Wood Flooring Cost: Long Term Thinking

Many of the classic homes in the Philadelphia area come with beautiful hardwood floors. If you don’t have hardwood, you may be thinking of upgrading to it. There are a lot of options available for flooring, though. How do you know what type of flooring is best for you and will be the lowest cost over the life of the floor? If you haven’t asked yourself that question, you are missing a big part of the picture. Not only should you consider material costs and installation of the floor, but also the longevity of the material as well as the maintenance costs.

What Flooring Costs the Least?

There are three factors you need to add up when considering the total cost of your floor. First, what are the materials and installation costs? Let’s take look at the most common types of flooring and their typical range of installation costs per square foot:

• Solid Hardwood: $10 on the average, with a wide range of prices depending on your choice of wood
• Engineered Hardwood: $9 on average
• Ceramic Tile: $11 Average
• Natural Stone: $10 Average
• Carpet: $5 Average
• Laminate Flooring: $6 Average
• Luxury Vinyl: $7 Average

These costs are an average and can change quite a bit when you consider the quality of the materials that you are going to use.

While it looks like carpet is the least expensive out of the bunch, remember that carpet is also the shortest lived. Even well-maintained carpeting can become worn rather quickly, while a well-kept hardwood floor can last for up to five times longer.

Maintenance Costs of Hardwood

After the initial costs of the hardwood install, care and maintenance is much easier than other types of flooring. Occasional sweeping and mopping with a damp mop to remove stains is all that is needed for day-to-day upkeep.

Eventually, your hardwood floors will begin to wear. How soon this is can depend on factors like traffic on the floor and any pets that may have put light scratches on the floor. This is when it is time to have a light sanding and put down a new layer of clear coat to keep them looking bright and maintained. Sanding and sealing will cost you a little labor and about $0.75 to $1.20 per square foot, a little more if you hire a professional to do this for you.

Finally, every 10 to 20 years (depending on traffic, furniture, pets, coats of sealer, etc.) you are going to need to fully refinish your floors. This is the most expensive part of maintenance in both time and materials. While refinishing a hardwood floor is a project that you could do yourself, it is very easy to damage the floor doing it. Having a professional take care of the work might be a better option for those who are unsure of their DIY skills. A typical refinish job will cost $3.75 per square foot on average (again depending on materials used).

Thinking of having a contractor replace or redo your hardwood floors in Philadelphia? Click here to get free custom quotes from reputable contractors. You’ll receive upfront pricing without having to invite a contractor to your home!