ArcaMax

Anyone who lives in a home with hardwood flooring knows the beauty and warmth it creates in a room. With its rich good looks and durability, it’s no wonder oak strip flooring is a popular choice. It’s more expensive than laminates, but an oak strip floor is a long-term investment you’ll enjoy for as long as you live in your home and it’s a key feature many real estate agents point out.

A flooring contractor will charge $2,507. which includes labor and material, to lay unfinished oak strip flooring in a 12- by 15-foot room. If you have carpentry skills and tools, you can buy the materials for $935 and do it yourself, saving 63%. Unless you have carpentry experience and tools, we think it’s a job best left for a professional installer because he or she has the skills and tools. The material is expensive, and damaging it during the job sets you back the repair cost and replacing it.

No matter who does the work, the first task is a no-brainer a homeowner should do. Empty the room of all the furnishings; then remove the base shoe molding around the room with a hammer and pry bar, and thoroughly vacuum the floor. The new oak flooring strips require a base of a clean and sound subfloor. The random strips of oak are milled to fit together as tongue-and-groove boards that are nailed together with a flooring nailer; these tools are available at most rental centers for about $30 to $40 for a day.

Our best advice: If you decide to do the job, definitely invest in a good pair of knee pads. Don’t forget the additional cost of having the new floor sanded and finished to complete the job.

Pro Cost: $2,507 — DIY Cost: $935 — Pro time: 10.7
DIY Time: 15.0 — DIY Savings: $1,572 — Percent Saved: 63%

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To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.

©2025 Gene and Katie Hamilton. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.