Red oak floors add exquisite flair and elegance to your home, making them a worthwhile investment. The red oak wood is known for its warm notes and inviting tone. In addition, red oak wood is a long-lasting option for floorboards that boosts your home’s resale value.
The above are some advantages red oak floors can offer property owners. You can also enjoy these benefits by paying the cost of installing red oak flooring.
This article is a detailed look at how much to install new red oak floors on your Ontario property. Here’s all the info required to plan your budget.
How Much Do Red Oak Wood Floors Cost?
Due to affordability, you can improve the essence of your home with red oak wood floors — the average cost of red oak floors ranges from $3 to $5 per square foot. With red oak wood, you’ll get quality floors at a customer-friendly price.
But, this customer-friendly pricing doesn’t equal inferior quality. Ontario’s best-quality red oak floors offer resilience and durability higher than the average hardwood alternative. Its Janka rating is 1290 and falls within a reasonable region that guarantees durability.
Red oak floors cost less than the high-end and more expensive hardwoods like Tigerwood. Therefore, you’ll not be breaking the bank when purchasing red oak wood.
How Much Does Red Oak Wood Installation Cost?
Once you have the red oak wood, the next logical step is installation. Thankfully, the installation process isn’t too expensive. So, you can have red oak wood in all vital areas of your home in no time.
The price of installing red oak floors is $7 on average. However, it’s essential to know this basic cost doesn’t cover other factors like pattern changing, site preparation and finishing. Therefore, we advise you to plan an extra $3 to $5 per square foot to account for these extra factors.
Related Article: How Much Does It Cost to Install Engineered Hardwood Floor?
Factors Influencing the Cost of Red Oak Wood
Understanding the price of red oak floors isn’t enough to guide your decision. You’ll also have to keep track of other factors affecting the cost of red oak floors.
Then, you can take advantage of these factors and minimize your overall spending.
Get Multiple Estimates
Before you start, you should get estimated prices of red oak wood from various stores. Different red oak flooring suppliers offer varying pricing to gain a competitive market edge. Plus, estimates are typically free unless you make a service call for repairs.
You can get estimates from over four different places or more. Then, you can compare the relative prices and decide on the more pocket-friendly option. Ultimately, this decision will influence how much the cost to install the red oak floors will be.
Buy During the Right Season
The period when you buy red oak flooring planks can influence how much it costs. Therefore, we advise you to make your purchase between the end of the autumn season and the early signs of winter. This period is the unofficial “construction off-season” and the most financially favourable time to buy red oak hardwood.
Suppliers are more likely to offer better deals due to demand reduction. Consequently, you’ll be more eligible for incredible discounts when you buy red oak flooring in this period.
Negotiate What You Need
As shocking as this is, you can negotiate the initial offer of hardwood, especially red oak wood. We advise you to visit as many supply houses that sell your preferred type of red oak. Then, you can compare prices and beat down the overall costs in some places.
You can save upwards of 20% on the total costs by negotiating the price. Red oak wood is relatively abundant in Ontario. Hence, the customer usually holds the higher negotiation leverage.
Choose the Best Red Oak for Your Home
This point may sound like a no-brainer, but you’ll need to factor in the style of your home. For example, are you living in a bungalow, ranch or Victorian-era home? You’ll have to take note of the style of your home when considering red oak floor costs.
You can visit floor experts beforehand to advise you on which pattern of red oak wood to buy. Hardwood floors may be known for their functionality, but form also matters. You’ll want a red oak floor that matches the style of your home.
Always Plan for Additional Costs
It’s always better to be over-prepared than underprepared. No matter the cost of the red oak floor, you should plan for extra expenses. We advise that you add 8% to 15% to your overall budget.
This extra fee will cover unforeseen circumstances like complex patterns and wastage. Furthermore, you can have irregular walls and complicated subfloors that need reworking. The additional cost will cover all that.
Get a Professional Installer
It seems straightforward to avoid paying red oak floor installation prices by opting for DIY. However, if you’re new to floor installation, we advise you to get a professional installer. If you make a huge mistake when installing yourself, whatever damage you’ll have to fix will cost more in the long run.
When you buy red oak flooring, a professional installer already knows what needs to go where. In addition, the installers have experience setting up the flooring without a hitch. So, don’t create long-term problems for yourself by going DIY, especially if you’re a novice floor installer.
Type of Coating and Finishing
Your red oak wood flooring isn’t complete without an exquisite coating and finishes on its surface. Typically, red oak wood comes prefinished from the factory. Hence, you won’t have to apply any finish after installation.
However, the coating also determines how much the red oak wood will cost. For example, you can give the red oak wood a glossy look or settle for a duller matte coat. The cost of applying a coating can range from $2 to $4 per square foot.
Related Article: How Much Does Hardwood Floor Installation Cost in Toronto?
In Short
You may spend up to $10 per square foot to install red oak flooring in your home. Red oak wood is an abundant and affordable hardwood option. The red oak wood is ideal for any home style.
And when you choose a reputable supplier like LV Flooring, you’ll get maximum value for money. Our online store is a catalogue of top-quality red oak planks, each with unique designs.
Look through our online flooring store today!
