installation
Engineered Hardwood Installation
The look of plank — over slab, basement, or radiant.
Overview
Engineered hardwood is real wood on top of a stable plywood core. It's the right answer over concrete slabs, in basements, and over radiant heat — places where solid plank can cup or buckle.
Engineered Hardwood Installation by Kovich & Savard starts at $10/sq ft* for labor, with material quoted separately and the final number set after a free in-home estimate. We service every Massachusetts town listed below — Greater Boston, the South Shore, MetroWest, and Cape Cod — with three generations of family experience. Every job is owner-led.
We use engineered when the substrate or environment demands it. The top wear layer is real hardwood — typically 3mm to 6mm — meaning the floor can be sanded and refinished one to two times, and reads identically to solid plank to the eye.
Engineered installs go down as floating, glue-down, or nail-down depending on the substrate. Concrete and radiant get glue-down with elastomeric adhesive. Floating is fast and cheap but feels different underfoot — we'll be honest with you about the trade-off.
Why choose this
What you get when we do this work.
Works over slab and radiant heat
Solid plank cups over slab. Engineered handles temperature swings without bowing.
Real hardwood face
It's actual oak, walnut, or hickory — not a printed laminate photo.
Wide-plank without the cost
Engineered makes 7–9" wide plank achievable in homes where solid would over-budget.
How it goes
The 4-step process for this work.
- 01
Substrate test
Calcium chloride moisture test on slab, RH test on plywood. Numbers go on the proposal.
- 02
Choose install method
Glue-down, nail-down, or floating — we recommend based on the substrate, not the easiest install.
- 03
Underlayment
Vapor retarder over slab, acoustic mat where noise transmission matters.
- 04
Install, trim, transitions
Same craftsmanship as solid — just a different fastening method.
FAQ
Common questions about engineered hardwood.
Got a question that's not here? Call (508) 962-1962 or email us. Tim and Steve answer themselves.
How many times can engineered be refinished?
Depends on wear layer. 3mm wear layer = once. 6mm = twice. We'll spec product so you know your future runway.
Will it work over my radiant heat?
Yes, with the right product and adhesive. We've installed engineered over hydronic radiant on Cape Cod and the South Shore for years.
Where we provide this service
Engineered Hardwood across Eastern Massachusetts.
Free estimate
Walk your floors. Quote in 48 hours.
Tell us about the project. Tim or Steve drives out, walks the rooms with you, checks the subfloor, and emails a written line-item proposal within 48 hours. No salesperson, no upsell.
Mon–Sat · 9 AM – 5 PM · No after-hours calls go unanswered for long.