Cost for wood looking tiles vs hardwood floors |
Posted: March 2, 2018 |
Wood look tiles are all the rage these days. Many debate over the pros and cons of tiles that look like wood vs real hardwood floors. As you'll see in that article, there are advantages to each one as well as some drawbacks.
The key is to know which of these factors is most important to you. Here in the New York metro area, most people strongly prefer hardwood flooring to tile, especially for main areas of the home as well as the kitchen. That's because we are in a cooler climate, and those tiles are cold on your feet which is a real drawback during the winter. Also, hardwood flooring is easier on your feet and ultimately last much longer. (You can read more in the article mentioned above why this is).
But, if you're talking about water prone areas of the home such as bathrooms and basements, wood look tile is strongly preferred over hardwood. Solid hardwood flooring can in fact be a disaster in the basement (if it's below grade and/or gets moisture) and is a terrible option for bathrooms (but fine in powder rooms).
And, for those in warmer climates, often tile flooring is preferred in the main areas of the home precisely because it's cooler on your feet (and less AC is needed). And, tiles can be installed directly on top of concrete, and most homes in warmer climates are built on a slab, so this works out well. With wood looking tile you can have the best of both worlds - it looks like wood, but it's waterproof.
One of the key questions that customers ask when weighing hardwood vs tile plank flooring is which is less expensive.
And, of course, this is a very difficult question to answer because...it DEPENDS. It depends which type of wood (solid or engineered), which type of tile (the price range varies greatly), which type of subfloor you have (plywood vs concrete), which installation method you're using, and whether you're hiring a pro or doing it yourself, and where you live (labor rates vary greatly pending on where you live).
So, rather than giving an absolute definitive answer, I want to explain how these aspects impact your cost.
Cost of materials Wood look tiles vary in price. You can find many cheaper ones that are in the $3-$5 range...but also some that are in the $7-$15 range (per square foot). See this article to find some great ones, especially in the lower price range: Best places to buy wood look tile. For wood, solid hardwood prices will vary based on species and width, as well as whether it's unfinished (less expensive) or prefinished (more expensive). These may range from $3-$10, but clearly there are ones that will cost more. Generally, if you compare solid hardwood vs a good engineered wood, solid hardwood will cost less. But, there are definitely some inexpensive and lower grade engineered woods and bamboo that will cost less than solid hardwood (and yes, you do get what you pay for, especially with hardwood (a bit less so on tile).
Installation costs This will vary greatly based on where you live, subfloor, whether you do yourself. Here in NY, believe it or not, it's generally less expensive to install hardwood (even if it needs to be refinished on site) than tile. But, if you were to look in Florida or Texas or many other warmer climates, you will see that this is reversed...it's less expensive to install tile than hardwood.
Why is this? Part of it is the labor market and demand...in the warmer climates, many want tile and therefore there are many installers and therefore cost of labor is lower. It's the opposite here in Mid Atlantic and Northeast...where most people want hardwood in the main areas and only install tile in smaller areas such as bathrooms and sometimes kitchens or entryways (although now hardwood is preferred for kitchens and entryways).
The other part of this is structural. In cooler climates, most have plywood subfloors. So, installing hardwood is less labor intensive...just nail it into the subfloor. In homes with concrete slab subfloors, you can't nail hardwood into the subfloor. You need to first install the plywood subfloor (which costs extra) or else glue the hardwood to concreter (which costs more than a nail in installation). Also, you have the option to float an engineered floor. While the labor on that is lower, the cost of the clickable wood is more.
If you want to install tile on top of a plywood floor, you need to first install cement board or do a mudjob, so that the tile won't crack. This of course costs extra.
So, in warmer climates, it's less expensive to install tile and in cooler climates, it's usually less expensive to install hardwood.
Of course, if you are installing this yourself, that will save you money and then you just need to focus on the cost of materials. But, don't forget to factor in all the "accessories" (e.g. for tile - grout, thinset, spacers and potentially cement board and/or self leveling mix; for hardwood - tar paper or underlayment, glue or nails, etc.)
I hope this info helps as you consideer which option is less expensive for your particular situation, location and home.
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