Flooring Blog: Expert Tips, Installation Guides & Design Ideas
Expert advice on hardwood, carpet, tile, luxury vinyl, and laminate flooring for homes and businesses across Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia.
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Latest Flooring Articles, Guides & Maintenance Tips for DMV Homeowners
Every article on the 2020 Flooring blog.
Showing 21 of 21 articles
Do You Tip Floor Installers? A DMV Flooring Company’s Honest Answer (2026)
Tipping is never required and never expected at 2020 Flooring. Our installers are in-house crews — long-tenured, licensed, insured and background-checked — paid fair wages and compensation by the company, so no installer’s earnings depend on a gratuity. The price you signed in the contract is the price of the job. This guide explains why the labor model behind your quote decides the whole tipping question, what can and cannot change your price, and the three things worth far more to a flooring crew than cash.
2020 Flooring
Aug 15, 2026
Best Waterproof Flooring for a Basement: DMV Installer’s Guide to LVP, Tile, Epoxy & 2026 Costs
Rigid-core waterproof vinyl plank is the best waterproof flooring for most finished DMV basements — but the product matters far less than the slab under it. This guide sorts basements into three water-exposure tiers, ranks seven waterproof options by how they behave over damp concrete, explains the difference between water-resistant and waterproof flooring for a basement, covers cheap waterproof flooring options worth installing, and details what actually survives a basement that floods.
2020 Flooring
Aug 15, 2026
Linoleum vs. LVP vs. LVT: Cost, Pros, Cons & Which Flooring Is Best?
Linoleum, LVP and LVT are not three versions of the same material. Linoleum is a natural resilient floor made from linseed oil, wood flour and limestone; LVP and LVT are both vinyl, separated mostly by format and visual. This guide compares all three on cost, water performance, design, repairability and sustainability — with 2026 DMV installed price ranges and an installer’s view of the substrate work that decides whether any of them lasts.
2020 Flooring
Aug 14, 2026
The Best Flooring for Churches in Maryland: Zone-by-Zone Guide, Code Rules & 2026 Costs
A church floor is not one flooring problem — it is seven. This guide walks a Maryland church campus zone by zone: commercial carpet tile in the sanctuary, hardwood on the chancel, slip-rated porcelain or restored terrazzo in the narthex, 20-mil LVT in the fellowship hall, and a COMAR-compliant floor in a permitted kitchen — plus acoustics, asbestos, slab moisture, historic tax credits and 2026 installed costs.
2020 Flooring
Aug 3, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Best Flooring for Schools: Room-by-Room Guide, Costs & 20-Year Comparison (DC, MD & Northern Virginia)
There is no single best school floor — there is a best floor per space, and a very different answer once you budget across twenty years instead of one purchase order. This guide gives facility managers the room-by-room comparison up front, honest trade-offs for every material, a custom lifecycle cost chart showing why VCT is the cheapest floor to buy and one of the most expensive to own, and the DMV-specific realities that decide whether a summer project lands on time.
2020 Flooring
Jul 27, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Marmoleum vs. Linoleum: Cost, Installation & the Best Choice for DMV Homes
Marmoleum is a brand of natural linoleum by Forbo — so the real comparison is Marmoleum versus other linoleum products, formats, and resilient options. This guide breaks down materials, water resistance, sheet vs. tile vs. click, real DMV installed costs, room-by-room picks, and local DC/MD/VA install conditions, with a custom resilient-flooring family-tree diagram.
2020 Flooring
Jul 16, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Best Hypoallergenic & Non-Toxic Carpets in 2026: Certified Fibers, Brands & What to Ask For
Hypoallergenic carpet became a measurable spec in 2026: Mohawk SmartStrand with Pur-Ease earned the first Asthma & Allergy Friendly certification for treated carpet, Maryland law now bans PFAS in any carpet sold, and low-VOC Green Label Plus is the baseline. This guide covers the best fibers, certifications, and brands — with a custom allergy-stack diagram and real DC-area humidity and pollen insights.
2020 Flooring
Jul 13, 2026
How Much Does Hardwood Floor Refinishing Cost in Maryland? (2026 Local Price Guide)
A standard hardwood refinish in Maryland runs about $3.75–$5.50 per square foot in 2026, or $5–$8 with a stain color change. This local guide breaks down exactly what drives the price, when a cheaper buff-and-recoat works, how stairs are priced, and what refinishing costs city by city across Montgomery County — with a custom cost-ladder diagram and real insights from 2020 Flooring.
2020 Flooring
Jul 10, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Termite Damage in Hardwood Floors: How to Identify It & When to Replace (DMV Guide)
By the time termites show on a hardwood surface, they have usually eaten the subfloor and joists for months. This guide shows how to identify termite floor damage, tell it apart from water damage, decide repair vs. replace, and vet a licensed flooring contractor to rebuild your floors across the DMV — with a custom cutaway diagram and Eastern-subterranean-termite local insights.
2020 Flooring
Jul 10, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Best Flooring for Hotels in Maryland, Washington DC & Northern Virginia (Zone-by-Zone Guide)
There is no single best hotel floor — there is a best floor per zone. This guide maps porcelain, patterned carpet, glue-down LVP, rubber, and sheet vinyl to the lobby, corridors, guest rooms, baths, and back of house, with DMV installed costs, per-key budgets, a custom zone diagram, and local insights from the market where Marriott, Hilton, and Choice write their brand standards.
2020 Flooring
Jul 2, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Waterfall vs. Hollywood Carpet Stairs: Cost, Looks & Which to Choose (DMV Guide)
Waterfall drapes the carpet straight down each riser; Hollywood tucks it tight into every angle. This guide breaks down the look, the per-stair cost in the DMV, durability at the nosing, and which method fits straight, open, and curved staircases — with a custom cross-section diagram and a real Gaithersburg project.
2020 Flooring
Jun 23, 2026
Best Flooring for Rental Properties in DC, Maryland & Virginia (2026 Landlord Guide)
For most DMV rentals, luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is the best flooring — waterproof, pet- and scratch-resistant, fast to turn over, and lowest cost of ownership. This landlord guide covers durability, costs, LVP vs. hardwood, property-type picks, Mid-Atlantic climate factors, and insights from hundreds of 2020 Flooring rental projects.
2020 Flooring
Jun 13, 2026
Best Commercial Office Flooring in Washington DC, Maryland & Northern Virginia
For most DMV offices the best floor is a mix of commercial carpet tile and glue-down LVT. This guide covers installed costs, local DC/MD/VA install conditions, a room-by-room plan, real local-project insights, and how to compare commercial flooring proposals.
2020 Flooring
Jun 9, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Hardwood Floor Cupping Repair in Maryland, Northern Virginia & Washington, DC
Cupped hardwood floors almost always point to a moisture problem — humidity, leaks, basement dampness, or installation issues. This guide explains causes, repair costs, and how to know whether your floor can be refinished or needs replacement in the DMV.
2020 Flooring
May 26, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Top American Flooring Brands: A 2026 Buyer’s Guide for Homeowners & Property Managers
American manufacturers dominate the flooring industry. This guide ranks the top U.S. brands by category — hardwood, LVP, laminate, carpet, and tile — compares installed costs per square foot, and shows which perform best for Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia homes.
2020 Flooring
May 22, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
What Is Parquet Flooring? History, Materials, Costs & Everything You Need to Know
Parquet flooring arranges real hardwood pieces into geometric patterns like herringbone and chevron. This guide covers everything: its 17th-century origins, solid vs. engineered construction, subfloor requirements, tile formats, and what a parquet installation actually costs in the DMV area.
2020 Flooring
May 6, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026
Carpet vs. Hardwood Flooring: 2026 Cost, Pros and Cons, Resale Value, and Best Rooms
Carpet or hardwood? After 30+ years of installations across Maryland, DC, and Virginia, we break down cost, resale value, best rooms, and the smart mixed approach most DMV homeowners choose.
2020 Flooring
Apr 25, 2026
Laminate vs. LVP: Which Flooring Is Right for Your Maryland, DC & Virginia Home?
Laminate and LVP both mimic real hardwood at a lower price — but they perform very differently around moisture, durability, and comfort. This guide helps DMV homeowners pick the right one.
2020 Flooring
Apr 1, 2026
Squeaky Floor Repair Guide: DIY Fixes & When to Call a Pro
After 30 years of fixing every type of squeaky floor, the team at 2020 Flooring shares real solutions — breakaway screws, subfloor repairs, hardwood fixes, and honest advice on when to DIY and when to call a pro.
2020 Flooring
Mar 18, 2026
Carpet vs. LVP: Which Flooring Is Right for Your Maryland, DC & Virginia Home?
Choosing between carpet and LVP depends on your lifestyle, budget, and room use. This guide covers durability, maintenance, comfort, cost, and the smart mixed approach that most DMV homeowners choose.
2020 Flooring
Mar 17, 2026
How to Choose Hardwood Flooring: The Complete Species & Buying Guide
Oak, walnut, maple, hickory, cherry, and 10 more species — this comprehensive guide covers Janka hardness ratings, solid vs. engineered comparisons, room-by-room suitability, maintenance tips, and answers to the most common hardwood flooring questions.
2020 Flooring
Feb 19, 2026 · Updated Aug 16, 2026