Hardwood Floor Pricing

Cheap Hardwood Flooring for Sale

Cheap Hardwood Flooring for SaleHardwood floors really add a lot of value to a home both in monetary terms as well as in the comfort and warmth of a home. More and more people are installing hardwood floors instead of carpeting these days because it is so much easier to keep clean and collects far less dust. If you suffer from allergies investing in a hardwood floor may be the right solution for you to limit the amount of dust in your home. While you are at it install a central vacuum with the exhaust outside. This will ensure that any micro pieces of dust that are exhausted through the vacuum are distributed outdoors in the garage or car port instead of back into your home. regular vacuums just circulate these small particles which can really be difficult for any one who suffers from allergies to dust and mites. Enough on allergies, back to cheap hardwood flooring.

Cheap Hardwood Flooring for Sale

When you are buying hardwood flooring there are many issues to consider. We have listed some of the major ones to give consumers something to think about and act on before they place their order regardless of whether they are installing it themselves or having a professional install the floor for them.

Our List for Hardwood Flooring

  • Material
  • Installation
  • Taxes
  • Save money
  • Do it yourself
  • Look for sales
  • Look for same lot
  • Pre finished
  • Stairs and curved stairs
  • Save on taxes

Consider each of the above items and decide how much money you want to save when you install your hardwood flooring.

Material – purchase high quality material always. It needs to last a long time and you do not want to replace the floor any time soon.

Installation – who will install the floor for you? do they have good reviews? is the installation included in the price?

Taxes – don’t forget to add in the tax to get to the total price when comparing to your planned budget

Save money – by waiting for a sale, doing some or all of the work yourself

Do it yourself – there are training courses offered by many companies which are often free and cover the basics of installing hardwood floors along with Youtube videos.

Look for same lot – always by wood that has the same lot number to make sure that the stain and the finish are exactly the same

Pre finished – hardwood is by far the easiest and least dirty in terms of dust. It is much faster as well. Once the floor is installed, it is ready to be used.

Stairs and curved stairs – are more difficult to install especially curved stairs. Take your time or hire an expert for this portion of the job


Hardwood Floor Installation Price

Hardwood Floor Installation PriceHardwood floor installation prices will vary a great deal depending on where you live, the type of flooring you are installing and how much cutting and fitting you need to do. For example, the picture on the left shows a fireplace that needs to have the floor fitted around it. While it is not that difficult to do, it does take time with the extra cutting and fitting and it must be done right. After all the fireplace is the focal point of the room and any mistakes will be noticed by virtually everyone. There are many examples that will affect the installation price. Discuss your plans and the details with your souse and of course the contractor to make sure that you have a clear idea of what the finished product is going to look like.

Hardwood Floor Installation Price – Price Factors

Here are a few that you may have to take into account:

  • Square feet of flooring to be installed
  • Fireplace cutouts as shown in the picture
  • Hot and cold air registers, while pretty standard, still need to be accounted for
  • Irregular rooms with angles or curving walls
  • Many doorways
  • Interface with other types of flooring
  • Type of hardwood that is being installed
  • Addition of a supporting subfloor if needed
  • Removal of existing flooring
  • Preparation of subfloor
  • Repair of joists and support structure if needed
  • Stairways
  • Curved stairways require a lot more time and effort
  • Cutting hardwood outdoors extends walking time
  • Cutting hardwood indoors increases clean up costs
  • Any unusual flooring, room size, etc in your home

While this may not be an all inclusive list, readers can quickly see that the hardwood floor installation price can vary a great deal depending on what you have to deal with.

Professional Installation vs. Do It Yourself

Most handy men can install hardwood floors themselves and save a great deal on the overall cost of your new floor. You may have to purchase or rent a few tools to make the job easier, however the money you save will more than pay for these tools. Take your time, watch YouTube videos and read lots on line. We find that many hardwood flooring suppliers will also provide courses for people planning to do their own floors. They do this to enhance their sales value and entice you to purchase the materials from them. Even if you make a few mistakes and have to redo some portions of your floor, it is still al lot cheaper than paying for someone to install the floor for you.

Using a professional to lay a hardwood floor can save a great deal of time. Compared to working evenings and weekends, have a floor installed over one or two days is preferred by many people. They do not want to put up with the mess for several weeks or longer and they want it done right. They may not also have the skills, the tools and the patience to try installing a floor themselves.

Purchasing Your Floor Materials and Installation From Your Supplier

Many suppliers either will have their own installation teams that they provide for a price to install a floor. They are either on staff or they are preferred installers with an excellent record of quality workmanship. The time to negotiate the overall price including installation is before you agree to the hardwood. Combining negotiations for the price of the hardwood and the installation can sometimes get you a better price.

Don’t buy the argument that they cannot negotiate on installation price, because the installer is not available or does not vary his price. Be prepared to walk away unless they are willing to reduce the price offered from the initial deal. It may take some tough negotiating. But after all you do not have to cut the deal until you are totally satisfied. Compare prices and compare reputation and work quality. If you need to or feel it is in your best interest, ask to speak to previous customers to confirm satisfaction levels. Also check on line for any comments that may be available.

Do your homework and there is a better chance that you will be totally satisfied with the hardwood floor installation price, the quality of the wood and the quality of the installation. After all, you will have this floor for many years and consumers want something they are going to be proud of and satisfied with for many years.


Hardwood Floor Installation Estimate

Hardwood Floor Installation EstimateThe cost to install a hardwood floor can vary a great deal depending on the material you choose. It will also depend on the condition of the floor area you are covering and how much work you are willing to do yourself. Always ask for a hardwood floor installation estimate from qualified installers.

You will have several estimates to compare and you are considering installers that know what they are doing. In addition a high cost area will be the stairs and especially a curved stair way. Placing hardwood on the stairs can sometimes cost as much as a full room.

Hardwood Floor Installation Estimate – Costs

We are going to discuss each of these issues in more detail to give you some idea of what you can be looking at when it comes to making a decision regarding a hardwood floor installation.

  • Preparing your Space for a New hardwood Floor
  • Choosing your Hardwood Floor Material
  • Install a Sub floor (if needed)
  • Installing the Hardwood Floor
  • Installing the Baseboards
  • Clean Up

Preparing your Space for a New hardwood Floor

This portion is definitely a possible do it your self part of the work, however many people will opt to have someone do this for them so it is included in the estimate. You will need to ask for preparation to be included and you will need to be specific about what you want done.

  • Moving furniture to another room
  • Removing all wall hangings and pictures from the room
  • Removal of current floor covering including carpet & under pad
  • Disposal of carpet and under pad
  • Clean up of bare floor, vacuum of the floor and the hot air vents
  • Removal of any staples or nails that may be protruding

Choosing your Hardwood Floor Material

We will not say too much here about the material other than the obvious. You will need to purchase sufficient material for the area you are covering with some extra due to bad cuts etc. There are so many possible materials that all we can say is select something that is durable and is pre-finished to minimize the work and the upkeep once installed.

Installing a Sub floor (if needed)

As part of your hardwood floor installation estimate,  most installations will need a sub floor installed to minimize squeaks when people walk across the floor. This is usually half inch plywood that is screw nailed into the existing floor. At the minimum, you will want to screw nail the existing floor to all joists to minimize the possibility of any squeaks once the hardwood is installed.

Installing the Hardwood Floor

A reputable installed can install the floor for you, including the unfinished baseboards. Always obtain several estimates as well as references from people you trust before accepting one company or another’s estimate.

Installing the Baseboards

Your estimate should also include installation of the baseboards to completely finish the room. The baseboards may only have the primer coat on them and you will be expected to apply the final coat of paint unless this is something that you also would like included in your estimate.

Clean Up

Installing a hard wood floor creates a lot of mess. Also a lot of dust not only outside but inside your home as well. Consumers can definitely do all of the clean up inside of your home. However the contractor should be doing a minimum cleanup. For example removing all unused pieces and vacuuming all dust from inside your home in the work areas.

Before you move the furniture back into the room, all of the walls and the floor need to be thoroughly cleaned. Remove all dust that was created. If you had someone move the furniture out of the room initially, make sure you complete all dust removal before moving the furniture back into the room.

There is lots of work that the home owner can take on themselves. Including even the installation of the hard wood. It is important to be clear when you are asking for a hardwood floor installation estimate what is to be included and what is not included in the estimate.

Comments are welcome about your estimates of hardwood floor installation and how you may have saved some money.

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Get A Good Deal On A New Hardwood Floor

Good Deal On A New Hardwood FloorMost people would like to get the best deal they can on anything they purchase. That includes hardwood floors.  When we wanted to put a new hardwood floor in our house , we did not take the first offer that came along. We wanted to get a good deal on a new hardwood floor. We spent a lot of time getting to know the various kinds of wood. Also what we wanted to install in our home. We also discuss warranties and installers.

How many installations they had completed, when would the start and when would they finish. We wanted to make sure that once they started the job, they stayed until the hardwood flooring job was completed.

Once we knew exactly what we wanted, the next step was to find the deals that were available for both the hardwood as well as the installation. While it takes more time, look at it this way. The money you save is after tax dollars that you are paying yourself. The money you save can be used for something else that you really want to get as well. In addition and even more important, making sure that you hire a great hardwood floor installer is vitally important. A good deal is not a good deal when the floor is not installed properly. Some consumers will try to do their own installation work. For information on general do it yourself issues, consider reading more about, Do It Yourself Projects.

Good Deal On A New Hardwood Floor – Contractor Sales

We started looking  for ‘contractor sales’ at places like Home Depot and Lowe’s. This is a great little tip that we’re able to come up with through a little research. The real question is whether these are really ‘contractor’ sales. Or whether they are closer to ‘extra inventory’ sales events which are used to get people into the stores to buy other products.

Guess what? Who cares? Discount sales are your friends no matter how they are labeled. The larger the discount you can get on your new hardwood floors, the better. Use these sales to your advantage and call the stores directly to find out when they are being held. Or just check often with one of the guys working the floor.

If you do take advantage of one of these sales and it is the end of the inventory, make sure you buy enough to do your complete floor to avoid not being able to buy that last piece to finish the floor or to buy flooring with a slightly different stain. Ask for quotes that are written down and if another store has the same flooring you are looking at let them know you have a quote and even show them your quote. They know at that point if they want to obtain your business, they have to give you a better price or lose the deal.

Look for Online discounts

Read up on “discount hardwood floors” on the web.  There are literally a ton of different data options available for people who are looking for discount hardwood floors. Personally I like to talk to a real person when I am making these kinds of decisions, however the web can really help to educate you so that you know all of the right questions to ask.

One thing to remember when you are negotiating a combined price for the floor and installation, is to go with a fixed price so that there are no surprises once the work is completed.

In fact, just because something is discount doesn’t necessarily mean that it is of substandard quality. It just means that you are getting a better deal due to extra inventory, the store trying to drive sales or discounts the store received from the supplier who is trying to drive sales up. Discount is your friend when shopping for anything including different parts of your house.

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Hardwood Floor Costs

hardwood floor costsSo you have decided that you want to install a new hardwood floor. Your old carpets are beginning to look pretty grungy, matted and generally just not nice. Being the smart consumer you are, you have requested several quotes from several stores which also include installation. You have no idea what Hardwood Floor Costs are until you begin looking at various quotations.

You have just received your first estimate and are suffering from sticker shock from the cost estimate to place a hardwood floor in your home. Now what to do, should you go back to carpet or take the plunge and go for hardwood flooring? Most people do not realize is that there are parts of a hardwood floor that are more expensive than others. It is important to identify these areas and make a decision regarding what you want to do in these specific areas,  especially if you’re cost conscious.

Stairs are Expensive

For example one of the most expensive portions of a hardwood floor are the stairs. Most people will want to continue their hardwood floor up the stairs and into the upstairs hallway and bedrooms. Even a straight stair is more expensive per square foot, while a stairway that is curved will drive up the cost considerably.Many people avoid placing hardwood on the stairs due to cost, but also due to a concern about the floor being more slippery. They are afraid they may slip and fall down the stairs. From many years of walking up and down stairs with hard wood on them , we can say that you adapt and are just as sure footed on these stairs as we would be on carpeted stairs.

So if you are at all counting your pennies, consider leaving the stairs covered in carpet that blends well with the hardwood floor that you have placed in other areas of your home. You could  also place a carpet runner on the hardwood stairs, however we think this kind of defeats the purpose.

Hardwood Floor Costs

Another significant cost area is the labor that is required to install your hardwood floor.  Typically, installers will charge equivalent dollars for installation to the cost of the material. Floors that are rectangular, with lots of straight stretches are easy to install. Floors with lots of doorways, curves or fancy patterns just take longer to install due to the cutting and fitting that is required. Installers may increase their charges somewhat to accommodate this extra work. Take this aspect into account when you are making decisions about the design of your hardwood floor.

You may also want to consider installing the floor yourself. Take a course at a local renovation store, such as Home Depot, and do the installation yourself. Not only will you save lots of money, you will be able to afford to do some of the other renovation projects that you planned to do.

Pre-Finished Hardwood Flooring

The final aspect we want to mention is whether to install pre-finished hardwood flooring or non finished hardwood flooring. This is very much a pricing issue and consumers should obtain several quotes before they make a decision. However there is one other critical issue. A pre-finished hardwood floor can be installed rapidly and be finished in several days or less, while a natural hardwood floor is going to take several weeks due to installation, sanding and finishing activities.For my money and time, pre-finished hardwood floors are the only way to proceed.

Although sanding generates lots of dust, so does the installation of any hardwood floor. The process of nailing seems to dislodge dust on the floor and even  if you vacuum ahead of time there is still lots of dust you cannot get to. If you do decide to sand a floor, always use a dustless sander which has a vacuum attached and expels the dust outside the home into a bag that contains all of the dust generated by the sander.


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