Hardwood Flooring Cost: Everything You Need to Know
Wood flooring is undoubtedly an attractive and appealing addition to any home. It generally adds to the value of the house. However, compared to the other flooring options and the amount of work involved from start to finish, hardwood flooring can be quite an expensive endeavor.
The final cost of a hardwood floor will depend on several factors, including the type of wood, labor cost area to be covered, etc. The average hardwood flooring cost varies between $5 per square foot for common homegrown woods to $25 per square foot for more exotic or imported woods.
Contents
Average Cost of Hardwood Flooring Installation
The cost varies on the hardwood flooring type that you choose. From the type of wood to the type of installation, several factors influence the overall cost of hardwood flooring. Consequently, it becomes confusing to estimate the final cost accurately.
Most homeowners spend around $5 to $25 per square foot for hardwood flooring, while the average sits at approximately $10 per square foot. At the lower price range, you have the common Maple and Hickory species of wood. On the other hand, you can go with more exotic woods like Walnut or Oak at the premium price range for your kitchen flooring option.
Additionally, you will have to plan labor, installation, and finishing costs for the hardwood floor. In total, hardwood flooring for a 1000 square feet surface will cost between $10,000 to $30,000, including all the expenses mentioned above.
Cost of Solid Hardwood Flooring
Solid hardwood flooring is among the most common flooring options you can choose. Unlike engineered wood which is made of multiple layers of wooden strips, solid wood is made entirely of a single block.
The price of solid wood flooring is mainly influenced by the type of wood used. As such, the cost of solid wood flooring varies greatly. For more exotic wood like oak, the cost could be higher as compared to standard wood like maple.
Still, on average solid wood flooring is anywhere between $8 to $20 per square foot. When everything from installation to material, coatings, and finishing is taken into account. For a standard 1000 square feet of surface, the cost will vary between $8000 to $20,000.
Cost of Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered wood, as the name suggests, is manufactured. It’s made up of multiple layers of wooden strips laid out horizontally. In terms of finish, it offered numerous patterns and designs.
Engineered wood provides nearly the same aesthetic appeal as solid natural woods but comes a little cheaper. Also, engineered wood could offer higher durability than solid wooden blocks depending upon the manufacturing process involved.
The price of hardwood flooring is almost comparable to natural wood. On a per square foot basis, engineered hardwood flooring costs between $6 and $12. At this rate, the cost for a 1000 square feet surface comes out to be $6000 to $12000.
Cost of Hardwood Flooring With Factory Finish
Wooden flooring often requires a whole host of furnishing procedures to bring in the familiar shine and glow associated with such kinds of floors. However, there are also varieties of factory-finished hardwoods available in the market. As the name suggests, factory-finished hardwoods do not need to be stained, varnished, or sanded after they are installed. Instead, each block comes pre-finished, where the manufacturer does all the necessary finishing before the hardwood is sold.
The main advantage of factory-finished hardwood is that the floor is ready as soon as all the blocks are laid out and fixed in their place.
The type of wood also influences the cost of factory-finished hardwood flooring. In any case, factory-finished hardwood floors cost around $8 to $15 per square foot. A typical 1000 square feet surface will cost a total of $8000 to $15000.
Installation Cost of Hardwood Flooring
Apart from the cost of the wood involved in the flooring, you also have to bear the installation cost of hardwood flooring. Traditionally, the wooden blocks are nailed to the wooden joist in hardwood floors, which are fixed to the ground using cement or plaster. Wooden blocks can also be glued down directly to the floor with polyurethane glue. Incidentally, the cost of hardwood flooring installation depends on the type of installation method chosen and also on the design and pattern of the floor.
For a nailed installation of a hardwood floor plan, a budget of around $3 per square foot can go up to $5 per square foot when the installation also includes the fitting of baseboards. A 1000 square feet surface plan, a budget of around $3000 to $5000 for nailed hardwood floor installation.
For a more budget-friendly glued-down installation, you will have to spend around $2 to $3 per square foot, which amounts to $2000 to $3000 for a 1000 square feet surface.
Finishing Cost of Hardwood Flooring
Unless you have already opted for a factory-finished hardwood, you also have to bear the finishing cost of hardwood flooring for your kitchen. You can apply a variety of finishes to your hardwood floor and all of them will have a different cost to them.
It will have both aesthetic and protective roles. In this regard, you have three options for finishing: vitrification, oiling, waxing. Let’s the cost associated with each finish;
Vitrification
Perhaps the most common finish adopted for a hardwood floor. Vitrification requires applying a layer of varnish on the floor. The varnish applied is quite shiny and durable. Consequently, it will form a very resistant coating on the surface, protecting it from wear and damage. Before the vitrification process can begin, the floor often requires white sanding. Further, vitrification of hardwood flooring costs between $3 to $5 per square foot.
Oiling
Another highly sophisticated and visually appealing hardwood finish is oiling. Although it does not shine as much as vitrification does, the dull luster looks more authentic and natural.
However, this kind of finish is demanding on the maintenance side since the process requires it to be done several times a year to prevent the oil from drying out, leaving a dull surface devoid of any shine.
Oil finish costs less than vitrification. Nevertheless, you can expect to spend between $2 to $4 per square foot of the surface.
Waxing
Another way to achieve an oily finish is to apply wax on the hardwood floor. For some people, it’s a more ecologically safer option to achieve a finish close to oiling.
But same as oiling, wax also requires periodic maintenance. To retain the protective layer of wax on the surface, a new layer should be applied a few times a year. Waxing of the hardwood flooring costs around $2 to $3 per square foot.