Finished vs Unfinished Hardwood Floors

Always refer to the manufacturers recommended guide lines when it comes to installing your hardwood floors.

Hardwood floors were probably one of the first flooring options available to the consumer. Initially only available in unfinished, which meant that the wood floors were installed without any stain or protection, and then stained and treated on site with a stain and polyurethane to make them more durable. This process of finishing floors onsite is costly, time consuming and very messy. The process is not considered an exact science, and often results in uneven shading and color variation across the floor.

Most flooring sold today is pre-finished. The stain and protective chemicals are applied at the factory in a controlled sterile environment under UV lighting. This results in a floor with a more consistant color. Pre-finished flooring is also a more affordable option and is more durable due to the addition of Aluminum Oxide, applied at the factory, which is a protective finish that adds incredible strength, hardness and durability to the floor.

Unfinished hardwood flooring is a practical application when trying to match up with an existing floor or for repairs to a portion of an existing floor. The color of hardwood flooring changes over time due to natural environmental factors such as exposure to sunlight. For this reason, merely purchasing the same floor as originally installed will not ensure an exact match. Thus in these situations it is advisable to purchase unfinished hardwood floors and have them stained on site to ensure a finish color that is closest to your existing floor.

When co-ordinating the color of your furniture and cabinetry with your hardwood floor, it is often difficult to find the stain that exactly complements these other aspects in the room, and thus it might be necessary to take the extra step and have your floors finished on site, so as to better blend with the décor. As there are so many different styles and shades of pre-finished flooring available, unfinished floors are often not necessary.

Finishing of hardwood flooring onsite is very rare nowadays, which has resulted in fewer installers possesing the knowledge and skills required. This has also resulted in an increase in price for this specialized service.