Hardwood Flooring
Out of all the flooring options available, hardwood flooring has been the most popular in America and for good reasons.When it comes to flooring, homeowners scratch their heads the most. After all, it is the base on which you build your whole living style. While there are some cheaper flooring options like Vinyl, laminate, ceramic, etc. are available; hardwood flooring is the most popular. Let’s find out the details of different flooring options below.
Why Hardwood Flooring?
For its compatibility to any styles of homes, the use of solid wood boards or planks have been the most common in the USA. They are usually 0.75 inches thick and can be easily installed by nailing them to a wooden subfloor. They either come in 1.5/ 2.5-inches wide strips, or in 4/8-inches wide planks. Ash, pine or maple woods are usually less expensive, while oak, Brazilian cherry, Purpleheart, etc. costs the most. You can either buy them pre-finished, or do the finishing after installation.
Solid wood floors tend to last longer and can be refinished up to five times. They are also as easy to clean. However, they can also be susceptible to moisture, scratch, and spills.
Costs of Hardwood Flooring
Depending on the quality of woods and the width, solid wood floors can cost between $3-$10/ square feet. Professional installations and removal would also add up $5-$12/ square feet.
Other Flooring Options
Engineered woods are gaining in popularity for their similarity with woods. They cost an average of $4.32/ sq ft, compared to $5.85 for solid woods. Laminate and Vinyl flooring costs the least at $1-$5/ sq ft, and a similar charge for installation. Whereas, fancy materials like stone tiles costs $7-$20 and ceramic tiles costs $5-$15 per square feet, with an installation fee of $6-$8.