Wood flooring can fit virtually any budget. While there are many products and styles that some might consider exclusive or high ticket, there are others that are quite modest by nearly anyone’s lifestyle or means.

Some Comparisons:

For the most part, pricing begins with the most common commodity and that’s almost always oak. Oak has been the traditional wood species in North America (and most of Europe) for a very long time. Today, unlike even a few short years ago, wood flooring can be found in hundreds of different wood species. Still, oak is the standard and pricing begins there.

The most economical size or width will generally be the most common size, 2-1/4 inches. Plank flooring (boards 3 inches or wider) is more expensive than standard strip flooring. The wider the boards, the more costly the product and most professionals will argue the more difficult (or at least potentially hazardous) the installation.

Board lengths are also a determinant to cost. Random length flooring is the most common. This is flooring that consists of a mixture of random segments. Random lengths generally mean boards 8 or 9 inches up to about 7 feet or a little longer. Boards longer than this or flooring with an average length of more than 3 to 4 feet will cost more money. Shorts (random lengths from 8 to 18 inches) can be less expensive but are often more difficult to find and more expensive to install. In Europe and many other parts of the World, flooring boards come in varying lengths but the lengths are fixed not random. For example, a wood flooring order made off shore may come to you with lengths of 8”, 14”, 20”, 26” and 32” (only in centimeters not inches). These products create a more repetitive appearance than those made from random lengths. With fixed lengths, flooring board ends line up every other row or every third row similar to decking, siding or similar materials where fixed lengths are required for nailing.

Red oak species (abundant in America) were more frequently sought after for more than a century here in North America mostly because they were not as prized and therefore less expensive than the more dense and more stable white oak species abundant in many other parts of the world as well as here. White oak was valued not only for it’s strength but also for it’s beauty. White oak stains and finishes more uniformly than red oak and unlike red oak which is quite porous in contrast, it’s tyloses-filled pores make it ideal for wooden boat building and barrel making. A common ploy of mine when demonstrating to students some of the differences between red and white oak species is to blow bubbles into a container of liquid soap through a long red oak dowel. This is nearly impossible with a white oak. Ironically, the demand for red oak flooring has driven its price above that of most white oak flooring in recent years.

Lower more rustic and less uniform grades of flooring are generally less expensive than higher and more clean-looking products. Mixed cuts and plain sawn flooring cost less than consistent rift sawn or quarter sawn products. Lower grade products will exhibit more color variances, more knots and have a generally more “rough” or textured appearance.

In other words, terms or descriptions such as flooring that is wide, long, clear, consistent, uniform, character free, rift sawn or quarter sawn will likely make such products more expensive. While terms such as narrow, short, lots of character, texture, color and generally inconsistent will generally refer to products that are fairly economical.

Some examples of high-ticket items relative to standard wood flooring other than clear, long, wide, rift/quarter cut planks are exotic species, reclaimed or antique products, patterned floors (like parquets and herringbones), bordered, inlaid and hand scraped products as well as ornate medallions.

Laser and computer technology now allows even beginners or those new to wood flooring to boast about their expertise with pictures of installations they’ve done using laser cut medallions or borders cut with computerized routers. This is similar to pictures made from paint by number technology. Those with an eye for detail or quality can easily detect the difference. Of course time and a shifting foundation will eventually provide clear evidence who’s what and where but the majority of folks still laugh off the difference in cost (which is usually substantial) with “let the next guy worry about it”.

Laminates:

Nothing against plastic as plastic has its place but not as flooring (at least in my world). Our shop sold laminates (or plastic laminates as they are commonly called in the trade) when they first came out for flooring. It was hard not to sell them with the huge profit margin they give to the seller. After several months we stopped. We were getting nearly a 25% complaint to sale ratio. Laminates created a name for themselves as countertops years ago. The big problem then is even a bigger problem now. What about the seams? Every seam is a potential disaster waiting to happen. When using plastic laminates for countertops you attempt to eliminate as many seams as possible and where you have a seam, make absolutely sure each one is very well sealed. Any water that gets into a seam will mean the laminate will lift, chip or peel. Even though laminates are fairly dent and scratch resistant, the only way to get rid of a scratch is to replace the entire sheet. Now, create a floor out of hundreds possibly thousands of pieces with a seam around all four sides. If you think your laminate floor is bullet proof, just read your warranty very carefully. You’ll get the picture.

~Don Bollinger