What is the total flooring cost for hardwood, laminate and vinyl?
When planning a floor renovation, it’s always worth checking what the flooring project will actually cost you – everything included. But that can be a challenge: each flooring type has its own price category and specific aspects that must be considered in order to determine the overall cost of flooring. Here’s an overview of everything that you’ll need to include in your flooring budget.
The cost of flooring: wood vs laminate vs vinyl
The cost of a floor heavily depends on the material used. Generally speaking, hardwood is more expensive than laminate. Top-class wooden flooring can easily cost twice as much as top-range laminate or vinyl flooring, depending on the quality, size and level of detail. And even budget wooden flooring will still cost you 10% more than high-end laminate flooring – which is almost indistinguishable from the real deal.
So really, it’s mainly a question of budget, taste and material preference. Quick-Step offers you a wide array of options in every flooring category and impeccable quality is guaranteed!
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Thickness, grooves and resistance category
Regardless of the floor type, floor thickness always plays a key role in the price calculation. Thicker floors generally offer more stability, but tend to cost a bit more than thinner equivalents. Keep in mind that broader planks and grooves or bevels can also affect the price per square foot.
All of our wood floors are lacquered or oiled . But when it comes to laminate and vinyl floors, there is another important aspect determining price: the thickness of the floor’s scratch-resistant top layer.
Cost of flooring installation: DIY or hire a professional?
Found the right floor for your project? Time to think about the flooring installation! Do you intend to install the floor yourself or will you hire a professional fitter? The good news is that laying a Quick-Step wooden, laminate or vinyl floor doesn’t require exceptional handyman skills. Anyone can do it – provided you read the instructions carefully. Quick-Step’s unique and patented Uniclic Multifit click system is designed for quick and easy installation.
Still want the peace of mind of a professional installer? Obviously, this will affect the total flooring cost. But it offers some major advantages as well. A professional floor layer will significantly speed up the process, do all of the measuring and prepare the base for you, and conveniently brings his own equipment (like a saw blade). On top of that, our Quick-Step Master Installers will always give you some tailored advice to suit your own home.
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Choosing the right underlay
Specific situations call for different types of underlay – which come at a different price. So, to some extent, the underlay will affect your total flooring cost.
An uneven base – an existing tile floor, for example - will require a levelling underlay. A room that has to cope with frequent traffic will be much quieter with an underlay that reduces walking sound. Want to install underfloor heating? It’s more ecological to use a liner with minimal thermal insulating properties. And for those renovating an apartment: the neighbours below will appreciate the use of an underlay that dampens downward noise transmission.
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Put the cherry on top with the right skirtings and profiles
A detail often overlooked is the fact that installing a wooden, laminate or vinyl floor in larger rooms or across doorways requires the use of dilation profiles. This allows the floor to naturally expand and contract when temperatures shift.
And last but not least, you will need wall skirtings to finish off the borders in style: paintable, colour-matched or a classic white. Like everything else, these come in different varieties – which can also impact your total flooring cost.
Quick-Step offers matching skirtings and profiles for every floor colour in the collection. All types of skirtings and profiles are coated with a scratch-resistant layer.
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The “5% extra” rule
When calculating the amount of wood, laminate or vinyl flooring you’ll need, there’s a rule that says you should build in 5% extra to allow for saw loss. If the walls have a lot of corners, twists and turns, we even advise a 10% margin. Besides, it’s always smart to keep a few spare planks in stock – just in case.
Equipment you need to include in your flooring cost
Feeling overwhelmed? No need to worry. Every single Quick-Step floor, whether wood, laminate or vinyl, is easy to install with a minimum of equipment. All you need is:
- our handy Laminate and Parquet Installation Kit (not needed for vinyl floors),
- a tape measure,
- a pencil,
- a cutting tool: a handsaw or jigsaw for laminate or parquet floors and a knife with a concave blade for vinyl floors.
That’s it! With your tools, your underlay and of course, the wooden, laminate or vinyl floor of your choice, you’re good to go!