Wooden flooring has become a household favourite for a number of reasons. It’s especially used in living rooms and hallways because it has a great appearance, is hardwearing and doesn’t have to break the bank either.
The good news with wooden flooring is that there are seemingly endless possibilities catering to people of all tastes and budgets. From walnut, to ash, to oak, there are a number of materials you can pick between, with all kinds of budgets suitable.
In the wooden floor market there are three different wooden flooring types used domestically:
- Laminate flooring
Laminate flooring has a sheet of photographic wood on top of ground mounted MDF to resemble the real thing. It’s easily the cheapest option available to you and prices can start as low as £3 per square metre. Laminate is built to be scratch resistant but if damaged it’s non-repairable.
- Engineered wood flooring
Engineered wood is made from layers of wood fibres which are then fused together. Manufactured this way, the flooring is very strong and durable, even giving the impression of real wood. Manufacturers say this type of flooring can be used in bathrooms too because of its hardwearing qualities.
- Solid wood flooring
As you would expect, this is the real deal. Solid wood flooring is made from natural planks of timber and is nailed to your floor. It is possible for newer installations to be placed on top of underlay however. Solid wooden flooring is the most expensive option, but with the price you benefit from a highly durable and aesthetically pleasing finish.
The cost of wooden flooring in [phpmu snippet=3]
Prices for wooden flooring are normally given per square metre. You’ll be looking at costs starting from £22 per square metre for solid wood, £14 per square metre for engineered wood and £7 per square metre for laminate (although cheap options could be as little as £3). These are the cheapest options available though and better quality alternatives will set you back more. Of course, shopping around is the best way of getting the top price available.
Installing wood flooring
Wooden flooring is always best fitted by a professional in the industry because it’s so easy to make a mistake and end up ruining your installation. However, laminate flooring tends to be the easiest to fit because it can be clicked together.
To get an idea of wooden floor fitting prices it’s recommended to double the price per square metre to get a rough cost. For a 4m x 4m square room with solid wooden flooring at £25 per square metre you’ll pay £400. Then double this for fitting costs and you’re looking at £800.
Installing laminate flooring is easy; it is usually sold as a ‘click together product’. In contrast, engineered and solid wood flooring requires a high level of competence to install, so this is best left to a professional.
Generally, for fitting prices, it is wise to double the price per sq meter to accommodate fitting which can be very expensive. Even in a 4mx4m room, solid wood flooring at £25 psm would cost £400, which when doubled to accommodate fitting, costs £800.