Engineered hardwood flooring has been used as a substitute wood flooring globally. An engineered hardwood flooring is composed of two or more layers of wood which has been pushed together to form a very solid wood plank. The top layer usually is made up of lamella which gives off a nice, solid wood look. The cost of engineered wood flooring is relatively cheap compared to a solid plank of wood. The installation and materials are really affordable that is why many use an engineered hardwood instead of a solid one as it almost looks the same.
Cost Of An Engineered Hardwood Flooring
If you are in the process of changing the concept of your old flooring and would like to use hardwood to make your home look cozy but the price of a solid wood is making it not happen for you. Why not try using an engineered hardwood flooring. It looks almost like the solid one but the engineered hardwood flooring cost is really affordable and easy to install. This way you can get the same feel as the solid wood but at a lesser price. Here is the common cost of engineered wood flooring that might interest you:
The first and most important cost that you would need to know is the cost of the engineered hardwood flooring itself. If you have a 120 Sq. feet floor, the average cost of the flooring will be around $340.00 to $450.00. The cost includes the residential, 2mm thick wear layer, 7 coat AlO satin finish above-grade engineered flooring. The price includes the local delivery of the product as well as waste overage.
If you want to know the retail product of an engineered hardwood, you can actually buy them at your local Home Depot and hardware. A Bruce Annadale Turlington American Exotics 5-in W Prefinished Oak Engineered Hardwood Flooring in natural finish costs $4.88 / Sq. Ft. It has a medium-gloss and made up of an engineered oak hardwood plank.
There is also the Mullican Flooring Meadowbrooke 3-in W Prefinished Brazilian Cherry Engineered Hardwood Flooring. It cost a bit more compared to the first product at $6.43 per Sq. Ft. but the look and feel really looks like a real solid wood. Its length is longer than an average hardwood at 12-in – 84-in random lengths. It is made up of 100% wood and has an aluminum-oxide finish.
But if you want a good quality, medium-gloss engineered walnut hardwood plank then you can check out the Hartco Metro Classics 3-in W Prefinished Walnut Engineered Hardwood Flooring in vintage brown. It has a tough urethane finish with aluminum oxide making it durable and can withstand everyday foot traffic. The engineered hardwood flooring cost is $8.40 / Sq. Ft.
Other Cost That Will Affect Your Budget
Aside from the basic material, there are other supplies that you would need to finish this job. You would also need to buy an underlayment which is recommended by your supplier, a fastener, adhesives and surface sealant.
An underlayment usually cost around $14.00 to $70.00 depending on the brand and size. A Blue Hawk 100-sq ft. Premium 0.006-in Flooring Underlayment cost around $14.99 while a Wunderlayment 100-sq ft. Premium 1mm Flooring Underlayment cost $70.00 each roll.
The average cost of the other materials will play around $41.00 to $50.00.
You should also give enough allowance for the renting of equipment in case your contractor does not provide this option in the package. The average rental cost for the equipment will be from $35.00 to $60.00 for a Pneumatic nailer for 1 1/2″ to 2″ nails and up to 3/4″ thick flooring. The rental is for daily basis, so if you need to rent it for another day, you would have to pay extra.
If you already have an installed flooring at your home and needs assistance to remove them first, you will have an option to hire someone to do it for you. The cost for this type of service is $100.00 to $500.00. The price will depend on what flooring needs to be taken out and the service already includes the breaking and hauling of the flooring plus removal and proper disposal of the debris.
Once the new floors are properly in place, you would have to think about all the waste materials left in your home after the project. You can either dispose them yourself or you can hire a professional to dispose of it. The cost of engineered wood flooring disposal will range from $28.00 to $35.00 and will include the hauling of the debris and dispose of them in a legal dump site.
Hiring A Professional Engineered Hardwood Flooring Installer
If you plan to have a professional install the engineered hardwood floor, you would need to know how much the labor would cost. For a 120 Sq. Feet floor the cost of labor will be around $400.00 to $650.00 for a 7-hour job. The cost already includes the installation of the engineered hardwood flooring, underlayment on clean, level subfloor, blind nail wood flooring as well as the cull and blend flooring. Your hired contractor will also be the one to do the planning as well as the purchasing of the materials and renting of equipment. The preparation, as well as the setup and cleaning, are also part of the budget.
Knowing how much you would spend on the materials and the professional fee, it is safe to say that for a 120 Sq feet floor the average cost per Sq. feet will be $8.00 on the cheaper side while it will be $16.00 for the more expensive materials.
How You Can Save On Cost For Your Engineered Hardwood Floor
An engineered hardwood flooring project is really affordable but there are still some ways that you can save more on your flooring project. The engineered hardwood flooring cost is easy on the pocket but who does not want to save extra cash.
Before you even purchase the materials the first you need to do is know your objective. You should have an exact budget for your project, what type of engineered hardwood flooring you would like to use and which part of the house you want to start the project at.
The next thing you need to consider now is the buying of the materials. It would be best if you can get quotes from 3 to 5 shops and check which of them can give you the best option for the cost. You can also go to your local hardware and purchase the materials yourself. Most stores offer discounts for bulk purchases. They can give as much as 10% to 15% if you buy your materials from one store.
Another way to save on cost is to bring the materials from the store to your home without using any delivery service. A delivery service will cost around $50.00 to $150.00 depending on the location of delivery and the products being delivered. If you can fit the materials in your truck then you do not need to hire a delivery service and save on cost.
You can also save a lot of money if you install the flooring yourself. You already know that hiring a professional will cost you around $400.00 to $650.00 and if you install it yourself, you can save a lot and at the same time you can say to yourself that you have finished a home improvement project all by yourself.