Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flooring for Flatbush apartments and Victorians
Modern Wood Flooring is a Brooklyn showroom at 446 Avenue P, south of Flatbush, open since 2002. Flatbush splits between prewar elevator apartment buildings and the wood-framed houses of Victorian Flatbush. Apartments usually do best with engineered wood or vinyl plank over the slab. The houses can take solid hardwood or a careful refinish.
Our showroom at 446 Avenue P is about 2.5 miles from Flatbush. Get directions or call (718) 252-6177 and we’ll pull samples before you arrive.
Homes and buildings in Flatbush
After World War I, six-story Art Deco and Colonial Revival elevator buildings and walk-ups went up along Ocean Avenue and the streets around it. A city tax exemption for new housing sped this up, and many earlier houses were converted or torn down. These buildings have concrete floors and steam heat, and many units still have oak parquet or strip floors installed over the concrete.
Around them sit the planned suburbs of Victorian Flatbush, including Prospect Park South, the Beverley Squares and Albemarle-Kenmore Terrace. These are mostly freestanding wood-framed houses on joists, many with porches and original oak floors. Most date from around the turn of the 20th century, and their kitchens and baths have usually been redone since. On the neighborhood's north side, the row houses of Lefferts Manor add another older type with wood joists and plank floors.
Between the two types sit smaller walk-ups and two-family houses, so it is common to see three different subfloors on a single block.
What to plan for
- Old parquet in prewar apartments
- Many Ocean Avenue units still have original parquet. If it is loose in spots, it can often be reglued and refinished. If you are replacing it, the old parquet may need to come up, or the new floor may go over it, depending on its condition and the height at doorways. Have a contractor check whether old adhesive needs special handling before removal.
- Steam heat and dry winters
- Steam radiators make many Flatbush apartments very dry in winter, and summer humidity swings the other way. Solid wood shrinks and swells with those changes, leaving seasonal gaps. Engineered wood and vinyl plank move less. Whatever you choose, follow the manufacturer's acclimation and humidity guidance. A humidifier in winter helps any wood floor. Wide solid boards show the largest gaps, so narrower widths are safer in solid.
- Rug clauses in rental buildings
- Many leases in Flatbush rental buildings require rugs over much of the floor, often called the 80% rule, to cut noise for neighbors below. If you are a landlord replacing floors between tenants, vinyl plank over a suitable underlayment is a common choice. Check the building's rules before picking an underlayment. Tenants usually need the landlord's written permission before changing floors.
- Settled floors in Victorian houses
- Century-old frame houses settle, and floors can slope or dip near stairs and bearing walls. Nail-down hardwood can follow gentle movement, while floating floors need a flatter base. Ask your installer to check flatness against the product's tolerance and plan for leveling where needed. Squeaks from loose subfloor boards can usually be fixed during the same job by screwing them down to the joists.
Floors that suit Flatbush
- Engineered woodThe best fit for Ocean Avenue apartments. It can be glued to the slab or floated over a sound underlayment, and it handles steam-heat dryness better than solid wood while keeping a real wood surface.Browse engineered wood
- Solid hardwoodSuits the wood-framed houses of Prospect Park South and nearby blocks, where joists and board subfloors take nail-down floors well. New solid oak can also match original floors when patching or extending rooms.Browse solid hardwood
- Vinyl flooringA durable choice for rental units, kitchens and hallways in apartment buildings. Many vinyl planks are made for use with sound underlayments; check the product's specs against your building's requirements.Browse vinyl flooring
Examples from the current catalog. We carry more than we show online.
Guides for Flatbush projects
Common questions
Do you serve Flatbush?
Yes. Our showroom is at 446 Avenue P, south of Flatbush, and we serve all of Brooklyn. You can take samples home the same day.
Can I put new flooring over old parquet in my apartment?
Sometimes. It depends on whether the parquet is flat and well bonded and how much height you can add at doors. The new product's installation instructions say what it can go over.
What should a landlord use between tenants?
Vinyl plank is common because it resists water and scratches and can be repaired in sections. Our guide to flooring for rental apartments compares the options.
What works in a Victorian house in Prospect Park South?
Solid or engineered hardwood fastened to the wood subfloor usually fits these houses best. If the original oak is in good shape, consider refinishing first.