The Ranking
Our top 6 flooring companies in Montreal
Montreal floors have a character that shapes every flooring job. The island is full of duplexes, triplexes and walk-up flats built a century ago, where original oak or maple often sits under old carpet, paint or a tired finish. Sanding and refinishing is usually cheaper and kinder to the house than ripping out boards, but it only works when enough wood is left above the nails, so a good estimate starts with an honest look at past sanding. Condos and newer buildings raise a different issue. Concrete slabs hold moisture, and the swing from dry heated air in January to damp summers makes boards shrink, gap and cup. Ask any installer how they test slab moisture, which underlay they plan to use and how long the wood will acclimate before it goes down.
Much of the work here happens in condos and plex units with building rules, limited hours for noise and dust, and elevators to book. Dustless sanding systems, low-VOC finishes and tidy crews are therefore a real selling point, and several companies in this ranking build their pitch on them.
On licences, Quebec's Régie du bâtiment du Québec, known as the RBQ, licenses construction contractors and publishes a free online lookup. Whether a particular flooring job requires an RBQ licence depends on the work, and many small refinishing firms do not advertise a number. Only two of the six companies here, Sablage de Plancher L P Enr and Sablage Bergeron, show an RBQ number on their websites. Whatever the size of the job, ask for the licence number in writing, check it on the RBQ site, and ask for proof of insurance. A written quote, references and a licence lookup are your best protection.
