Home Remodeling & Fine Painting | Fox & Fern | Chester County, PA
Fox & Fern Painting Co.
Flooring That Lasts.
From luxury vinyl plank to solid hardwood and refinished floors — Fox & Fern installs and restores beautiful flooring throughout Chester County, Delaware County, and Northern Delaware. Every installation starts with a properly prepared subfloor, so your floors look great for decades.
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What We Install
Flooring Options
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)
Our most popular install. LVP gives you the warm, realistic look of hardwood with 100% waterproof performance — making it ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and homes with pets or kids. We source premium LVP through our Flooret partnership, which means access to wider planks, deeper embossing, and warranties up to lifetime residential. Installs over most existing subfloors with a floating click-lock system — minimal mess, fast turnaround.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate is a cost-effective way to achieve a hardwood look in dry above-grade spaces. Today's laminate is far more realistic than it was even five years ago — with textured surfaces, beveled edges, and varied plank lengths that mimic real wood convincingly. Best suited for living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways. We help you select the right thickness and AC rating for your traffic level and lifestyle.
Engineered Hardwood
Engineered hardwood is real wood — a genuine hardwood veneer bonded to a stable plywood core. This construction resists seasonal expansion and contraction far better than solid hardwood, making it suitable for grade-level and below-grade installs where solid wood can't go. You get the authentic look, feel, and grain of real wood with more installation flexibility. Can be refinished 1–3 times depending on veneer thickness.
Solid Hardwood
The gold standard of flooring. Solid hardwood is milled from a single piece of wood and can be refinished 5–7 times over its lifetime — meaning a quality installation can last 100+ years. We install nail-down solid hardwood in oak, maple, hickory, walnut, and more. Ideal for above-grade rooms with stable humidity. Adds genuine value to your home and a warmth no other material can match.
Hardwood Refinishing
Already have hardwood floors hiding under old carpet or showing years of wear? Refinishing is one of the best-value home improvement projects you can do. We sand, stain, and reseal your existing floors to look brand new — at a fraction of the cost of replacement. Most floors can be refinished in 2–3 days with minimal disruption. Learn more below →
Subfloor Preparation
Every great floor starts beneath the surface. We assess, repair, and level your subfloor before any product goes down. This step is non-negotiable for a floor that stays flat, quiet, and beautiful long-term. Learn more below →
Side-by-Side
Which Floor is Right for You?
Every home is different. This table gives you a plain-language breakdown of how each flooring type compares across the factors that matter most.
| Flooring Type | Waterproof | Where It Works | Refinishable | Durability | Cost Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LVP Luxury Vinyl Plank |
✦ 100% | Any level, any room | No | Excellent | $$ – $$$ | Pets, kids, basements, kitchens |
| Laminate Above-grade only |
Resistant | Above grade only | No | Good | $ – $$ | Budget-conscious rooms, bedrooms |
| Engineered Hardwood Real wood veneer |
Moisture-resistant | All grades | 1–3 times | Very good | $$$ – $$$$ | Whole-home, below grade, real wood look |
| Solid Hardwood 100% wood |
Not recommended | Above grade only | 5–7+ times | Lifetime | $$$$ – $$$$$ | Heirloom quality, high-value homes |
* Cost ranges reflect installed price including materials and labor. Final pricing depends on square footage, subfloor condition, and product selection. We provide free, itemized estimates for every project.
The Foundation
Why Subfloor Prep Matters
Most flooring failures — squeaks, gaps, cupping, buckling — aren't caused by bad flooring. They're caused by a subfloor that wasn't properly assessed or prepared before installation.
A subfloor that is uneven by even ¼ inch over 10 feet can cause floating floors to flex, click-lock seams to separate, and glued floors to crack. We inspect every subfloor before we install anything — and we fix what we find.
Our subfloor services are included in your estimate upfront. No surprise charges when we pull up the old floor.
Flatness Assessment
We check the entire floor with a long straightedge to identify high spots, low spots, and waves before any product is ordered. Most manufacturers require ¼" tolerance over 10 feet.
Grinding & Leveling Compound
High spots are ground flat. Low spots are filled with self-leveling compound and allowed to cure fully before installation begins. The result is a perfectly flat, solid base.
Squeaks & Structural Repairs
Loose subfloor panels are screwed down. Damaged OSB or plywood is replaced. Squeaks are eliminated at the source — not covered up by a new floor that creaks from day one.
Moisture Testing
Excess moisture in a subfloor destroys hardwood and can compromise engineered products. We test for moisture content before any wood-based flooring is installed and address the source — not just the symptom.
Restore What You Have
Hardwood Refinishing
Can my floors be refinished?
Solid hardwood can typically be refinished 5–7 times over its lifetime — or whenever the finish shows significant wear, deep scratches, or discoloration. Engineered hardwood can often be refinished 1–3 times depending on the thickness of the top veneer layer (usually 2–4mm). If you're not sure what you have, we can identify it during your free estimate visit.
What does refinishing include?
Refinishing means sanding the existing floor down to bare wood, then applying a fresh stain (or keeping it natural), and sealing with a durable top coat. The result looks and feels like a brand-new floor — because the surface essentially is. We use professional drum and edge sanders to ensure an even cut across the full floor.
Stain color selection
When you refinish, you have the opportunity to completely change the color of your floors. From light natural whitewash tones to deep espresso and everything in between — we'll apply test patches of your top choices so you can see exactly how they look in your light before we commit to the full floor.
Already have hardwood under carpet? This is one of the most common and rewarding discoveries homeowners make. In many older Chester County homes, original hardwood floors are hiding beneath carpet that was laid decades ago. If the boards are in reasonable condition, refinishing them is dramatically less expensive than new flooring — and the result is beautiful original character you can't replicate with new product.
The Refinishing Process
Assessment & prep
We inspect the floor for nails, staples, and damaged boards. Any boards that are too far gone are replaced to match before sanding begins. Furniture is moved and vents are sealed.
Sanding
A drum sander removes the old finish and a thin layer of wood from the field of the floor. Edge sanders and detail tools handle the perimeter and corners. We progress through multiple grits for a smooth, even surface.
Stain application
If you're changing color, stain is applied evenly and wiped to your chosen tone. We let you see and approve a sample section before proceeding to the full floor.
Sealing & top coat
Multiple coats of oil-based or water-based polyurethane are applied with light sanding between coats. The final coat is allowed to cure fully before foot traffic resumes — typically 24–48 hours for water-based, 48–72 hours for oil-based.
Final walkthrough
We walk the floor with you, inspect every inch, and don't leave until the result meets your expectations.
How It Works
Our Process
Step One
Free Consultation
We come to you, measure the space, assess the subfloor, and talk through your goals, budget, and lifestyle needs.
Step Two
Product Selection
We narrow down the right flooring type and help you choose specific products, colors, and finishes — including samples from our Flooret catalog.
Step Three
Clear Quote
An itemized estimate covering materials, subfloor prep, installation, and trim work. No hidden fees. You know the full number before we start.
Step Four
Installation
Subfloor is prepped, product is acclimated, and installation is done right — the first time. We work cleanly and communicate throughout.
Step Five
Final Walkthrough
We inspect every seam, transition, and threshold together. Nothing is signed off until you're completely satisfied.
Why Fox & Fern
What Sets Us Apart
Subfloor First, Always
We never skip subfloor prep. A properly leveled, solid base is what separates a floor that lasts 30 years from one that fails in 3.
Flooret-Sourced LVP
As a Flooret partner, we bring you access to premium waterproof LVP with lifetime residential warranties — product you won't find at a big-box store.
Honest, Upfront Pricing
No hidden costs when we pull up the old floor. We scope the job properly from the start so your estimate is your final number.
Local to Chester County
We live here. We work here. Our reputation in this community is built one project at a time — and we treat every home accordingly.
Flexible Payment Options
New floors are a significant investment — and you shouldn't have to wait to afford the floors you actually want. Through our financing partnership, qualified homeowners can start their project today with zero money down and zero interest.
Learn About Financing →Ready for floors that last?
Get a free, no-obligation estimate. We'll respond within 24 hours.