Hardwood Floors, Pre-Finished vs. Un-Finished
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 Today, there are so many hardwood-flooring options that it can be difficult to find the best option for your house. When selecting hardwoods, you must choose between pre-finished and un-finished. Both have an optimum installation.
Un-finished
Un-finished hardwood floors are installed using a special nail gun that shoot large nails through the sub-flooring and into the floor joist. After the floor is installed it must be sanded, stained and then finished. This type installation is labor intensive but the result is a rock solid floor that should last hundreds of years. These floors can be refinished several times so that damage can be totally removed resulting in a floor as beautiful as the first day they were done.
Also, the joints are tight and there is no significant groove to trap dust and stag furniture like chairs that might slide across the floor.
For many people, the hardwood floors in an old house are one of the biggest selling points and no wonder; nothing says quality like nicely finished ?un-finished? floors.
On the other hand, the sanding and finishing generates a lot of dust and potentially harmful vapor.
Pre-finished.
Pre-finished floors are finished at a factory with finishes that are much harder than the finishes applied to un-finished floors. The harder the wood and finish, the longer the floor finish will last. These floors also have small chamfer all around the edges of the plank. This is required for a smooth joint since there will be no second operation to make sure that the tops of all the planks are even. Without the bevel, there would be sharp steps at some joints where the thickness of the planks vary.
The elimination of the finishing operation reduces the cost of installation and also eliminated the much of the mess.
Recommendation
If the price of the home will support it and you can afford the price and mess, install unfinished floors. They are the ultimate floor for adding warmth and character to your home. Everyone is impressed by nicely finished hardwood floors and they will last a lifetime.
If un-finished floors are not too expensive or too messy, then pre-finished floors are an excellent alternative. Click here for learn more about Flooring Options. The information on this site is provided for reference only and is provided "AS IS", "AS AVAILABLE" with no guarantee of accuracy. Information comes with no warranties, express or implied. Use the information from this site at your own risk. See our disclaimer for more details. |