Should I Choose Prefinished or Unfinished Flooring?

Prefinished

Fast Installation

Prefinished hardwood flooring is good for the homeowner that isn’t undergoing a whole house remodel. It’s also good if the homeowner wants the process and to be done as quickly as possible. Prefinished hardwood floors simplify the installation, color application, and sealing into one step. Prefinished hardwood flooring can typically be installed within a day, depending on the area to be covered. Here is some helpful advice for choosing prefinished or unfinished flooring.

Doesn’t need to be cured

The prefinished hardwood undergoes a drying and curing process in the factory. This means that you won’t have to wait for the wood to dry and cure in your home and can use your space immediately after installation, as you normally would.

Lower volatile organic compounds (VOC’s)

Since the prefinished wood is cured in the factory, you won’t have to worry about any harmful fumes in your home.

Less dust

Remodeling unavoidably involves dust, which is a crucial aspect to consider. However, when dealing with finished wood, you need not worry about excessive dust since it has already undergone shaping and sanding. Nevertheless, it is still reasonable to anticipate some dust in any remodeling endeavor.

Unfinished

Good for longer projects

When a space is under construction or undergoing large renovations, it is preferable to use unfinished hardwood flooring to protect the floors.If you’re looking to protect your flooring during extensive and time-consuming projects, this option would be a wise decision.

Finishing

Many contractors prefer to wait until the end of the job to finish the floor. That way, a dropped tool or a pebble under a work boot can’t mark the finished floor. I think it’s necessary to sand and seal the flooring.Sealing the floor will have long cure times and you will need to be patient before you can resume normal use of your flooring.

More customizable

Unfinished hardwood gives more room for customization. You can choose which stain you want and seal to your desired taste. This is good for people who have a very specific vision in mind for their flooring.

Unbeveled

Prefinished floorboards usually have micro-bevels on all edges. These bevels hide slight discrepancies between board depths and widths. Unfinished hardwood does not have these bevels and some homeowners prefer the flush look of site-sanded floors.

Give Almar a call to come out and look at your home. You can contact Almar us on our website. You can always call us (781-826-2577) during our business hours, Monday through Friday 8 AM-4 PM.

Allison Guido

Almar's CEO has over 20 years of experience in the remodeling industry. She is constantly learning and looking for ways to improve our homeowners' remodeling process and experience. Her mission is to break the Contractor Stereo Type and provide a great product at a good price for our homeowners.