Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) in Lake Oswego, OR

Usually, yes, and it is generally the better call. Original millwork in the older neighborhoods is worth keeping. We scribe and undercut to it rather than shimming a floor to a wall that has not been straight since the 1920s, and we quote quarter-round or shoe only where it genuinely improves the finish.

Attached and multi-level homes often have one, and it is worth checking your HOA or building documents before you order anything. Bring us the requirement and we will spec an underlayment that meets it. It is a small cost at the start and an expensive problem to fix after the floor is down.

Yes — stairs and trim are one of our core services. On the multi-level homes common here, treads, risers, nosings and the transition at each landing are what make the whole job read as finished. We would rather do them with the floor than leave you looking for a second contractor.

The plank is. The floor as a whole depends on the installation and on what is underneath it. Water can still travel through seams and around the perimeter and sit on the subfloor, so a spill wiped up is a non-event while a leak left for a fortnight is not. It handles everyday water far better than laminate or carpet, which is why we put it in kitchens and baths, but it is not a swimming pool.

Sometimes, but we look first. Over a sound, flat, well-bonded surface it can be a good option and it saves the cost of removal. Over old sheet vinyl on swollen particleboard, or anything that is loose or uneven, it just buries a problem that will show through within a year. We tell you which one you have before you decide.

It depends entirely on the house. A quiet couple can be well served by something modest; a family with two dogs and a hallway off the front door should be paying for a thicker one. Rather than quoting a number in the abstract, tell us who lives in the house and how the room is used, and we will point at the right shelf.