As we all know, natural hardwood is one of the most expensive options for hard flooring. However, it will last the lifetime of the building if it is properly maintained and it is the only type of flooring that can be refinished. Other well-known expensive options are natural stones like Marble, slate, limestone, granite and flagstone. One way to reduce the cost of natural stone is to choose stone tiles instead, as this is made of stone aggregate that is suspended in polymer binder. Tiles can be an expensive option depending on their quality, materials and manufacture. Even carpet – usually thought of as the affordable choice – can be expensive depending on the type of fibers used.
Hardwood floors are not only affordable, they’re also easier to maintain and promote healthier indoor air than other flooring materials. If affordability isn’t an issue, though, maybe you should consider the most expensive wood flooring in the world.
Macassar ebony, also known as Calamander wood, comes from India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and South East Asia. While it isn’t true ebony, it is procured from a related species. This visually striking wood is dark brown to black in appearance with orange-gold streaks. It’s a very dense wood, so no filler is necessary when finishing the wood, and it is less likely to split than other woods.
Flooring your home with this expensive wood will set you back around $150 per square foot. Compare that to the $8-$10 per square foot price of typical hardwood flooring!
Like many other things in life, flooring will be more expensive if the material is hard to source or rare on the market and involves high cost and intensive labor to manufacture and process. Thus “hand-made” will cost significantly more than factory manufactured. Another factor in price is any artistic input, just as designer clothes will always bear a significant price tag. Installation also plays a large role in cost. Finally, flooring that is “fragile”, requiring special maintenance and after-care, will often cost more as well.
Other factors include:
- Quality
- Exotic
- Sourcing and Manufacturing Process