The cost of hardwood flooring depends upon a number of things:
• The species of wood that you choose for your flooring
• The structure of wood flooring you choose (engineered or solid)
• The finish of the hardwood floor (unfinished or pre-finished)
• The size of the flooring planks
The species of wood
There are many different species of wood to choose from which all have quite significant price differences. The more rare the wood species, the more expensive it will be. For example, Oak is quite a common wood species so Oak flooring can be found a reasonable prices. However, Walnut is quite a rare wood species, so Walnut flooring will be significantly more expensive.
The structure of wood flooring
Hardwood flooring is available in two main structures: solid and engineered. Solid wood flooring is as its name suggests; one solid piece of wood which is usually more expensive than engineered wood flooring that has a solid wood top layer and then a base layer made from plywood.
The finish of the wood flooring
When looking at hardwood flooring there are two main types of finish to choose from: unfinished or pre-finished. Unfinished hardwood flooring is the raw wood, so will need to be protected with a lacquer or oil once installed. Alternatively, pre-finished hardwood flooring has already had protective top layers of oil or lacquer added during the manufacturing process. A pre-finished floor is usually more expensive than an unfinished floor, but the installation time and costs are usually less.
The size of the flooring planks
Hardwood flooring is available in varying widths from approximately 60mm to up to 400mm (for engineered planks of flooring) to complement any size and shape of room. Generally, the price increases with the size of the plank, so the wider the plank the more expensive the flooring will be.
In addition to the cost of the hardwood itself, you should not forget the extra things that you will need to enable you to fit your flooring:
• Preparation of your existing subfloor
• Glue / adhesive
• Underlay if needed
• Cost of a floor fitter if you decide to use one
• Wood flooring accessories to add the finishing touches to your room, for example, skirting boards, beading, pipe covers, door bars, etc…