The difference between prefinished and unfinished floors is in the name. Prefinished floors are finished before installation, while unfinished floors must be finished after installation.
Unfinished flooring is raw wood with no beveled edges. When unfinished hardwood flooring is sanded and finished on site, there are no lines in between the boards, and you will get a perfectly flat, smooth floor. Advantages to Prefinished flooring: Time: Prefinished flooring is a faster process.
This is partly due to the fact that prefinished hardwood flooring is less expensive to install because it requires less labor during installation. It is also due to the fact that prefinished wood flooring has a more durable finish that can't be achieved on floors finished on the job site.
Prefinished floorboards usually have micro-bevels on all edges. These bevels hide slight discrepancies between board depths and widths. Inevitably, some homeowners will prefer the flush look of site-sanded floors, as they feature no such grooves and can be finished to a mirror-like surface.
Prefinished Hardwood Flooring Cost
1 It is the unusual hardwoods that tend to be quite expensive. These prices make prefinished hardwood more expensive than unfinished hardwood, though remember that you will save the time and expense of sanding, staining, and finishing the planks.
The durable finish on pre-finished flooring means that it's often easier to maintain your floors as they'll be better able to withstand stains, scratches, and the general abuse of daily living.
Hardwood floors, whether prefinished or not, are undeniably long-lasting. The finish on these floors will need to be reapplied, however, to keep the wood protected and looking great. The factory finish on prefinished flooring can last as long as 25 years before it needs to be refreshed.
Prefinished hardwood floors have numerous advantages. One advantage is the hard, durable finish. Several coats of sealant make these floors harder and more resilient to scratches, according to SFGate. On the contrary, when an unfinished floor is laid, typically just two or three coats of sealer are applied.
In terms of budget, unfinished hardwood flooring is cheaper when you just consider the flooring itself. Once you factor in the costs of a finishing treatment, then prefinished flooring actually ends up being cheaper. You can consider the pros and cons of both options and decide what works best for you.
The Pros of Unfinished Hardwood Flooring
Since unfinished hardwood flooring requires on-site installation, you are able to fully customize your floors any way you want. You can add your own personal touch with inlays, borders, and other flooring features, as well as your finish system, stain color, and sawn profile.
Takeaway: Your worn down pre-finished hardwood flooring can be refinished up to 5 times. You can change the color of the entire floor each time that it's completely refinished. Leave the bevel in the floor and DO NOT have the bevel filled. Pre-finished hardwoods show scratches more than site-finished hardwoods.
Engineered hardwood refers to the process of actually creating the hardwood planks from different plies of wood; it doesn't refer to the finish of the wood. Engineered hardwood can be prefinished or site-finished. However, most engineered hardwood is prefinished.
To tell if your wood floor is sealed, find an inconspicuous area, dab a drop of water on the surface, and see if it soaks in or beads on top. If the water drop beads on top of the wood, your floor is sealed. Surface-sealed floors are stain and water-damage resistant and easiest to clean.
Unfinished wood furniture means the piece of furniture has been put together by craftsman, but still needs a finish (such as stain or varnish) to be applied.
The choice of oil or lacquer (sometimes known as varnish), is completely your choice. A lacquer or varnish will provide a smooth finish to your wooden floor and is available in either a matt or semi-matt appearance. An oil, on the other hand, gives a more natural appearance that is slightly rough to the touch.
A: Yes, a polyurethane-finished hardwood can be recoated if you take the proper steps to prep the finish. First, lightly sand with No. 2 steel wool or a dull 120- to 150-grit abrasive screen using a heavy floor buffer.
In general, you shouldn't apply polyurethane over a floor that has already been stained and sealed with other products. If the manufacturer indicates that the floor has been treated with polyurethane but you want to apply additional coats for added protection, you may do so after the floor has been installed.
“Prefinished” hardwood floors are factory-finished. Each board is coated with polyurethane before it hits the shelf. There are also notable pros and cons associated with this particular type of flooring.
Conversely, the installation and finishing of unfinished flooring can cost anywhere from $4 to $10 per square foot. Taking the materials and installation into consideration, prefinished flooring will cost anywhere from $8 to $25 per square foot while unfinished will cost anywhere from $7 to $25 per square foot.
Whether you're cleaning one area or all of your flooring, Murphy® Oil Soap is safe to use on hardwood floors.
You can revitalize the surface by stripping the old finish and staining the floor. This is a labor-intensive project, but upon successful completion you'll have a beautifully restored hardwood floor that you can admire with pride.
So, we naturally get the question, “Can you refinish pre-finished floors?” The answer is generally “yes,” as long as the pre-finished (or site finished) floors are solid hardwood. If the flooring is engineered hardwood, the answer is usually “No.”
Unfinished solid hardwood floors are crafted from solid wood planks that have been left untreated so you can add the lacquer, stain, or other coating that suits your design needs.
It's commonly accepted that you refinish every seven to ten years. Important note: some hardwood is only 1/4 inches thick. In this case, a refinish could strip away all traces of the floor. Unsure about how thick your hardwood is?
Is Engineered Hardwood More Expensive Than Solid Hardwood? Engineered hardwood is typically less expensive than hardwood flooring as ranges in price from about $2.50 to $10 per square foot, while hardwood typically averages about $4 to $12 per square foot.