What Pickering's 1970s–80s Homes Need From Vinyl Flooring
Much of Pickering's housing stock, from the Bay Ridges bungalows and backsplits to the two-storeys around Liverpool and Amberlea, went up in the 1970s and 80s. The subfloor under your worn carpet or yellowing sheet vinyl has had 40-plus years to dry out, shift and develop dips near the walls and doorways. Homeowners at this stage rarely ask what looks trendy. They ask what can go down over an older floor without becoming a bigger project. For a lot of them, the answer is Vinyl Flooring.
What a 40-Year-Old Subfloor Is Telling You
Before you pick a colour, look at what you're standing on. In homes from this era, the main floor is often plywood or older board sheathing under carpet, with ceramic or sheet vinyl in the kitchen and front entry. Those transitions are where height differences hide. A floating vinyl plank floor is forgiving of minor imperfections, but it is not magic. Squeaks, soft spots and humps need to be dealt with first, or they will telegraph through the plank and stress the click joints.
That is why we look at the subfloor before we talk about product. If we find a high spot, we mark it for leveling. If a section is soft, we flag it. You get an honest answer about prep before you commit to a floor.
The Basement Is Where Vinyl Plank Earns Its Keep
Pickering sits on Lake Ontario, and many older homes here have finished basements with concrete slabs that stay cool and can hold moisture through spring thaw and humid summers. Solid hardwood is a poor fit down there. Vinyl plank doesn't absorb moisture the way wood does, and it feels softer underfoot than tile. That matters in a basement rec room, a kid's play area or a home gym.
Many families we talk to in the Bay Ridges and Dunbarton area are finishing or refreshing basements to create a second living space, often for teenagers or a parent moving in. A clean, consistent plank floor from the stairs to the back wall makes that space feel like part of the house, not an afterthought.
- Main floor: replaces carpet and mismatched kitchen flooring with one continuous surface.
- Basement: handles slab-level moisture swings better than wood or laminate.
- Bedrooms: a quieter, softer-feeling alternative to hardwood when paired with the right underlay.
Where BBS Reserve Uxbridge Fits
If you are comparing options, start with the Uxbridge - BBS Reserve 7mm Vinyl Flooring with Pad. BBS Reserve is our own house label: a 7mm plank with a 22mil wear layer and the underpad already attached, which is exactly what an older Pickering subfloor or a slab basement wants. The Uxbridge colour, a weathered barnwood, is one we recommend looking at in person. Colour on a screen never matches colour in your home. A plank that looks right in a showroom can read warmer or cooler in a Pickering living room with small windows, or in a basement with only pot lights.
Bring a photo of your trim, cabinets and wall colour to our showroom and hold the sample against them. Check it in daylight and again at night. That ten-minute test prevents most flooring regrets. For specs and sizing, the product page has the details, and our team can walk you through how it compares with other vinyl in stock.
What the Install and the Numbers Look Like
In-stock vinyl plank at BBS Flooring starts from $1.89/sqft. Our floating vinyl and laminate installation is $2.00/sqft. If you have old flooring to remove, carpet removal is $1.00/sqft, and vinyl, laminate or hardwood removal is $1.50/sqft. A 900 sqft main floor is easy to budget once you have measurements, and we offer a free in-home measurement so the quote reflects your actual rooms, closets and stairs.
Delivery is straightforward. Warehouse pickup is free, garage drop is $140, and inside-the-house delivery is $200. Our own installation crews do the work, and our workmanship is backed by a 2-year warranty. Product warranties come from the manufacturer. You can read more about how we work on our installation page.
If you want to see what else is available locally, browse our guide to flooring in Pickering or go straight to Vinyl Flooring in Pickering. If you're still deciding between materials, our full Vinyl Flooring range is the best place to start.
Stairs Are Part of the Plan Too
Many Pickering split-levels and two-storeys have a run of carpeted stairs that wear out faster than the rooms around them. If you're replacing the floors, decide on the stairs at the same time so the finished look is cohesive. Stair work is quoted separately, and final pricing is confirmed after a site visit.
Ready to see Uxbridge in your own light? Call (647) 428-1111 or visit our showroom at 6061 Highway 7, Unit B, Markham. We're open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.