0
Hardwood is a natural building material that is widely preferred for constructing floors at residential houses. Different types of wood are available in the market for construction of flooring, at variable rates. Houses with wood flooring are considered to be costlier in the real estate market, which is a profitable factor for homeowners. Hence, people find the installation of wooden floors worth its cost in the future.
Cost of installing a hardwood floor – The price of hardwood depends on the grade of this substance, which is determined according to the color, grains, and knots of the wood. The topmost graded hardwood has a uniform shade, without any knots or natural stains. On the contrary, cheap quality wood has a mixture of different shades, along with many natural knots and scars on the surface. Oak, maple, cherry, and walnut are the popular options for common homeowners, which are available in a range of $5 – $10 per square foot. The installation charge of wood flooring usually varies from $4 to $8 for every square foot of the wooden planks.
Use of artificial wood to reduce cost – As good quality hardwood can be really expensive for some people; they may consider using artificial hardwoods that are available at much cheaper prices. The engineered hardwood is also available at lower rates, compared to the solid wood used for flooring. Moreover, the installation of faux or engineered hardwood is much easier and can be done also by house owners, who have no technical knowledge of building construction. However, these faux hardwoods have the similar appearance as the solid wood flooring, for which many people prefer these materials to fit into their limited budgets.
Cost of refinishing the hardwood floor – Normally, both solid and engineered hardwood are highly durable, lasting for many years with the least maintenance. However, minor scratches on the wooden surface can be repaired by refinishing after a few years. Thick hardwood can be refinished many times, instead of replacing the damaged wood planks. Hence, the topmost layer of engineered wood is preferred to be at least 2 mm thick, to allow sanding for multiple times. When professionals are hired for sanding, they charge $1.5 to $5 per square foot of the wood flooring, depending on the quality of the hardwood.
When a house owner decides to sell his property, he should calculate the entire cost of wood flooring and also the refinishing costs. His quoted selling price needs to include the total cost of flooring installation and maintenance. However, it is seen that the selling price of such a house can be expected to be higher in the real estate market, as more buyers are interested in houses with hardwood flooring.