Flooring & Gutter Questions, Answered

Request a free in-home estimate online or call (470) 223-2206. A trained estimator visits your home, measures the space, checks your subfloor and any flooring to be removed, and gives you a transparent, itemized quote — often the same day.

Yes. Our in-home estimates are free and no-obligation. You get a clear, itemized price with no pressure to book.

Availability varies with the season, but we book estimates quickly and can often schedule installation within a couple of weeks of approval. You'll get a real timeline at your estimate.

A trained IQ estimator measures your space, inspects the subfloor and any flooring to be removed, talks through product options, and prepares an itemized quote — so the price reflects your actual home instead of a guess.

The greater Metro Atlanta area, including Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta, Smyrna, Powder Springs, Dallas, Woodstock, Canton, Roswell, Alpharetta, Vinings, Sandy Springs, and Cobb, Cherokee, and Paulding counties. Don't see your city? Call — we likely cover it.

You don't have to be present the whole time, but we ask that someone be available at the start to confirm the scope and at the end for a final walkthrough. Many customers come and go during the job.

Most single rooms are done in a day. A typical 1,000–1,500 sq ft project takes about 2–3 days for LVP or engineered hardwood and 3–5 days for solid hardwood, plus extra time for on-site finishing or refinishing cure.

Yes, we can move furniture as part of the job (priced separately). You can lower the quote by clearing the rooms yourself before we arrive.

Yes. We remove and dispose of your existing flooring and clean up the job site. Removal is priced by what's coming out — carpet is inexpensive, while glued-down tile or old hardwood takes more labor.

In most cases, yes. We work room by room where possible. For hardwood refinishing, the finish fumes and the need to keep the floor clear mean some rooms are off-limits for a day or two — we plan that with you in advance.

Standard installation is fairly clean. Sanding hardwood does create dust; we offer dustless refinishing that uses vacuum containment to capture the vast majority of it at the source for a cleaner, healthier project.

For most new LVP and prefinished hardwood, you can walk on the floor the same day it's installed. For site-finished or freshly refinished hardwood, wait about 24 hours before light foot traffic in socks — water-based finishes cure faster than oil-based, and we'll give you the exact timing for your finish.

On newly finished or refinished hardwood, wait about 2 to 4 weeks for the finish to fully cure before laying rugs, so you don't trap the curing finish or leave marks. On LVP and prefinished floors you can place rugs right away — just use a felt or breathable, non-staining rug pad and avoid solid rubber backings, which can discolor the floor.

It depends on the floor. For LVP: sweep or vacuum (no beater bar) and damp-mop with a manufacturer-approved cleaner — skip steam mops and abrasive cleaners. For hardwood: dust-mop regularly, clean with a wood-floor cleaner (never water, vinegar, or a steam mop), use felt pads under furniture, add rugs in high-traffic areas, wipe spills promptly, and keep indoor humidity steady to limit seasonal movement. We leave you with product-specific care instructions.

LVP is waterproof, durable, and budget-friendly — great for busy households, kitchens, and basements. Engineered hardwood is real wood that handles humidity and can go over concrete. Solid hardwood is the premium, long-lived option for main and upper floors and can be refinished many times. We help you match the product to each room and budget.

LVP or engineered hardwood. Both handle moisture and can be installed directly over concrete. Solid hardwood is not recommended over a slab because it needs a wood subfloor.

Rigid-core LVP is the top pick — it's waterproof and scratch-resistant. Engineered and solid hardwood also work well; harder species and matte finishes hide everyday wear best.

Sometimes — it depends on the existing surface, its condition, and the new product. In many cases removal gives a better, longer-lasting result. We assess this at the estimate and tell you honestly.

Yes. We offer a labor-only install option if you'd rather buy your own flooring. We still handle removal, prep, and a professional installation.

If the boards are solid and thick enough to sand, refinishing is far cheaper than replacement and makes floors look new. Replacement makes sense when boards are too thin to sand again, badly damaged, or you want a different floor. We tell you which fits after inspecting the floor.

Both are excellent. Red oak has a warm, slightly pink tone with a bold, wavy grain that hides everyday wear well, and it costs a little less — a classic, traditional look. White oak is harder and a touch more water-resistant, with a cooler, neutral tone and a tighter, straighter grain; it's the go-to for modern light, natural, and gray finishes because it takes those stains without the pink cast red oak can show. Choose white oak for a current light or gray look, or red oak for a traditional warm look on a tighter budget.

Oil-based finishes add a warm, amber tone that deepens with age, need fewer coats, and cost a little less — but they have stronger fumes and take longer to dry and cure. Water-based finishes dry clear (keeping lighter, natural, and gray tones true), have low odor and low VOCs, and cure much faster so you're back in the room sooner; modern water-based finishes are very durable but cost a bit more. For light or white-oak looks we usually recommend water-based; for a classic warm look, oil-based.

Usually yes, especially for floating floors. New flooring needs a small expansion gap around the edges, and quarter round (or shoe molding) covers that gap neatly against your baseboards. You can skip it if we remove and reinstall your baseboards to sit on the new floor, but keeping the existing baseboards and adding quarter round is faster and more economical. We price it either way so you can choose.

A vapor barrier (moisture barrier) is needed any time you install over concrete — basements and slab-on-grade rooms — because concrete wicks moisture that can damage flooring. It's also used over crawl spaces. Over a dry wood subfloor on an upper level it's usually not required. We assess subfloor moisture at the estimate and include the right barrier whenever your installation needs one.

Solid hardwood can almost always be sanded and refinished — often several times over its life — unless it's been sanded so many times that the wood above the tongue-and-groove is too thin. Engineered hardwood depends on its wear layer: a thick (3mm+) veneer can usually take one or two sandings, while a thin one can only be buffed and recoated. Laminate and LVP look like wood but can't be sanded. The surest way to know is to have us check the board thickness and condition during the free estimate.

Yes. Many older Atlanta homes have narrow-strip hardwood — like 1.25-inch boards — that isn't a standard modern width. We can special-order matching material to repair or lace in damaged areas so it blends with your existing floor. Because it's a special order, there's a flat additional charge for that material. Mention it at your estimate and we'll spec the match.

K-style is the most common residential profile — it holds more water and suits most homes. Half-round has a classic, rounded look often used on historic or higher-end homes. Box gutters are larger-capacity systems, typically for commercial buildings or large roofs. We install all three.

Yes. We install seamless gutters formed to the exact length of each run, which minimizes joints and the leaks that come with them.

Most homes use 5-inch or 6-inch gutters depending on roof size and rainfall load. We recommend the right size and downspout capacity for your roof at the estimate.

Both. We install gutters on new or existing homes and remove and replace worn, leaking, or undersized gutter systems.

Yes. IQ Installs is licensed and insured, and our work is done by vetted, trained crews.

Our installation is backed by our workmanship standards, and the flooring and gutter products carry their own manufacturer warranties. Your estimator can walk through the specific coverage for the products you choose.

We give you a clear, itemized quote up front, collect a deposit to reserve your installation date, and the balance is due on completion. Ask your estimator about current payment options.

Because an honest price depends on your floor plan, the product you choose, how much old flooring must be removed, and your subfloor's condition. Ranges help you budget; the free in-home estimate turns them into an exact, itemized number.