Deciding Between Prefinished and Unfinished Hardwood Floors
When shopping for hardwood flooring you will need to choose from prefinished hardwood flooring or unfinished hardwood flooring. Prefinished hardwood flooring is finished at the factory. Stain and finish are applied on the flooring finish line, so when the flooring arrives at your home it simply needs to be acclimatized and installed. Unfinished hardwood flooring may also be referred to as “site finished” flooring. It is purchased in its natural state and often requires a professional flooring craftsman to install, sand, stain and finish with a protective top-coat on-site.
Whether you decide to choose prefinished or unfinished hardwood flooring is a matter of preference and the needs of your particular project. Prefinished hardwood floors take less time to install. They arrive already sanded and finished, so there is no inconvenience to your family, or any need to relocate due to strong odours and sanding during installation.
A finish seals a hardwood floor against damage from everyday wear and tear, moisture and stains. The finish on a prefinished floor is highly durable due how it is applied. 7 coats of UV-cured Nano Technology coating to create a durable, high-clarity finish. This is accomplished by running the flooring down a finishing line for 7 passes each of top-coating and UV curing. By comparison, site-finished floors typically receive 2-3 coats of top-coat and then are left to cure by air drying. While a little more effort to install on-site, unfinished flooring offers its own benefits, most notably customization. Unfinished floors may be desired when a certain custom stain and finish is needed, or when installing more intricate design effects (like inlays and patterns).
