Flooring in Edgemont
Edgemont is one of the larger established communities in northwest Calgary, developed through the 1980s on winding streets that follow the terrain, with an extensive network of ravine pathways running through it.
The homes are now around four decades old. They are well built and well maintained, and they carry the two flooring characteristics of their era: layouts split across several levels, and subfloors and slabs that need attention before anything new goes over them.
What the Homes Are Like Here
Split-level and four-level designs are common, along with bungalows and two-storey homes. That means multiple short staircases, several landings, and main living space divided across levels rather than spread out on one.
Underneath, expect 1980s construction: sheet subfloors that have loosened over time, basement slabs poured as working surfaces, and — in a good number of homes — original hardwood in living and dining areas, sometimes still exposed and sometimes hidden under carpet.
The Flooring Work We Do in Edgemont
- Whole-home replacements planned across multiple levels.
- Staircase replacements, often several flights in one project.
- Basement flooring updates, replacing 1990s-era carpet.
- Subfloor repair and slab levelling.
- Hardwood refinishing where original wood survives.
Multi-Level Homes Need a Height Plan
The defining challenge in an Edgemont split-level is not the flooring itself — it is the arithmetic of heights.
Every level meets a staircase, and every staircase has a top and bottom riser whose height changes if the floor above or below changes thickness. Building codes limit how much riser heights may vary within a flight, and beyond code, inconsistent risers are the kind of hazard people trip on in their own homes.
So we start with measurement rather than product: current heights at each level, proposed finished heights, and the effect on every flight in the house. Only then do we choose materials, usually keeping thicknesses similar across the main living levels so transitions stay flush and stairs stay consistent.
Basements Finished Twice
Many Edgemont basements were developed in the 1990s, and those floors are now at the end of their life. Replacing them is straightforward work with one important step that the original installation often skipped: testing the slab.
Older basement floors were frequently laid as carpet over thin pad, directly on concrete, with no moisture check and no levelling. When that comes up, we test, check flatness across the room, deal with any old adhesive, and level where needed. Then the new floor — usually waterproof vinyl plank, sometimes carpet over an insulated subfloor panel for warmth — goes down on a base that will support it.
Pathway Grit
The ravine pathways are one of the best things about living in Edgemont, and they deliver a steady supply of grit, mud and, in winter, gravel to every door in the community.
The fix is the same as anywhere, but it matters more where pathways are used daily: a hard, water-tolerant floor at the entry, a mat long enough to catch what comes in, and a finish that hides fine scratches rather than showing them. Matte, textured surfaces in mid tones do that far better than gloss.
Floors That Suit Edgemont Homes
- Luxury vinyl plank with a rigid core across main living levels.
- Carpet on the many staircases and in bedrooms.
- Refinished hardwood where original wood is sound.
- Porcelain tile at entries facing the pathways.
Pricing in Edgemont
Citywide pricing applies — vinyl plank $8 to $15 per square foot installed, carpet $4 to $8, hardwood $8 to $16 — with removal at $0.50 to $3 and preparation at $1 to $4 per square foot where levelling and subfloor work are needed. Stairs are priced per step, which matters in homes with three or four flights. See the Calgary flooring cost guide for the full picture.