Comparing Quotes

When comparing quotes, it is important to make sure that you are comparing like measurements and like products.

Not all suppliers quote prices in m2 – many use square yards or square feet to make the unit price appear cheaper - and not all suppliers of hardwood floors are suppliers of solid hardwood floors; some laminated products can validly be described as hardwood floors but they are hardwood veneers applied to engineered/composite hardwood rather than solid boards.

When comparing board lengths and widths, check whether these relate to single pieces of timber, or boards made from end or side jointed pieces. Boards made from multiple narrow widths laminated together will be cheaper but will not give the same finished look as continuous boards.

Where boards are single pieces of timber, check that you are comparing prices for the same or similar widths and grades – it is normal that narrower, lower grade boards will be cheaper than wider, higher grade ones.

When buying unsealed boards, check whether these are sanded and filled. If not, they may be cheaper to buy in the first place but will take much more work and take longer to fit. If you are paying someone to fit your floor, you should expect the cost of fitting boards that are not pre-sanded and filled to be higher and this could be more than the initial saving on the boards.

Check whether boards are tongue & grooved all the way round (also known as ends matched) or only along the sides. The latter will generally be cheaper per m2, but the ends will always need to be joined over a joist / baton, so the waste is increased and they are rarely cheaper in the end. They are also more difficult to fit than boards that are ends matched, particularly if you do not have experience of fitting wooden floors.

Finally, check that product has been kiln dried, and to what humidity level. Kiln drying reduces the moisture in the timber and is essential for flooring that is to be installed in a heated environment. Within the timber industry, anything between 9-12% humidity is generally considered as acceptable for flooring, but where it is to be fitted over under-floor heating, this drops to between 6-9%. The use of timber outside these guidelines could result in the shrinkage and cupping of boards.