Which Is Better Prefinished Or Unfinished Hardwood Floors

Traditionally hardwood flooring was always installed as unfinished planks that were then stained and finished with a protective surface layer right on the worksite.

Which is better prefinished or unfinished hardwood floors.

Solid hardwood flooring. Prefinished solid wood floors initially cost more than unfinished wood flooring about 2 per square foot for a good grade of red oak. But once you factor in finishing costs prefinished ends up. Traditionally unfinished hardwood flooring was the most commonly installed flooring option for businesses and homes.

Advantages of unfinished flooring. But since the introduction of prefinished solid hardwood during the 1940s this newer form of flooring has become increasingly popular and today you may find that it s easier to find than traditional unfinished hardwood planks. I asked an online hardwood flooring community group on linkedin which was a better floor unfinished or pre finished and it resulted in a tremendous amount of passionate responses. Prefinished hardwood flooring is the best option if you want an easier installation process and if you want to move furniture into your home immediately after installation.

Unfinished flooring looks like real wood. Now the roles have reversed and prefinished hardwood flooring is the go to option. That s because when it s finished on site you generally get 2 3 coats of polyurethane while when it s made in the factory you usually get at least 6 7 coats which are oven baked along w aluminum oxide the worlds 2 nd hardest substance. Solid hardwood generally has very tight seams between boards and there is a great range of colors and species than is found with engineered hardwood flooring.

Even though solid prefinished flooring is real hardwood because of all the many factory sprayed on coats of polyurethane and or stain it is our opinion that prefinished flooring looks plastic y and factory made with a less noticeable grain pattern and thus less warm. Prefinished floors means less mess which has obvious advantages especially if you have children or pets that you don t want exposed to fumes and other installation by products. When you compare prefinished hardwood flooring vs unfinished hardwood flooring you should look at your personal time and budget constraints. Solid hardwood is available in both pre finished and unfinished boards.

Pre finished hardwood is 7 10x more scratch resistant than unfinished hardwood. Prefinished wood flooring is the best avenue when hardwood prices installation cost and convenience are major factors for your flooring project. However one more characteristic of prefinished flooring can be a deal breaker and that s the beveled edges. Prefinished flooring often costs more than unfinished flooring about 2 per square foot more for the same wood species but you generally save that by not having to sand and finish the floor during installation.