Old wood under the vinyl
Under the vinyl in an older home there may be wood planks. We check whether they are worth saving or best covered.
Serving Berwyn & nearby Oak Park, Chicago
Kitchen Flooring Installation in Berwyn, IL
Luxury vinyl plank, porcelain tile or hardwood laid flat and finished at every doorway in Berwyn kitchens.
- Serving Berwyn ZIP 60402
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Kitchen floor problems we fix in Berwyn
A kitchen floor takes water, dropped pans and constant traffic. In Berwyn we remove the old flooring, fix and flatten the subfloor, then install luxury vinyl plank, porcelain tile or hardwood and finish the transitions into the rooms next door.
Old floor tile that may contain asbestos
Some older vinyl tiles and their adhesive can contain asbestos. We don't disturb suspect material until it is tested; if it's positive, it is handled by a licensed abatement contractor or covered in place.
Cracked or curling sheet vinyl
Torn vinyl and lifting seams collect dirt and let water under. We remove it and lay a floor made for kitchens.
Cracked floor tile
A row of cracked tiles is a symptom, not the problem. We check the joists and the subfloor and fix the movement first.
Soft or bouncy spots
Bounce in front of the dishwasher usually means damaged subfloor. We open it up, replace it and then install.
Squeaky floor
Squeaks come from loose subfloor on the joists. With the old flooring up, we screw the subfloor down before installing.
Floor stops at the cabinets — or runs under them
Whether flooring goes under cabinets depends on the material and whether new cabinets are coming. We'll recommend one or the other.
Uneven or sloped subfloor
Click-lock floors separate when the subfloor isn't flat. Leveling comes first, so the joints stay tight.
What's included
- Old flooring removalTear-out down to a sound base, with the debris removed.
- Subfloor repair and flatteningDamaged plywood replaced, loose panels screwed down and the surface leveled.
- Underlayment or membraneThe right layer under the floor: foam or sound underlayment, backer board or membrane.
- Grouting and finishingTile grouted and cleaned; wood finished or protected; plank edges tight.
- Base and toe kick trimTrim reset or replaced along walls and cabinets.
- Transitions and thresholdsReducers, T-moldings or thresholds at every doorway.
- Appliances back in placeEverything set back, leveled and left ready to use.
Materials and finishes
Ceramic tileA softer, lower-cost tile than porcelain, fine for kitchen traffic with a proper base.
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP)Rigid-core plank floors that handle spills well and click together over a flat subfloor.
Wood-look plank tileTile shaped like boards: wood style, tile durability.
Laminate flooringA budget plank floor; newer water-resistant lines suit kitchens better.
Hardwood and engineered woodWarm and refinishable; it needs to acclimate before installation and doesn't like standing water.
What the work looks like in Berwyn homes
Before
In progress
After
DetailKitchen Flooring Installation in a brick bungalow from the 1920s, Berwyn
This one is a brick bungalow from the 1920s in Berwyn. What we started with: cracked sheet linoleum. The reason for the call: cracked, curling sheet vinyl. The result: black-and-white checkerboard tile flooring through the kitchen with clean transitions. On site this meant old flooring removal, underlayment or membrane, plus transitions and thresholds.
Before
AfterAn Oak Brook 1970s split-level: before and after
The site: a 1970s split-level in Oak Brook. Before: brick-pattern sheet vinyl. What bothered the owners most: linoleum that was splitting at the seams. After: gray wood-look porcelain plank flooring through the kitchen with clean transitions. The job covered old flooring removal, underlayment or membrane, plus transitions and thresholds.
Kitchen Flooring Installation in Oak Brook →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Elmhurst
The site: a postwar Cape Cod in Elmhurst. Before: 9-inch vinyl floor tiles. The reason for the call: a dated vinyl tile floor. Finished kitchen: warm oak luxury vinyl plank flooring through the kitchen with clean transitions. The job covered underlayment or membrane, grouting and finishing, plus transitions and thresholds.
Kitchen Flooring Installation in Elmhurst →
Before
AfterA Berwyn brick bungalow from the 1920s: before and after
The oak floor sanded and refinished with a satin clear finish, grain visible and the water marks gone.
Hardwood Floor Repair & Refinishing in Berwyn →
Before
AfterKitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in a 1920s bungalow, Berwyn
New cabinets in powder blue with polished nickel pulls, installed level and ready for black honed granite counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Berwyn →How your kitchen flooring installation goes
- Choose the floorWe compare LVP, tile and wood for your kitchen and your budget.
- Measure and checkWe measure, check the subfloor, look under the old floor and note the doorways.
- Prep the kitchenTear-out and subfloor work so the new floor has a flat base.
- Install and finishFloor installed, trim and transitions set and appliances put back — often a few days for LVP, longer for tile.
Kitchen Flooring Installation questions from Berwyn homeowners
What affects the cost of a kitchen floor?
The material, the size of the kitchen, tear-out, subfloor repair and how many transitions there are. We give a written, itemized estimate after the visit.
Should flooring go under the kitchen cabinets?
Not for a floating floor. For tile, it's optional, and running it under makes future cabinet changes easier.
How long does kitchen flooring installation take?
LVP in an average kitchen often takes one to two days; tile usually takes longer because of setting and grouting time.
LVP or tile in the kitchen?
Choose LVP for comfort and speed, tile for longevity. Both handle spills well.
Can new flooring go over the old floor?
Sometimes, if the old floor is flat, well attached and a single layer, and the extra height works at the doorways and the dishwasher. Often removal is better.
Which Berwyn homes do you most often see for kitchen flooring installation?
In Berwyn we see Chicago-style brick bungalows, Duplexes and three-unit buildings and Larger homes on south side. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Can Berwyn bulk pickup take my old appliance or cabinets?
Hauler SBC Waste Solutions; free scheduled bulk/appliance special collection, one large item per household weekly. If you'd rather not deal with it, we haul old units and debris away.
Do I need a Berwyn-registered contractor for kitchen flooring installation?
Contractors must be licensed and bonded with Berwyn; $10,000 surety bond and liability insurance naming the City per license (per licensing form. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for kitchen flooring installation in Berwyn?
It depends on the scope. Berwyn's rule in short: City permit list includes any kitchen and bathroom remodeling, all electrical work, and plumbing/sewer work (faucet or toilet replacement excluded). We handle the permit when one is needed with Building Department, City of Berwyn.
Do you work in my part of Berwyn?
Yes. Our crews work across Berwyn, including South Berwyn, South Oak Park area, Depot District, LaVergne — ZIP 60402 — and nearby Oak Park, Chicago, Oak Brook.
Working in Berwyn
- Most Berwyn homes are prewar. We work around plaster walls, radiators and out-of-square rooms every week.
- Most Berwyn homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Live in the Central Berwyn Bungalow Historic District? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
South BerwynSouth Oak Park areaDepot DistrictLaVergneOgden Avenue
ZIP 60402
Kitchen Flooring Installation nearby
Other kitchen services in Berwyn
Kitchen Subfloor RepairSoft spots, rot and squeaks fixed at the structure under the floor.
Hardwood Floor Repair & RefinishingSanding, refinishing and board repairs for kitchen hardwood floors.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & ReplacementNew cabinets installed, leveled and ready for counters.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.