What's under the floor matters in Palo Alto
Eichlers. The house sits on a concrete slab, and in most Eichlers the heating runs inside that slab — hot water pipes under the floor. Nothing gets nailed or drilled into it. Floors in an Eichler are floated or glued, and the material has to handle a warm slab without cupping or gapping. Sean has done this; it's a different job from a wood-framed house.
Older homes in Professorville, Old Palo Alto, Crescent Park. Many still have their original oak hardwood under carpet or linoleum. Before you buy new flooring, it's worth pulling back a corner. Refinishing original oak often costs less than new material and looks better than anything you can buy.
Post-war ranches. Wood subfloor on a crawl space — the most straightforward installation. The subfloor gets checked for soft spots and squeaks first; fixing them after the new floor is down means pulling it up.
What's included
- Checking and leveling the subfloor
- Moisture test on concrete slabs
- Underlayment
- Installation with proper expansion gaps
- Transitions at doorways
- Baseboards and shoe molding reinstalled — or replaced, see trim and baseboards
- Clean-up and haul-away
What we install
- Laminate
- Luxury vinyl plank and tile (LVP, LVT)
- Engineered hardwood
- Tile in bathrooms, kitchens and entries
- Carpet removal and prep for any of the above
Questions people in Palo Alto ask
- Do I need a permit for new floors?
- No. The City of Palo Alto lists tiling and carpeting among work that doesn't need a building permit, and other floor coverings are treated the same way. Permits come up only when the work goes beyond the floor covering itself — Sean will tell you if that's the case.
- Can we put hardwood over the heated slab in our Eichler?
- Some engineered hardwood is rated for radiant slabs — floated or glued, within the manufacturer's temperature and moisture limits. Solid hardwood nailed down, no: there's nothing to nail into, and the heat would move it. Sean will tell you which products qualify.
- We found old hardwood under the carpet. Refinish or replace?
- Pull back a corner and send a photo. If the boards are sound, refinishing usually wins on both price and look.
- How long does it take?
- A bedroom in laminate or LVP is usually a day. A full house takes a few days to a week, depending on size, removal and subfloor work.
Licensed and local
SHR Remodeling LLC · CSLB #1121642. Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave six years running, 2021–2026.
Get a free estimate
Send a photo of the room — Sean will call you back with a price range