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 |  | Laminate, Installed: $1,250-$3,000 |  | Engineered Wood, Installed: $2,500-$7,500 |  | Solid Wood, Installed: $2,400-$7,800 |
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For centuries people have used wood flooring to add warmth and charm to a room or an entire house. Today there's a wide range of options -- and prices -- ranging from laminates that merely provide the look of wood, to engineered "floating" wood floors using a layer of wood veneer over layers of less-expensive materials, to traditional solid-wood boards, and sustainable options such as cork or bamboo.
Typical costs: | - Traditional soild wood flooring runs $3-$6 a square foot (uninstalled) for soft woods like pine or fir or $5-$10 for hardwoods like oak. Professional installation adds another $3-$10 a square foot, making installation in a 400-square-foot room $2,400-$4,400 for soft woods $3,700-$7,800 for hard woods.
- Engineered-wood flooring, which has a thin veneer of real wood bonded to layers of less-expensive wood products, starts around $6-$10 a square foot for labor and materials, or $2,500-$4,200 for standard installation in a 20x20-foot room. Mid-range products run $8-$15 a square foot installed, or $3,300-$6,300 for 400 square feet. High-end flooring can be $13-$18 a square foot or $5,300-$7,500 for a 400-square-foot room. For small projects, there may be a minimum installation charge of $200-$500.
- Bamboo flooring starts around $4.50-$9.50 a square foot for labor and materials for engineered panels or unfinished solid planks, running $1,125-$2,375 for a 250-square-foot kitchen. Mid-range engineered or unfinished solid bamboo can be $7.50-$13 a square foot installed, or $1,875-$3,250 for the kitchen. High-end hand-finished solid bamboo runs $10.50-$18 a square foot installed, or $2,600-$4,500 for a 250-square-foot kitchen.
- Cork flooring (made from bark from the cork oak tree) runs $5-$12 a square foot for labor and materials, or $1,250-$3,000 for a 250-square-foot kitchen. Specialty styles or colors can bump it to $12-$20 a square foot, or $3,000-$5,000 for the kitchen.
- Laminate flooring (which uses photos of wood grain rather than actual wood) starts around 90 cents-$2 for entry-level flooring (uninstalled) or $450-$950 for a 20x20-square-foot room. Better quality laminate (typically more realistic looking) runs $3-$7 a square foot (uninstalled) or $1,300-$3,000 for 400 square feet. Professional installation bumps the costs for labor and materials to $3-$7 a square foot for entry-level laminate, or $1,250-$3,000 for a 400-square-foot room.
Related articles: Laminate Flooring, Engineered Wood Flooring, Solid Wood Flooring, Cork Flooring, Bamboo Flooring, Tile Flooring
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What should be included: | - In selecting wood flooring for your home, be sure you understand the care instructions for each type, its durability, and how easy or difficult installation will be. Better Homes and Gardens provides an overview of the different types of wood flooring, and ThisOldHouse.com gives a comparison[1] of solid and engineered flooring options
- With professional installation, a company representative should visit the home to give an estimate based on exact conditions. This is the time to confirm who will be responsible for tearing up old flooring, moving furniture and other factors.
Additional costs: | - Be sure you understand what's included in each quote. There can be extra charges for furniture removal and replacement; ripping out and disposing of old flooring material; repairing or replacing a damaged subfloor; and removing and then re-hanging doors.
Shopping for wood flooring: | - Wood flooring is sold online, or in home improvement centers or flooring stores. The World Floor Covering Association provides a directory[2] of retail floor stores by zip code.
- The written contract should include all specific materials to be used, the work to be done, cost, dates within which the project will be completed and a payment schedule. Try for the minimum possible deposit, and tie payments to actual material deliveries and specific work done.
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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
| Posted by: billy1990 in chicago, IL. | Posted: July 25th, 2017 11:07AM |
| Square Feet: 240 | Type: hardwood |
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External Resources: | - www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,220914,00.html
- www.wfca.org/FlooringStoreLocator.aspx
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