Hardwood Flooring 101

Whether you're doing it yourself or you're hiring a professional installer, learning the basics of hardwood flooring can help you make an informed decision before you buy and prevent costly mistakes from occurring. It's not all about elbow grease-it takes some careful planning and these basics of hardwood flooring to get the job done right, cost effectively and completed in a timely manner.

Labor Costs

Hardwood floor installation costs will vary widely depending on your region, how far the materials have to be shipped and whether or not you hire a hardwood flooring contractor. Hiring a hardwood flooring expert can be done in one of two ways. Through the retailer where you bought the materials or a subcontractor that you hire on your own. By hiring a subcontractor from your retailer may save you time, provide certain warranties on labor and materials or give you a discount on the materials supplies, but the labor may cost more.

Material Costs

Since some materials are more cost effective than others, it can easily affect your installation costs. Cheaper flooring like floating floors use a thin veneer that does not attach directly to the floor and rests on a thin pad between the veneer and the subfloor, while solid hardwood is much more costly. Installation methods make the price vary as well. Nail down flooring, glue down flooring and staple down flooring all change the costs of hardwood flooring installation.

Disposal Fees

Unless you're disposing of all of the old and new debris yourself, expect this to be added to the overall costs. Carpet must be disposed of properly and can significantly add to the price. Baseboards and trim may need to be replaced and can add to the price of hardwood flooring installation.

Outsourcing

More often than not, moving items like appliances, water pipes or electrical outlets is going to add to the price of your installation. These tasks typically aren't performed by a flooring crew so you may need to hire additional subcontractors to get the job done correctly. Most installers will not repair damage to paint or trim, so painters are often required to touch up the job. Typically, flooring heights change when hardwood is installed so door must be trimmed to work properly, so hiring a trim carpenter is probably another added cost to your hardwood floor. In extreme cases, the subfloor may need to be repaired or replaced, further adding to the cost of your hardwood floor.