When you are deciding between prefinished or unfinished floors the first consideration should be your experience, or a trusted professional with the experience. Prefinished hardwood floors have had all the work done to them before they arrive in your home and are ready to be installed. In most cases this means sanded, stained, and finished with a UV aluminum oxide coating as a topcoat. On the other hand, unfinished boards require; acclimation, finish, drying time, not to mention it is long and heavy.
Prefinished is factory and site by hand.
By comparison prefinished by definition means finished before you see it, meaning big multinationals pick colors and styles based on what sold last year! So they make it then market with cool names and nice (short) boxes. Site finishing means you are limited by the imagination not inventory.
Prefinished or unfinished it has to be real wood
So what is best, buying prefinished or unfinished wood floors? Unfinished floors must be site finished, while prefinished floors are finished in a factory. Site finishing unfinished boards allows the artisan to create and no factory finish compares with the look of a hand finished floor. Having said that, installing prefinished floors take much less time and effort but I will argue that the results of site finishing are worth it.
Lipstick on a pig- you have been warned.
Have you ever heard the term ‘putting lipstick on a pig’? This means you are attempting put a pretty coat on something not so pretty. Two examples of “Lipstick on a pig” are wire brushed LVT and anything that claims to be waterproof. And, of course any warranty that uses the words transferable and lifetime in their promise. All we can say, Caveat Emptor or buyer beware when buying a product designed to fail.
Unfinished or prefinished floors- one should be much longer.
7′ boxes do not mean 7′ boards- they are a nested bundle. Sold in a range such as 1-7′ with average lengths from 36″ to just over 1ft. You know the stuff you see everywhere. 100 names for 10 colors! Why? Money of course! Manufactures, take the small cuts, defects, micro shorts of dimensional lumber mills and finish it for the masses. That means 1-7′ bundles with average length under 24″, no matter what they say at the store waste comes in higher than 10%.
In conclusion
When deciding between unfinished and prefinished floors, it’s crucial to consider the pros and cons of each option. With an unfinished (site finished) floor you have choices that might be crucial, such as hypo-allergenic products, i.e. Monocoat by Rubio. Prefinished floors provide a convenient and ready-to-install solution, but they are short and do not the “wow” factor. If you value the ability to choose custom colors and finishes, site finished or finished to order floors would be the ideal choice for you. On the other hand, if you prioritize convenience and quick installation, prefinished floors are the way to go.
Our suggestion? Take the time to evaluate your preferences and needs before making a decision. For more information and personalized assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
