.
→ A 1,400 square foot solid hickory floor that handles kids and dogs and can be refinished in 10 years instead of replaced.
03
What we do: We remove the damaged engineered floor, dry and repair the subfloor, then install solid hardwood with a moisture barrier and proper acclimation. The leak source gets fixed before we start.
→ A solid floor that tolerates humidity swings better than the old engineered product and can be sanded back if it ever needs a refresh.
04
What we do: We install solid hardwood over an approved acoustic underlayment that meets the building's sound transmission requirement, then nail down and finish on site.
→ A code-compliant solid hardwood floor that passes the HOA inspection and looks like a custom install, not a builder-grade product.
Austin sits in a humidity range that swings from muggy spring to dry winter, and that movement is the biggest factor in how a solid hardwood floor performs here. We acclimate every plank to your home's indoor conditions, test subfloor moisture with a meter, and leave a 3/4-inch expansion gap at every wall so the floor has somewhere to go when the air dries out. Older homes in Travis County often have pier-and-beam construction with uneven subfloors that need leveling before install. Newer builds in Circle C and Cedar Park usually have flat plywood subfloors that just need a moisture check. If you are looking for solid hardwood installation in Westlake Austin TX, expect us to spend real time on prep, because that is what keeps the floor flat through summer and winter. We work across ZIP codes 78749, 78748, 78745, 78744, 78741, and 78742, and we schedule around your move-in or remodel timeline.
Westlake
Larger homes with wide-plank solid oak and hickory installs. Many have pier-and-beam subfloors that need leveling before the first plank goes down.
Circle C
Newer construction with flat plywood subfloors. Most jobs here are carpet-to-hardwood conversions in living areas and bedrooms.
Zilker
Older bungalows with original oak floors. We often refinish existing wood and weave in new planks where sections are too worn to save.
Round Rock
Growing suburb with a mix of new builds and 1990s homes. Solid hickory and oak are the most common species we install here.
Lakeway
Hill Country homes with slab-on-grade construction. Moisture testing is critical here before installing solid wood over a slab.
Humidity swings from spring to winter
Solid wood expands and contracts with indoor humidity. We acclimate planks and leave expansion gaps so the floor moves at the walls instead of buckling in the middle.
Pier-and-beam homes with uneven subfloors
Common in older Austin neighborhoods. We level low spots and screw down squeaky boards before install so the finished floor sits flat.
Slab-on-grade construction in newer suburbs
Slabs can wick moisture up into solid wood. We test with a moisture meter and add a barrier where readings are high before laying any planks.
Hot, dry summers with AC running constantly
Indoor air dries out and wood shrinks. Correct expansion gaps and a finish that flexes with the wood keep seams tight through the dry months.
Most calls we get are not just about wanting a new floor. They are about a problem the current floor has, and solid hardwood is the fix. Here are the ones we see most in Austin.
Problem
Planks bow up at the edges or crown in the middle, and the floor feels uneven underfoot. Left alone, the wood keeps moving and the finish cracks along the seams.
Our Fix
We find the moisture source first, whether it is a crawlspace, a slab, or a plumbing leak. Then we install solid hardwood with proper acclimation, a moisture barrier where needed, and correct expansion gaps so the floor has room to move without cupping.
Problem
Every step announces itself, and gaps open up in winter when indoor air dries out. It looks like the floor is failing even when the wood itself is fine.
Our Fix
We screw down the subfloor to kill squeaks, then install solid planks tight and properly nailed. Correct expansion gaps at the perimeter keep seasonal movement at the walls instead of between planks, so seams stay closed through the year.
Problem
Old flooring traps dust and allergens, and the subfloor underneath is often uneven or damaged. Installing new wood over it without fixing that guarantees problems later.
Our Fix
We tear out the old floor, inspect the subfloor, and repair or replace damaged sections before installing solid hardwood. It adds a day or two to the job but it is the difference between a floor that lasts 30 years and one that fails in 3.
Problem
Urine stains blacken the wood and the smell lingers even after cleaning. Many homeowners assume the whole floor has to go.
Our Fix
If the damage is localized, we cut out the affected boards and weave in matching solid planks, then sand and refinish the whole floor. If it is widespread, a full solid hardwood install replaces the problem floor with new wood and a fresh finish.
Solid hardwood is not the cheapest floor you can buy, but it is the one you can sand and refinish for decades instead of ripping out. Here is what you actually get.
Refinishable for decades
Solid 3/4-inch planks carry roughly 3/16 inch of wear layer above the tongue. That is enough for 4 to 6 sand-and-refinish cycles over the life of the floor. Engineered and laminate planks cannot match that. When your finish grays or scratches in 10 years, we sand it back and recoat instead of replacing.
Real wood, real value
Buyers notice solid oak or hickory the moment they walk in. A 1,200 square foot solid hardwood install in Austin can add measurable resale appeal compared to vinyl plank or laminate. It is the floor people ask about by name, and it holds up to kids, dogs, and dinner parties.
Humidity-stable when installed right
Solid wood moves, but a correct install controls how much. We acclimate planks to your home's indoor conditions, run a moisture meter on the subfloor, and leave the right expansion gap at every wall. Done that way, you avoid floor cupping and floor gaps at seams through Austin's wet and dry seasons.
Healthier indoor air
Solid hardwood has no fiberboard core and no glue-heavy layers. With a dust containment system hooked to our sanders, we capture most of the fine dust during sanding. That matters if anyone in the house has allergies. You get a finished floor without a week of airborne sawdust settling on everything.
Google ★★★★★4.9
Installed solid oak in our living room and hallway. Crew was on time, kept the dust down, and the floor is dead flat. They tested moisture before starting, which nobody else we called even mentioned. Would hire again.
Yelp ★★★★★4.8
We had solid hickory installed in three bedrooms after pulling carpet. The crew moved furniture, hauled off the old carpet, and finished in under two weeks. Stain matched the sample board exactly. Clean work, fair price.
BBB ★★★★★5.0
Used them for a rental property near 78741. Measured on a Tuesday, installed the following week, and the invoice matched the quote to the dollar. Solid hardwood, tight seams, no callbacks. Already booked them for a second unit.
Real experiences from customers who chose our Solid Hardwood Installation services.
“We had 1,100 square feet of solid oak installed in our living room and hallways. The crew checked moisture in the subfloor first, which our previous installer never did. Took about nine days start to finish including stain. Floor is flat, seams are tight, and the color matched our sample board exactly. Worth every dollar.”
Marcus T.
Homeowner, Circle C
“We replaced carpet with solid hickory in three bedrooms. They moved furniture, hauled off the old carpet, and kept the dust down with their sanding setup. My kids were back on the floor two days after the final coat. The crew was on time every morning and cleaned up before leaving. No complaints.”
Priya R.
Homeowner, Westlake
“I manage several rentals and needed solid hardwood in a unit near 78741 fast. They measured on a Tuesday and had the install done in under two weeks. Pricing was clear upfront and matched the final invoice. I have already used them on a second property and will keep calling.”
Dale W.
Property Manager, Downtown Austin
Real answers to the questions we hear most often from local homeowners and property managers.
If you are weighing solid against engineered, we install both and can tell you which fits your subfloor and budget. Many Austin homeowners start here before deciding on solid hardwood for the main living areas.
View Hardwood Floor InstallationEngineered planks handle Austin humidity swings with less movement than solid wood. If your home sits on a slab or has a below-grade room, engineered may be the better call, and we install it the same way we do solid.
View Engineered Hardwood InstallationOnce your solid hardwood is down, refinishing is how you keep it for decades. We sand off the worn finish and recoat, which costs far less than replacing the floor and brings back the original color.
View Hardwood Floor RefinishingOur dust containment setup keeps sanding dust out of your cabinets and HVAC. If you have allergies or just do not want to clean for a week, this is the way to refinish solid hardwood in an occupied Austin home.
View Dustless Sanding & RefinishingNew solid oak can be stained to match your cabinets, or an existing floor can go from golden oak to a modern gray-brown. We use Duraseal and Bona stains and test a sample board before committing to the whole floor.
View Floor Staining & Color ChangeWater damage, pet stains, and individual board replacement are all fixable without tearing out the whole floor. We match species and grain, weave in new planks, and blend the finish so the repair disappears.
View Wood Floor RepairCall us at 512 877 7960 or send an email and we will get back to you the same business day. We answer the phone Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, and we run 24/7 emergency response for water-damaged floors. Same-day estimates across Austin and Travis County.
Phone
512 877 7960Address
6900 Deep Cir, Austin, TX 78744
Hours
Mon–Fri: 7AM – 7PM
Sat: 8AM – 4PM
Sun: Emergency Only
24/7 Emergency Available
