Kitchen Flooring for Bloomington Homeowners

Kitchen Flooring in Bloomington homes

Bloomington was incorporated in 1858 and expanded rapidly in the postwar decades, so neighborhoods such as Heritage Hills and Normandale Hills are dominated by homes from the 1950s through the 1970s. Kitchens of that vintage commonly have the original layout, limited electrical capacity and dated finishes.^[1]

Kitchen flooring takes spills, dropped pans and constant foot traffic, so it wears faster than flooring elsewhere in a home. Replacement comes up when a floor is water-damaged, when it is uneven enough to rock an appliance, or when a remodel exposes a subfloor that needs attention before new finish flooring goes down.

Garrett Kitchen Remodeling has carried out this work across Bloomington neighborhoods including Heritage Hills, Normandale Hills, Bush Lake, Hyland Park and South Loop. It is often done alongside kitchen design and kitchen cabinetry as part of a larger kitchen update.

What the work includes

The work begins by removing the old flooring and inspecting the subfloor, since a kitchen floor is only as flat and sound as what is beneath it. Low spots are filled and high spots are sanded or ground so the finished surface does not telegraph dips or rock a dishwasher. From there the method depends on the material: hardwood is acclimated to the room, then nailed or glued and finished; luxury vinyl plank is floated or glued over a flat, clean base; porcelain or ceramic tile is set in thinset over a properly prepared and, where needed, uncoupled substrate, then grouted and sealed. Transitions to adjacent rooms, undercut door casings and appliance cutouts are handled so the floor runs cleanly under the toe kicks and around the cabinets. In a full remodel, flooring is sequenced with the cabinets — under or up to them depending on the plan — so the dishwasher can be removed later without trapping it. The result is a level, durable surface that stands up to a working kitchen.

The full scope, materials and process are described on the kitchen flooring service page, which applies to every city Garrett Kitchen Remodeling serves; this page focuses on how the work applies to Bloomington.

Permits and inspection in Bloomington

Kitchen work in Bloomington is permitted and inspected by the City of Bloomington building department under the Minnesota State Building Code. Replacing kitchen flooring within the existing footprint is often cosmetic and may not require a permit on its own, but any change to plumbing, wiring or structure that the work touches does. Garrett Kitchen Remodeling pulls the required permits, schedules each inspection, and carries Minnesota contractor license #BC785223 and general liability insurance.

Cost factors

The price of kitchen flooring in Bloomington depends mainly on the following, and a written quote itemizes each one rather than using a single allowance:

• The material — hardwood, luxury vinyl plank, or porcelain/ceramic tile
• Subfloor condition and the leveling or repair it needs
• Square footage and the complexity of the layout and transitions
• Removal and disposal of the existing floor

Common questions

What flooring holds up best in a Bloomington kitchen?

Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl plank both resist water and wear well in kitchens. Hardwood is also used and can be refinished, but it needs prompt cleanup of standing water.

Does the subfloor need work before new flooring?

Usually some. A kitchen floor must be flat and sound; low spots are filled and damaged areas repaired so the finished floor stays level and does not rock appliances.

See also

• Other kitchen services in Bloomington: Kitchen Design, Kitchen Cabinetry, Kitchen Countertops, Full Kitchen Remodel, Kitchen Structural Work
• Kitchen Flooring in nearby cities: Edina
• Kitchen Flooring (all service areas) and the Bloomington kitchen remodeling hub

References

1. Bloomington, Minnesota — Wikipedia
2. Wood flooring — Wikipedia