How Much Does Hardwood Flooring Cost?
Hardwood flooring uses hardwood trees AKA the Angiosperms. These trees are oak, maple, walnut, etc. Hardwood is durable, tough, and more resistant to fire. It is for this purpose that hardwood is comparatively more expensive than the softwood, produced by softwood trees or botanically known as Gymnosperms. Softwood trees are the pine trees and the conifers. These trees are commonly found everywhere, which is why they are not only less expensive but also very eco-friendly. Abundantly found trees, when cut, will not have much of a negative impact on the environment.
Hardwood is darker in color, as the name indicates it is heavier, grains are closer, and a little harder than the softwood. Hardwood flooring installation in Lynchburg VA are provided by proficient contractors.
Benefits of Hardwood Flooring:
- Aesthetic Purposes:
Hardwood flooring adds to the beauty and splendor of any room. This flooring type adds warmth to any space it is used in. People most particularly use this type of flooring in living rooms, dining and bed rooms. Interior designers believe a hardwood flooring manifolds the beauty of a room and is the easiest to match with any color theme.
- Tough & Durable:
Hardwood, as the name implies, is hard and heavy. It is therefore that this flooring type is very tough and thus can endure large pressures. It won’t crack or scratch easily. In fact, it can be refinished by simply sanding and applying a fresh coat of chemicals to make it look new.
- Fire Resistant:
Hardwood flooring installation has another edge over other wooden floorings that it is relatively resistant to fire. This very characteristic of hardwood makes it a desirable and suitable flooring type.
- Long-lasting:
Hardwood floorings are believed to live for several decades. They don’t degrade easily. In fact, old houses and buildings might have these flooring types installed in their rooms and kitchen. They live longer than softwood floorings, which can only last for a decade.
- Easy To Clean & Maintain:
This flooring type can be easily cleaned with a simple duster, and a mop. First brush off any large dust particles to prevent any scratches, and then continue cleaning with a mixture of water and liquid cleaner.
- Adds Value:
A flooring type is an investment made to add to the value of any property. The more expensive a flooring material is, the more it will add to the house’s value. So, hiring hardwood flooring contractors doesn’t mean your money is going to waste, it simply implies that you are investing your money.
Hardwood Flooring Installation Costs:
Costs are dependent upon various factors, some of which are as under:
1. Type of the Wood:
The costs for this type of flooring varies with the type of wood. For instance, hardwood from mahogany and sandalwood are among the most expensive ones, whereas oak and maple are among the least expensive hardwoods. Let us see how much different types of hardwood cost.
- Mahogany: will cost around $30 per square foot.
- Sandalwood: will also cost around $30 per square foot.
- Maple hardwood: this flooring costs somewhere between $6 to $8 per square foot.
- Oak: will be around $10 per square foot.
- Lyptus: will cost you something less than $11 but more than $5 per square foot.
- Hickory: is among affordable ones and will only be a little more or less than $5.
- Cherry: is a little more costly than hickory and will cost you two extra dollars per sqft. Moreover, different kinds of the same trees will have different prices, for instance, Brazilian cherry costs more than the cherry itself i.e. $9.
- Bamboo: is the least expensive hardwood and will only cost between $2 to $7.
- Ash: is among luxury hardwoods and can cost up to $18 per sqft.
The difference of prices is due to the peculiar properties of these hardwoods. Those that are less commonly found, have prettier appearance, are more durable and resistant to pressure and fire will cost more.
2. Size/Width Of The Planks:
Moreover, the width of hardwood planks play an important role in determining the money spent on hardwood flooring installation. Wide planks tend to occupy more space, thus need less labor, material and time for installation, for which it is comparatively lower priced than narrow planks. They can cost from $5 to $10 per square foot.
Thickness is said to be another factor to influence the overall costs. Thicker planks cost more than thin ones.
3. Labor Charges:
Labor costs typically range from $3 to $10 per square foot, depending on the size of the place, the type of the wood, and if the wood is prefinished or unfinished. Some hardwoods, for instance, require more expertise to install, therefore, flooring contractors will charge more for installing those.
Prefinished floors will be charged lower than unfinished ones, as you will have to pay extra dollars for getting the unfinished ones prepped/finished for you.
The fact that hardwood flooring expands and contracts depending on the external temperature, makes the installation somewhat trickier, and this might impact labor charges.
The total costs for installing hardwood flooring per 1000 square foot will be from $6,000 to $10,000.