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There are many exciting flooring options available if you are remodeling your home. If you want a change from wall-to-wall carpeting, there is a vast array of hard flooring that can give an entirely new look to your home. Classic Hardwood and Wood Look-Alikes Hardwood remains the favorite flooring surface for many homeowners. Adding new hardwood to an existing home offers a high-end look, whether your style is traditional and formal or contemporary and casual chic. If you previously had carpeting, you probably have the subfloor you need for hardwood installation. Hardwood - Many real hardwood floors come prefinished, while offering the option for numerous refinishings in the future when the floors become scratched and dull with use. The job will probably cost around $3-$8 per square foot for the materials, plus $5-$12 per square foot for installation. Exotic woods start around $14 per square foot Engineered Hardwood - This product has several layers of wood grain veneer over a layer of plywood or high-density fiberboard (HDF) made durable with stone dust. The product can be refinished several times before reaching the base layer. Available in many prefinished wood tones, the product is more resistant to moisture than hardwood, so is the better choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. It can work anywhere in the house for about the same price as hardwood materials and installation. Laminate - Looks like wood, but the grain you see is the result of a photographic process. This process gives laminate the advantage of being able to replicate any type of wood and color. The design sits atop a core of plastic resin and a backing, and is protected by one or two top layers. To accommodate the traffic patterns of your home, laminate is available in several grades, with the top one being suitable for all residential and even commercial use. The material is very durable, does not easily scratch, and will withstand some moisture, although not pools of water that can reach the inner core. With prices starting at under $1 per square foot, installation can be as low as $2 per square foot. Popular New Flooring Options In addition to these wood and wood-look types of flooring, many interesting new products compete in the marketplace. Polished Concrete - Offers a trendy industrial flare to modern, open concept homes. When the floors under carpet or linoleum are already concrete, staining or painting them to create interesting textures is a fairly easy process. The cost averages $4 to $6 per square foot. To offset the cold feel they offer, some homeowners want them heated with radiant heating, an extra cost. Finishing concrete floors is a specialized job that may require an experienced subcontractor Tile - in glazed or unglazed variations such as ceramic, porcelain, quarry, or terra-cotta, is durable and can give a unique look to your floor with its many patterns, shapes, sizes, and textures. Cost can vary from $1 to $100 per square foot with installation often costing between $4 to $12 per square foot. Porcelain tile with wood grain patterns is a great alternative for areas where you want the look of wood with better resistance to moisture. Whether you are looking for wood or laminate for your home remodel, or want to try some of the exciting new flooring options, a local flooring retailer can provide you with the expertise you need to choose the best flooring for your needs and budget.
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home remodel, hard wood, hardwood flooring, flooring options, kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, floor remodel,
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