Installing wood flooring

But upgrading to hardwood floors is expensive, even if you do it yourself. And the final cost is usually much more than the square-foot price that’s advertised. If you’ve tried to calculate how much wood floors will cost based on the ads in the paper, you’re in for a shock.

Of course, prices vary by region, but if you take a few things into account, you should be able to make an educated guess about how much it will cost to upgrade to wood flooring. Once you have an idea, you’ll know whether it’s worth your time to start shopping or not.

Bear in mind that, unlike carpeting, wood floors will last for generations if properly cared for. So you’ll be amortizing the investment over many years. And many flooring companies offer interest-free financing for 12 months and other payment options. They realize that wood flooring is a big purchase that many customers may want help with.

The square-foot price of the wood is just the start. In addition to that, there are other supplies and labor, which will vary based on how the floor is installed.

Wood flooring supply costs.

If you’re lucky enough to have a wood sub floor, you won’t need anything more but some felt paper and some nails or staples. If you’re having your floor installed, these will usually be included in the price of labor. If you’re doing it yourself, figure around $50 for a box of 7,000 staples and ten cents per square foot for the felt paper.

The cost of renting a stapler or nail gun is usually pretty reasonable.

Those without a wood sub floor will incur some additional expense, especially if the floor is to be floated. An underlayment, which can run from 25 cents to $1.50 per square foot will be needed to cushion and insulate the new flooring.

Wood flooring installation

If you have concrete floors, you’ll probably want to use engineered wood flooring that can be glued down. The cost of glue runs from 50 cents to $1.00 per square foot. To be on the safe side, add $1.00 to the price of the wood. Gluing wood flooring often takes longer than nailing it down, so your labor costs may be higher too.

Moisture protection, which is often needed with concrete floors, can add another $1 to $2 per square foot to the cost.

In addition to the floor boards, you’ll need to buy some trim to finish off the floor. If you want quarter-round molding in the same wood and finish as the flooring, this can run as much as $5 a lineal foot. Because there’s waste, it takes more than you think. Your flooring company can help you calculate how much you’ll need.

Wood flooring labor costs.

The cost to install your floor can vary a lot depending on where you live, who installs the floor, and how difficult or easy your specific situation is. If you’re having a full-service dealer install your wood flooring, figure between $2 – $4 a square foot.

The price should include having the wood delivered to your home and stacked, removing the existing flooring, prepping the sub floor, installing the flooring, installing all the trim, cleaning up, and hauling away all the debris. Most installers will move your furniture out and back in once as part of the installation process.

All in, a good-quality, pre-finished wood floor will probably cost between $8 and $12 per square foot, or about $1,200 – $1,800 for a 12’ x 12’ room installed. Bamboo or laminate wood flooring will cost less. Premium hardwoods like cherry will cost more.

Before making a commitment, make sure everything is spelled out in writing so there are no unpleasant surprises.

Reducing the cost of wood flooring.

Buying the wood and getting it to your home yourself will bring down the price, and paying cash will sometimes save you another 2 or 3%. Using inexpensive pine molding and adhesive or staples from your local home store will bring the cost down even more. And installing it on your own will probably get the price to about $6 or $7 a square foot, depending on the flooring, where you live, and the competition in your area.

Learn how to install wood flooring here.

Installing wood flooring Image Flickr: j2davis2005
Wood flooring installation Image Flickr: Steve & Jan Cornwell

Laying laminate wood flooring

For circumstances like these, laminate wood flooring may be a better choice.  It looks like wood flooring, but it’s less expensive, more durable, easier to install, and better suited to high-traffic areas.

Nowadays, there’s a huge selection of laminate wood flooring to choose from.  Virtually every color, finish, and wood grain is available.  You can even buy wide planks, if that’s the look you want.  In addition to wood, laminates also duplicate tile, slate, and stone flooring.

Laminate wood flooring resists moisture

Laminate wood flooring consists of a top layer made of melamine resin, which is extremely durable.  It resists scratches, stains, fading, and water damage better than natural wood.   The core can be anywhere from 6mm to 12mm thick.  The thicker the core, the better the floor.  Look for one that’s been treated to make it water repellant. And make sure the joints have a coating of wax to keep moisture from ever reaching the core.

Some people don’t care for the sound of laminate floors.  Investing in a thicker core will make them sound more like real wood flooring.

Two kinds of laminate wood flooring are available – High Pressure Laminates (HPL) and Direct Pressure Laminates (DPL).  Because HPL takes two steps to glue and fuse the layers together, it costs more to produce than DPL, which is manufactured in a single step.  As a rule, HPL costs more, wears better, and lasts longer than DPL.

HPL also has greater moisture protection in the tongue-and-groove system that joins the boards together.   This will help prevent the seams from swelling when humidity is high.

Laminate wood flooring is designed to be floated over an existing floor, which means that you can use it over almost anything – vinyl, concrete, or plywood.  Because it’s not glued down or nailed to the subfloor, it’s easy to install.  In fact, most do it yourselfers can achieve good results on their own.  You just need to make sure that the floor you’re going on top of is level and smooth.

A thin padding is laid over the existing floor and then the laminate boards lock together with a tongue and groove system.    Molding in a matching finish is easy to cut and install.

Once they’re installed, laminated floors are very easy to take care of.  They never need to be waxed or polished and a dust mop is usually all that’s needed to clean them.

Read more about engineered wood flooring here.

Laying laminate wood flooring Image Flickr: Hendricks Photos

Laminate wood flooring resists moisture Image Flickr: John Loo

Rated 1010 on the Janka hardness scale, walnut isn’t as hard as oak, but it has something else going for it. It’s color. Why should that matter? These days, you can apply a walnut finish to almost any wood and end up with something that is about the same color. So what’s the big deal about walnut’s deep, chocolate brown hue.

There are two things. First of all, because the color of walnut is natural and not applied, each of the planks in your walnut floor will be subtly different. This will give your walnut floors a depth and richness you wouldn’t have with another species that was finished to look like walnut. It’s like the difference between dyed hair and natural hair.

Black Walnut

The other advantage to walnut flooring is that because the color is natural, it goes all the way through. So scratches, dents, and other mars hardly show. When finished with a satin finish, walnut floors continue to look good after years or normal wear and tear. If your floors are damaged, you probably won’t need to refinish them because what’s under the surface looks the same as the surface.

Walnut has quite a bit of color variation. The sapwood is a grayish white, while the heartwood is a warm, rich brown. Some older growth even appears purple streaks that are almost black. You should look for wood that is uniformly dark and has a straight, open grain.

Sometimes, stumps are cut into veneer that has a burled grain, which is unsuitable for flooring. Some trees that grow in poor soil twist as they grow, resulting in a curly grain that can add some visual interest to your floors. Walnut flooring will darken with age and develop a lustrous patina.

It’s available as solid wood and engineered wood flooring. And because it’s very stable, it’s good to use over radiant heating systems.

If you’re looking for something unusual and dramatic for your home, American black walnut has a lot to offer.

Read about other types of domestic hardwoods here.

Black Walnut Image Flickr: heyerin

Hardwood floors can last for decades, even centuries, under the right circumstances. Or they can need refinishing – or worse yet, replacing – in a relatively short period of time. So how can you make sure that the wood flooring you choose will provide beauty and utility for years to come?

Although virtually all wood will scratch, some wood is much more resistant to scratching and other wear. One of the most important aspects determining wear is the hardness of the wood.

Wood hardness is evaluated using a measurement called the Janka Scale. It measures how much force it takes to press a .444” steel ball into the wood until it reaches half its diameter.

This calculation translates into a number that represents the pounds per square inch of force required to embed the ball. Most often, the ball is pushed into the side of the plank, resulting in a measurement of the “side hardness.” But sometimes, the end of the wood is also tested. The result of this measurement would be “end hardness,” which is obviously less important for wood flooring.

The results are expressed differently in different countries, so if you’re comparing results, make sure they’re all stated the same way.

The higher the number, the greater the wood’s ability to resist dents and other wear. It also indicated how hard the wood will be to saw and nail. Some wood that would be great in terms of wear would be very difficult to install. So if you’ve chosen extremely hard wood for your floors, you may want to leave the installation to a professional.

There are several other factors that affect wear, especially if you’re using engineered wood flooring. The thickness of the top layer, the material used in the core, and the direction of the grain will all make a difference.

The more traffic you expect in a room, the higher the Janka rating you should consider. With a Janka score of 690, Southern Yellow Pine is not a great choice for high-wear areas. A high-heeled shoe, dog paw, or pebble stuck in a sole could easily damage a pine floor.

Red Oak, the most popular American wood flooring, has a Janka score of 1290. And it’s durable enough to work well in most situations. If you need something more wear resistant, hard maple scores 1450. It’s used for basketball courts and bowling alleys. Santos Mahogany scores 2200; Brazilian Cherry scores 2345; and Brazilian Walnut scores 3680.

Although there are exceptions, the harder woods are often more expensive.

Understanding the Janka Scale and the importance of hardness in wood flooring will help you select a floor that performs beautifully in your home.

Read more about hardwoods here.

Most of the reclaimed boards that are used in wood flooring today are over 100 years old and were originally used in barns, farmhouses, and other construction in American northeast and midwest.  Typically, timber flooring planks are wider than most of today’s flooring.  In fact, widths of 10″, 12” and even wider are common.

Around the turn of the 20th century, builders weren’t often choosing lumber for its appearance.  So not much first grade or clear wood was used for flooring. As a result, these old boards have lots of imperfections like knots , cracks, and uneven or coarse grains.  This is all part of what makes timber floors one of a kind.  No two boards are alike.

Because wood is a sustainable product and reclaimed wood is recycled from a previous use, timber flooring is also ecologically responsible.

The most common reclaimed woods are red and white oak — still the most popular woods for flooring today.  Oak is hard, even grained, and works well in almost any situation.  Because it’s readily available, it also has the advantage of being more affordable than some other species.

Not all reclaimed flooring is hardwood.  In fact, softwoods like eastern white pine, hemlock, and Douglas fir make beautiful wood floors, those are less durable than hardwoods.  The color ranges from light to dark brown, and older boards have a rich patina.  These make especially popular timber floors for kitchens and family rooms.

Although it’s technically a softwood, heart pine is almost as soft as oak. In fact, it’s the hardest softwood.  There are usually lots of knots and coarse grain.  And the pale, golden color sets off furniture and area rugs.  It was originally used in docks and warehouses, so it’s quite rustic and creates an informal, casual room.

One of the most widely planted share trees after the Civil War, the American elm is pale with a tight, straight grain.  Most of the trees were wiped out by Dutch Elm Disease, so supply of Elm is limited.  But it makes a less rustic timber floor than most other reclaimed woods.

If you can find it, old chestnut is one of the most desirable reclaimed wood for timber flooring.  A fungal blight in the early 20th century wiped out American chestnut, so the supply is scarce.  Not only is chestnut extremely durable, it has a rich, dark color that only comes with age.

Several small lumber and flooring companies sell timber flooring.  If you can’t see the actual boards before you purchase them, be prepared for the color and texture to be different from the samples in the showroom.

Read more about antique oak flooring here.

How do you know when it’s time to refinish your oak flooring? The finish will start to lose its luster and you’ll see lots of superficial scratches on the surface. The next step is figuring out what kind of finish your floor has now. Because you’ll need to use the same kind when you refinish your oak floors.

Can I refinish my wood floors myself?

Refinishing hardwoods floor isn’t hard. But it is messy because it produces a lot of sawdust. And if you use an oil-based polyurethane, the fumes can be pretty noxious. So if you have respiratory problems, it’s probably best to hire professionals to refinish your floors.

Professionals usually charge between $1.50 and $3.00 per square foot. That price should include materials.

If you do tackle it yourself, you’ll need to rent a sander or two, buy sandpaper, miscellaneous supplies like tack cloth, and whatever stain or finishes you choose.

No special skills are required. But you will need to take care in order to get results that you’ll be happy with for years to come.

Sanding your oak flooring.

First, empty the room, removing all furniture, carpets, window treatments, etc. Remove the nails from any baseboards or quarter round, and take them off. To make them easier to reinstall, number them and put the corresponding number on the wall.

Go over the wood flooring and remove or countersink any nails, carpet tacks or staples. These can tear the paper you use to sand the floors – which is annoying, because you have to stop work, and expensive, because it wastes sandpaper.

Once your room is prepared, your next stop is the equipment rental store. There are several types of sanders you can rent. A drum sander is the choice of professionals, but they can be hard to control. And if you don’t keep them moving they can sand down one spot so quickly that it will leave a dip in your floor. Or worse, remove the entire veneer.

An orbital sander is easier for beginners to manage. Have the person you rent the sander from demostrate it for you and make sure you’re comfortable with it before you leave the shop. Most big sanders won’t reach all the way to the edge of the floor, so rent an edging machine or a palm sander for the hard-to-reach spots.

You’ll need several grades of sandpaper, usually 36-, 60-, 80-, 100-, and 120-. Start with the coarsest (36). Run the sander back and forth with the grain in smooth, even strokes. Always keep the sander moving when it’s turned on. Otherwise, you may sand one area too deeply. And be sure to use a respirator every time you sand.

When you finish sanding your wood floor, vacuum up all the sawdust with a shop vac, and go over the floor with a tack cloth to make sure all the dust has been removed. Then, repeat the process with every grade of sandpaper. By the time you get down to the 120-grade, your oak floor should be soft as a baby’s bottom.

Use the edger or palm sander to prepare the parts your couldn’t reach with the bigger sander. Then, clean the floor as thoroughly as you can, removing any remaining dust. The cleaner you get the wood, the better the finish will be.

Finishing your oak floors.

If you want a shade that’s darker than the natural color of your wood flooring, you’ll need to apply a stain. For subtle changes, apply the stain with a rag. For a more dramatic difference, use a brush and remove the excess with rags. Do a test in the back of a closet or some other inconspicuous place to make sure you like the color.

Let the stain dry completely. Then apply a second coat if you want more color.

Otherwise, you can start applying the polyurethane finish. There are two main types of polyurethane used for finishing hardwood floors: oil-based polyurethane and water-based polyurethane.

Oil-based is a little easier to work with because it takes longer to dry, so it’s easier to blend and go over any mistakes. It yellows a little with age. The downside is that the fumes can be quite strong. Water-based product dries very quickly, which can sometimes result in streaks where wet polyurethane was applied over partially dried finish.

Stir the polyurethane well, don’t shake it – that can cause bubbles that will end up in the finish. Then apply it evenly with a brush or roller. Go with the grain, working as quickly as you can.

When the first coat has dried thoroughly, sand lightly with the finest grade of sandpaper and then apply another coat. Wait at least three days before reattaching the baseboards and moving furniture and rugs back into the room. Then, sit back and enjoy the renewed beauty of your wood flooring.

Read about finishes for wood flooring here.

Because wood and water do not mix, wood is a poor choice for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other settings with a lot of moisture.  Wood floors will fade in direct sunlight.  And although the cost can be amortized over a lifetime of use, wood flooring is very expensive.

Vinyl flooring, on the other hand, is ideal for areas where spills are common.  It’s easy to install and care for.  Although it’s very durable, it’s kinder to your feet and your glassware than hardwood floors.  And best of all, compared to wood flooring, vinyl floors are really inexpensive.

Types of vinyl flooring.

There are two main kinds of vinyl flooring.  Inlaid vinyl floors are impregnated with color granules that are baked into the material.  This results in a richer color that resists fading.  Printed vinyl flooring applies ink to the top of a sheet of blank vinyl.  So over time, the pattern may wear and the color may fade.

Vinyl flooring comes in a variety of thicknesses with different backings.  Some vinyl flooring is backed with felt, and others are backed with another layer of vinyl.  The main difference is in how the flooring is installed.  

Sheet vinyl comes in rolls that are 6’ or 12’ wide.  The sheets are cut to length after the room is measured.  Vinyl tiles come in either 12” or 18” squares.  Self-adhesive vinyl tiles are a snap to install.  And if one if damaged, it’s easy to replace.   The squares can also be mixed and matched to create an interesting pattern.

Caring for vinyl floors.  

Most vinyl flooring has a no-wax surface, so all that’s required to keep them looking good is occasional dusting and going over them with a damp mop from time to time.  One of the key advantages to vinyl floors is that spills can simply be wiped up.  If you’ve ever dropped a plate of spaghetti, you know what a benefit this is.

If you’re installing vinyl floors in a high-traffic area, upgrade to a floor with a urethane surface coating.  This will reduce scuffs and scratches more than the basic no-wax finish.  For commercial settings, vinyl flooring with an enhanced-urethane wear layer will provide even more scuff resistance.

There are products made specifically for cleaning vinyl floors available in the cleaning aisle of your local grocery store.  In most cases, they are added to the mop water and don’t need to be rinsed.

If you don’t want to wait a century for your oak floors to get that gorgeous luster, you can buy antique floors that have been salvaged from old barns in the American northeast and mid-Atlantic states. 

In addition to the rich finish, antique oak flooring usually has some nail holes, saw marks, and cracks that add even more character.  There may even be worm holes and other traces of insects.

Because barn builders weren’t concerned with appearance, the oak they used was a lower grade than what most home builders use today for flooring.  So the wood originally had more knots and coarse grain patterns than clear grade lumber would have.   Some board may have a beautiful ripple-grain effect known as “tigering.”  All in all, these little peccadilloes  make antique oak flooring truly unique.

With antique flooring, no two floors, or even boards, will be exactly alike. 

Uneven sizes also add to the appeal.

Unlike traditional wood floors which usually have planks that are all the same width, antique wood floors often use planks ranging in width from 3” to 12”.  The boards are often random in length as well.  And since the original finish is uneven – giving the boards much less uniform color than a traditional wood floor – antique wood flooring makes a strong statement.

Instead of the neutral palette provided by a new, red or white oak floor, an antique oak floor will provide lots of drama and visual interest.

Since most antique oak floor boards are a little uneven, most have beveled edges to minimize the differences.  Another option is to buy boards with a worn edge that replicates the wear that would occur naturally over decades of use.

Although the old boards are milled to modern specifications with tongue-and-groove joinery, those looking for an even more rustic look can use visible square-head nails to install the boards.

Where to use antique oak flooring.  

Conventional oak floors can be used to enhance virtually any decorating style, adding warmth to modern interiors or sophistication to traditional ones.  Antique oak floors work best with early American, country, rustic, or lodge-style decors.

Because genuine antique wood flooring is recycled, it’s environmentally responsible too.  Most reclaimed flooring is solid, but some manufactures offer an engineered antique wood floor which is suitable to use over concrete sub floors.

Learn more about conventional wood flooring.  Or learn more about oak flooring.

Aside from the appearance, which is elegant and sophisticated, what attracts most people to bamboo floors is bamboo’s renewability.  Unlike hardwoods that can take up to 150 years to mature, bamboo reaches maturity in five to seven years.

What’s more, harvesting doesn’t kill the plant. The root system remains intact and after the stalk is cut, new shoots sprout up. 

Harvesting the bamboo stalks. 

Bamboo is harvested by hand when it’s  mature.  The stalks are put through a machine that splits them, cuts them all to the same length, removes the knuckles or knots, and peels off the skin. 

Bamboo should be harvested during the lower-moisture season — fall or winter.  Bamboo that’s cut down in summer may end up splitting when it’s dried because of the higher moisture content.   And the stalks should be processed right after cutting to prevent the growth of mold. 

To kill off insects, starches, and sugars, the strips are boiled in water and preservatives.   After boiling, the strips are air dried and then kiln dried for up to five days to reduce the moisture content.  A moisture content greater than 10% could result in boards that crack or ripple in dry climates. 

Bamboo is naturally a beautiful, pale color.  But carbonization can be used to darken the wood if a darker colored bamboo floor is desired.  Steam heats the bamboo until the sugar in it caramelizes, resulting in warm, amber color.  The steaming process softens the bamboo, so generally speaking, the lighter the bamboo, the harder it will be and the better it will wear. 

Making solid bamboo flooring.

After the boards are produced, they’re graded, and the strips are glued together — 15 strips face up for horizontal flooring and 19 strips side by side for vertical floors.   The strips are heated and pressed together to form boards called blanks. 

Most bamboo flooring is made in China, where formaldehyde-based glue is often used in the manufacturing process.  These bamboo floors can emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can cause health problems.   Reputable manufactures ensure that their flooring complies with safety standards.  Inexpensive flooring may not be in compliance. 

The blanks are cut to the desired length and then milled into floor boards with tongue and groove edges.   A sanding belt is used to smooth out the boards and give them a uniform surface. 

Before being shipped, the boards are coated, usually with an aluminum-oxide urethane finish. 

Making strand-woven bamboo flooring.

Bamboo that’s over 50 feet tall is referred to as timber.  It’s used to make strand-woven bamboo flooring.  The timber is shredded, and the fibers are bonded together with an adhesive resin under extreme pressure.   The fiber mixture is molded into blocks which are later milled into boards.

Strand-woven bamboo flooring is not only beautiful and distinctive, it’s some of the hardest, most durable flooring you can buy.  In fact, it has twice the hardness of red oak. 

Learn more about the different types of bamboo flooring here.

A horizontal bamboo floor will show the knuckles or nodes that appear every foot or so in the bamboo stalk.   This gives the flooring a very distinctive look.  To make horizontal flooring, 1” strips are laid face up and then glued together.   The boards are then milled to size, usually around 3-½” wide. 

Because the knuckles are less apparent, vertical bamboo flooring has a more uniform, even grain and a more refined look.  It’s comprised of 19 strips of bamboo, placed side by side and then laminated together.  

Solid bamboo flooring.

While other solid wood flooring like oak or maple is made from a single piece of wood, solid bamboo flooring is actually made of pieces of bamboo that have been laminated together — either horizontally or vertically, as discussed above. 

Usually about 5/8” thick, solid bamboo flooring can either be nailed or glued down.   This is a key difference from solid wood flooring, which has to be nailed down.

Woven bamboo flooring.

For high-traffic areas where extra hardness is desirable, woven or strand-woven bamboo floors are a good option.  To make woven flooring, timber bamboo — stalks that are 50’ or taller — is shredded into fibers or strands, bonded together with resin, and then molded into blocks. 

When the resin has set, the blocks are milled into boards that are usually a little over ½“ thick.  It’s important to know the type of adhesive that was used to bond the strands together.  If it contained urea formaldehyde, it could emit harmful fumes. 

The final product has a hardness of 3000 on the Janka scale, making it more than twice as hard as red oak.  And the grain looks more like conventional wood flooring. 

Woven bamboo flooring can be nailed down or glued.  So you can use it if you have concrete sub floors.  But because of the hardness, it’s difficult to nail and may split if you don‘t pre-drill the holes. 

Engineered bamboo flooring.

Solid wood floors can’t be installed over concrete sub flooring, so engineered wood floors that can be glued down were developed.  Engineered floors are comprised of several layers or plys — a top layer or veneer that’s usually around 1/8” thick, a core, and a base of compressed particle board or plywood.  

To add stability, the grains of the core layer are laid in different directions.  This works fine when the veneer is wood, which can expand and contract with the core.  But because the veneer in engineered bamboo floors is a composite, it may not expand and contract along with the core.  Consequently, the top layer of engineered bamboo floors is more likely to crack than the face of engineered hardwood floors. 

For this reason, engineered bamboo floors are not recommended.   Solid bamboo or woven bamboo are more reliable. 

Bamboo floor color choices.

Bamboo is naturally a lovely, light blonde color.   But a darker color can be produced using a process called carbonization.  Bamboo strips are heated until the sugars in the stalks caramelize, which turns them a warm, amber color. 

The carbonization process softens the bamboos, so darker bamboo floors aren’t suitable for high-traffic areas or homes with big dogs. 

You can learn more about how bamboo flooring is manufactured here.