Flooring Installation Orange, CA
Tile, stone, wood, and vinyl floors for Orange homes, installed by our own crew.In Orange, what is under the floor changes block by block. A Craftsman near the Plaza sits on a raised wood subfloor that has moved for a hundred years. An Eichler in Fairhaven sits on a concrete slab that may have heating pipes running through it. A 1970s home in East Orange is usually on a plain slab under worn carpet. We check what is underneath first, then help you choose the floor.
City Tile & Cabinets has supplied and installed flooring across central Orange County since 1998. Our showroom on State College Boulevard is about 4 miles from Old Towne Orange, and every installation is done by our own crew.
Floors We Install
Porcelain and ceramic tile. The most forgiving floor for kitchens, baths, laundry rooms, and entries. Large-format porcelain cuts down on grout lines; see our tile and stone flooring page.
Natural stone. Travertine, limestone, slate, and marble. Stone needs sealing and pH-neutral cleaners, and its natural thickness variation takes more careful setting. Our natural stone page covers each type.
Hardwood and engineered wood. Solid wood flooring can be refinished many times but wants a wood subfloor. Engineered wood can go over concrete, which makes it the practical wood floor for most slab homes in Orange.
Luxury vinyl and laminate. Waterproof or water resistant and quick to install. Compare luxury vinyl and laminate for whole-house projects on a tighter budget.
What Is Under the Floor in Orange Homes
Old Towne raised foundations. Many bungalows and Craftsman homes around the Plaza sit on raised foundations with plank or plywood subfloors. Those floors flex, and flex cracks tile and grout. Before tile or stone goes down, we stiffen the floor and add underlayment where needed. Some owners want to keep the original hardwood and refinish it instead, which we will tell you honestly if it makes more sense.
Eichler radiant slabs. Many of the 339 homes in Fairhaven, Fairmeadow, and Fairhills were built with radiant heating pipes embedded in the concrete slab. That changes two things. First, nothing gets nailed or drilled into the slab without knowing where the pipes run. Second, the floor you choose has to be rated for radiant heat, which rules out some wood products and favors tile, stone, and certain engineered wood and vinyl lines. Porcelain tile is the most common choice because it carries heat well and does not mind the temperature swings.
Mid-century and newer slabs. Homes in El Modena and East Orange typically sit on concrete slabs. We test the slab for moisture before wood or vinyl goes down, and grind or level it as needed. Large-format tile needs an especially flat floor: industry standard ANSI A108.02, referenced by the Tile Council of North America, calls for no more than 1/8 inch of variation over 10 feet for tile with an edge 15 inches or longer.
Old Flooring in Older Orange Homes
Homes built before the 1980s may have 9 by 9 inch vinyl tile or black mastic under carpet or sheet vinyl, and those materials can contain asbestos. The EPA’s homeowner guidance on asbestos advises against sanding, scraping, or grinding suspect flooring, recommends testing before a remodel disturbs it, and notes that leaving intact old flooring in place and covering it is often the safest option.
Homes built before 1978 may also have lead-based paint on baseboards and trim, which usually come off during a flooring job. The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires any contractor paid to disturb that paint to be a certified firm using lead-safe practices. In Orange, that covers Old Towne, the Eichler tracts, and most mid-century neighborhoods.
How an Orange Flooring Installation Runs
- Showroom visit. Compare full-size samples side by side and take a few home to see them in your own light.
- In-home measure. We measure, check the subfloor or slab, and moisture test where wood or vinyl will go over concrete.
- Written estimate. Material, prep, layout, transitions, and timeline in writing.
- Removal and prep. Old flooring comes out, then the floor is cleaned, leveled, and repaired.
- Installation. Tile cures 24 to 48 hours before grout. Wood and vinyl go down with expansion gaps at the walls.
- Transitions and trim. Thresholds, reducers, and baseboards are set so the new floor meets every doorway cleanly.
- Walkthrough. We check the floor with you and go over care for the material you chose.
Wood Floors and Dry Fall Weather
Orange sits right in the path of the Santa Ana winds that come through the canyons in fall and winter. Dry air shrinks wood, so we acclimate wood flooring inside your home before installation and moisture test the subfloor, following National Wood Flooring Association guidance. After installation, the EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity ideally between 30 and 50 percent, which also keeps wood boards from gapping or cupping.
Permits
Replacing flooring alone usually does not require a permit. Flooring that is part of a larger remodel with plumbing, electrical, or wall changes falls under the City of Orange Building and Safety Services, and we plan around those inspections. If the floor is part of a kitchen update, see our Orange kitchen remodeling page.
Getting to Our Showroom From Orange
Our showroom at 1535 S State College Blvd sits on Tile Row, one mile from Angel Stadium and about 4 miles from Old Towne Orange. Full-size tile, stone, wood, and vinyl samples are laid out side by side. We are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How long does flooring installation take?
Most rooms take one to five days depending on size, material, and prep. A full-house tile job takes longer because thinset needs time to cure before grout.
Can you install flooring in an Eichler with radiant heat?
Yes, with materials rated for radiant heat and without nailing or drilling into the slab. Porcelain tile is the most common choice.
Can wood go over a concrete slab?
Yes, engineered wood, glued down or floated after a moisture test. Solid hardwood generally needs a wood subfloor.
Can new flooring go over my old floor?
Sometimes. Floating vinyl or laminate can go over sound, flat tile. If old vinyl tile might contain asbestos, covering it is often safer than removing it.
Do I need a permit to replace flooring in Orange?
Flooring replacement alone usually does not. Work that includes plumbing, electrical, or walls does.
Do you supply the flooring and install it?
Yes. You choose the material in our showroom and our own crew installs it.
Plan Your Orange Flooring Project
Visit our showroom at 1535 S State College Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92806, call 714-278-3576, or request a free quote to schedule an in-home measure in Orange.