A complete flooring renovation in a typical GTA home takes 2 to 6 weeks from the first showroom visit to furniture moving back in — depending on product availability, the size of the space, and whether old flooring needs removal. At Top Floorings Depot (3781 Victoria Park Ave, Toronto), most in-stock products are available for same-day pickup, which can cut days off your timeline compared to special-order retailers.
How Long Does a Flooring Renovation Take in Toronto?
Most flooring renovations in the GTA fall into three timelines. A single-room vinyl or laminate job with no subfloor issues finishes in 3 to 5 days. A full-home replacement across 1,000 to 2,000 sqft with old flooring removal runs 1 to 2 weeks of active work plus lead time. A large project with multiple flooring types or subfloor repairs can stretch to 3 to 6 weeks.
The biggest variable is usually planning and procurement, not installation. Homeowners who visit our Scarborough showroom prepared can leave the same day with materials. Those who need a special-order colour can add 2 to 4 weeks before work starts.
What Should You Do Before Buying Flooring?
Before you pick a product, measure every room you plan to redo — length times width for a rectangular room, or break L-shaped rooms into rectangles and add them up. Add 10 percent for waste cuts. If you're installing in multiple rooms with different subfloors (concrete in the basement, plywood upstairs), note that separately because it affects which products you can use and the installation method.
Walk through each space and check for three things: existing floor height (new flooring on top of old can cause door clearance issues), subfloor condition (squeaks, soft spots, or cracks in concrete), and transitions between rooms. If you're in a Toronto condo, check your building's sound-rating requirements — many require a minimum IIC/STC rating. Our SPC vinyl collection includes products like the Riche 8mm series (IIC 73, STC 72) that meet most condo requirements.
Budget for the full project, not just the material. Removal ($1.50/sqft), installation ($1.50–$2.00/sqft), underlayment, baseboards, and transition strips add 30 to 50 percent on top of material cost.
Choosing Your Flooring: How Product Type Affects Your Timeline
Click-lock SPC vinyl and laminate are the fastest to install — a professional crew lays 300 to 500 sqft per day with no adhesive cure time. Engineered hardwood nailing takes 200 to 300 sqft per day. Solid hardwood is slowest because it requires 3 to 5 days of acclimation plus nailing to a plywood subfloor.
| Flooring Type | Install Speed | Wait Before Furniture |
|---|---|---|
| SPC Vinyl (click-lock) | Fast | Immediate |
| Laminate (click-lock) | Fast | Immediate |
| Engineered Hardwood | Medium | 24 hours |
| Solid Hardwood | Slow | 24–48 hours |
SPC vinyl and laminate are floating floors — they click together and sit on top of the subfloor without glue. Once the last plank is in, you can move furniture back the same day. Nail-down hardwood needs time for the fasteners to settle and any finishing to cure. If you're on a tight timeline — say, you need your kitchen functional before a holiday dinner — SPC vinyl or laminate is the practical choice.
Waterproof flooring is worth considering for any room near plumbing. SPC vinyl handles water indefinitely, making it the default choice for Toronto basements, kitchens, and condos. Our Riche Warm Acacia 9mm SPC vinyl at 5.9" wide with a 12mil wear layer is a strong mid-range option — the 9mm thickness gives a solid feel and the EVA pad is pre-attached.
Week-by-Week Renovation Timeline
Week 1: Planning and purchasing. Visit the showroom with measurements. Test samples in your home lighting. Finalize your choice and quantity. In-stock products can be picked up the same day.
Week 2: Prep and removal. Move furniture out. The crew removes old flooring ($1.50/sqft) and inspects the subfloor. Concrete basement floors get a moisture check and vapour barrier. Plywood subfloors get checked for squeaks and screw-downs. Subfloor repairs add about 1 day.
Week 2–3: Installation. A professional crew installs 300 to 500 sqft per day for click-lock products. A 1,200 sqft home takes 3 to 4 working days. Mixing product types adds a day or two for transitions.
Week 3: Finishing touches. Baseboard installation ($2.80/linear foot for supply and install), transition strips, and any custom stair work. Stairs add 2 to 5 days depending on complexity.
Week 3–4: Move back in. For SPC vinyl and laminate, you can start moving furniture right after baseboards. For nail-down hardwood, wait 24 to 48 hours.
Our Top Picks at Top Floorings Depot
Every product below is in stock and available for same-day pickup at our Toronto showroom. We've chosen these across different categories so you can match the right product to each room in your renovation.
Riche Morning Birch 10mm SPC Vinyl (20mil wear layer) — The thickest vinyl we carry, with an 8mm core plus 2mm EVA pad. The 20mil wear layer is rated for heavy residential traffic — ideal for busy hallways, kitchens, and homes with large dogs. At 5.9" wide, it has a traditional plank look. Valinge 5G Drop locking means a fast, reliable install. Available for same-day pickup.
Riche Warm Acacia 9mm SPC Vinyl — A warm, golden-brown tone that works well in living rooms and bedrooms where you want something richer than grey but not as dark as walnut. 9mm thick with 12mil wear layer and pre-attached EVA pad. The 5.9" width keeps the installation quick. A mid-range price point that balances durability and budget.
European Oak Cobalt Engineered Hardwood (7.5" wide, 3mm wear layer) — For rooms where you want real wood, this 7.5" wide European Oak delivers a premium look at $4.09/sqft. The 3mm wear layer allows one sand and refinish in the future. Wire-brushed character grade means natural variation in the grain that hides everyday wear. Can be installed over concrete or plywood — suitable for Toronto condos and homes with radiant heating.
Swiss Krono Witches Wood 14mm AC6 Laminate — Made in Germany, this is the highest AC rating available (AC6 Ultimate Grade) — suitable for commercial spaces and the most demanding residential environments. 14mm thickness gives it a solid feel and excellent sound dampening without underlayment. The bold, dark wood visual is a statement floor for a home office or den.
Appalachian Jasper Red Oak Solid Hardwood — Made in Canada, 4¼" Prestige Grade with a semi-gloss finish. A deep, rich reddish-brown that darkens with age — a classic choice for a formal dining room or living room where you want a floor that develops character over decades. Must be nailed to plywood subfloor, so it's not suitable for concrete slabs or below-grade installations. At $5.69/sqft, it's a premium solid hardwood that compares favourably to anything at a big-box store.
Common Timeline Mistakes GTA Homeowners Make
The most frequent mistake is underestimating the subfloor. Many Toronto homes — especially 1960s and 1970s bungalows in Scarborough and North York — have original plywood that's developed soft spots or squeaks over 50 years. A crew can discover that what looked like a solid subfloor needs screw-downs or patching, adding a day or two. If you have an older home, build a buffer into your schedule for subfloor work.
The second mistake is not ordering enough material. The 10 percent waste factor accounts for cuts at doorways, corners, and the final row. Running out mid-project and waiting for restock can add a week. At Top Floorings Depot, most products are in stock for quick re-pickup, but it still halts the job.
Third: forgetting about doors. New flooring adds height, and in a Toronto home with 6'8" door clearance, ¾" engineered hardwood plus underlayment can cause doors to stick. Each door takes 15 to 30 minutes to trim with a planing tool.
Fourth: not coordinating with other trades. If you're also painting, doing kitchen cabinets, or replacing baseboard trim, the flooring should go in after painting but before the final baseboard install. Painters can drip on a finished floor, and baseboards need to sit on top of the flooring. Work with your contractor on the sequencing or talk to our team — we can recommend the right order for your specific project. Our professional installation services cover everything from removal through final trim.
Can You Speed Up a Flooring Renovation?
Yes. The single biggest time saver is choosing an in-stock product — every product on our showroom floor is available today, no 3-week wait. SPC vinyl and laminate eliminate both adhesive cure time and the wait-before-use window.
Pre-attached underlayment is another speed factor. Many of our SPC vinyl products come with IXPE or EVA pad bonded to the plank, skipping the separate underlayment roll-out step and saving 30 to 60 minutes per room.
Hiring a professional crew is faster than DIY in almost every case. An experienced two-person team installs 300 to 500 sqft per day versus 100 to 150 sqft for a first-time homeowner. See our guide on buying flooring and installation from the same store for why bundling simplifies the timeline.
Have you purchased from Top Floorings Depot? Leave us a review on Google or tag us on Instagram @topflooringsdepotgta — we love seeing your completed projects.
Visit Top Floorings Depot
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call 416-499-0117 | Text 416-770-8819
Showroom Hours: Monday–Friday 9–5:30 | Saturday 9–4 | Sunday Closed
We serve homeowners and contractors across Scarborough, Markham, North York, Pickering, Ajax, and the broader GTA. Visit our showroom to see and feel these products in person, or contact us for contractor pricing and bulk orders. GTA-wide delivery available.
Follow us on Instagram: @topflooringsdepotgta