Unfinished or Finished Hardwood Flooring?

Together with hardwood flooring alternatives, it actually comes down to what works best for you. This is exactly the same when selecting whether to buy unfinished or finished hardwood flooring. But before getting into the particulars of each we must check into the reasons behind the choice you're given.

Natural means unpredictable

Wood is a living breathing thing, even when it's removed from its home in the forest, cut to pieces and processed in the mill. This is a element that you must understand when buying any kind of hardwood flooring. Moisture and temperature will influence the flooring in various ways, particularly when it comes time to purchase finished or unfinished hardwood flooring.

Knowing the Difference

This basically means each board has not had the finish applied to the surface. Installation of this kind
of flooring is best left to the professionals as it requires a degree of ability in trimming, finishing, and installation that many weekend warrior home owners simply do not possess. Another major drawback of purchasing unfinished hardwood is that through the application of the finish the homeowners shouldn't be within the house for at least three times due to the overwhelming smell and fumes given off from the finish.

Prefinished signifies the floorboards comes from the factory precoated in the final finish. This factory process helps to ensure that the jacket is placed on in an even coating and without defects. Possessing the boards prefinished also remove the climate factor when installing the flooring. With unfinished the installer should constantly know about the humidity inside the room or else floors might warp and buckle after the finish is used. Prefinished is also easier for setup functions as there isn't any need for sanding or completing so the procedure can be generally be done in a day or so based on the square footage. Of course the prefinished flooring can still twist and enlarge with sudden changes in the climate in the home so those amounts should always be monitored, nevertheless with prefinished it is more pliable.

For many people and projects I would advise going with a prefinished item. Coming out of a mill you're guaranteed a degree of quality that's hard to duplicate with unfinished boards. Nevertheless, in case you have a particular project in a layout which may need something entirely unique that a producer can't supply then by all means go with an unfinished item. Just make sure you employ a setup company that's totally equipped and experienced to manage the difficulties.